Canada
Paysafe appoints Zak Cutler to lead its North America iGaming business
Former Jackpocket and DraftKings executive brings additional iGaming expertise and deep industry relationships to Paysafe
Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, today announced it has appointed seasoned iGaming executive, Zak Cutler, as CEO, North America iGaming. The newly created executive role, which reports directly into Group CEO, Philip McHugh, forms part of Paysafe’s ongoing strategic focus in the North American iGaming vertical which continues to show explosive growth as more and more states in the U.S. regulate online gambling, sports betting and iLottery.
Since the rapid legalization of the U.S. sports betting market starting May 2018, Paysafe has consistently stated its ambitions to be the iGaming industry’s payments partner of choice, building on its leadership in Canada and Europe. The company now provides 75% of operators in the country with payments or marketing solutions across 16 states. In Canada, Paysafe also holds a leading position and partners with the majority of regulated iLottery and gaming brands.
Cutler brings extensive industry experience to the role and a proven track record of driving growth in iGaming companies; he has held senior leadership roles at both starts ups as well as large, publicly traded companies. He joins Paysafe from Jackpocket, an innovative app that enables people to buy official state lottery tickets online, where he was VP of Strategy and Product. As one of Jackpocket’s first executive hires, he was responsible for developing the strategy, the product and the approach that enabled Jackpocket to swiftly expand into 10 U.S. jurisdictions, achieving a #7 entertainment app store ranking, and acquiring millions of new lottery customers in the process. While there, he also worked with celebrities, sports teams, and large media brands such as Barstool Sports to successfully grow Jackpocket’s brand presence nationally. Before that, Cutler worked as Director of Product Management for DraftKings, one of the world’s best-known brands in sports entertainment and gaming, where he was responsible for all product initiatives related to payment processing, U.S. compliance, and international expansion.
Philip McHugh, Paysafe’s CEO, commented: “We believe Paysafe has huge potential to win in North American iGaming given our track record as the de facto payments specialist in this sector globally. Now, with the additional leadership bench strength of Zak at the helm of our highly focused team, we are in a better position than ever to help operators seize the opportunities out there through the delivery of best-in-class payments products and services. Zak is very attuned to operator needs and is highly regarded by all who know him in the industry. He will be a real asset.”
Zak Cutler commented: “As a former Paysafe customer for many years, I’m thrilled to now have the opportunity to join the team in this capacity. While at Jackpocket and DraftKings, I was always impressed by Paysafe’s industry-leading products, and their foresight to invest in the North American iGaming industry long before it was in the mainstream. I also admired the team’s ability to develop deep relationships with customers. This approach resonates with my own style and commitment to helping iGaming operators grow rapidly through the delivery of outstanding products and unrivalled partnership. I’m really looking forward to playing my part now as a member of the team – I believe we are in the early innings of a massive opportunity!”
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Berkley Egenes
Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is participating in two leading co-located industry events, XP Game Summit Toronto and Xsolla Connect Toronto, on May 21-22, in Toronto. Xsolla will engage with partners, creators, and industry leaders across both events, focusing on the evolving gaming ecosystem.
At XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that helps developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control.
Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, which supports more than 1000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experiences, Xsolla Payments enables developers to reach players worldwide while adapting to regional preferences and regulatory environments.
Additionally, Xsolla will showcase how they are connecting developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). By simplifying licensing and partnership opportunities, Xsolla Agency helps studios enhance player acquisition, drive engagement through LiveOps, and unlock new monetization pathways.
In addition to showcasing its product offerings and solutions, Xsolla will also present a featured panel session titled “Building the Creator Pipeline: How Smart Partnerships Are Scaling Influencer Marketing”. The panel will include John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla; Scott Christian, Studio Director & Founder of Hilltop Games; Gem Johnson, CEO at Corvian Marketing; and Corina (Newby) Diaz, Marketing and Social Media Director at Mighty Yell. They will share practical insights on building sustainable creator ecosystems, leveraging strategic partnerships, and driving measurable impact through influencer marketing initiatives.
In addition to the company’s participation in XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will host Xsolla Connect Toronto, further expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between developers and publishers through curated programming and networking experiences. Xsolla Connects are designed to give local communities the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and integrate with Xsolla’s industry leaders in an open and transparent environment and through conversations.
“Toronto continues to emerge as a key hub for gaming innovation and collaboration in North America. We’re excited to participate in XP Game Summit and host the Xsolla Connect to connect with the community while sharing insights on how creators and partnerships are helping to build the future of game growth,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla.
“Toronto has built itself into a major Canadian video game hub. We are glad to contribute to the continued growth of the local industry as well as Ontario’s Game Industry as a whole. What makes it special is the combination of deep technical talent, global creative diversity, and a production ecosystem that truly scales. That’s why gatherings like XP Game Summit and Xsolla Connect matter so much: they bring that energy together, and we’re excited to be part of it and help showcase what this community can do,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla.
The post Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario
St8 has extended its partnership with slot supplier Wazdan into Ontario, adding the supplier’s content to St8’s aggregation platform for operators in the Canadian province.
Under the agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan slot titles for Ontario operators, including Mighty Fish
: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins
, Mighty Wild
: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild
: Gorilla. The roll-out also includes Wazdan mechanics such as Cash to Infinity
, Sticky to Infinity
and Hold the Jackpot
.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.
“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.
“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”
The post St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan
St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario
Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Wazdan into Ontario, further strengthening its premium content offering in one of North America’s leading regulated markets.
Through the extended agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing slot titles for operators in Ontario, including Mighty Fish
: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins
, Mighty Wild
: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild
: Gorilla. The partnership also brings Wazdan’s renowned engagement-driven mechanics to the market, including Cash to Infinity
, Sticky to Infinity
and Hold the Jackpot
.
Wazdan has built a strong reputation through its combination of high-performing games, innovative mechanics and player engagement features. Its focus on creating memorable gameplay experiences aligns closely with St8’s approach to delivering premium content through a seamless aggregation platform.
The Ontario expansion marks the latest step in the ongoing collaboration between the two companies as St8 continues to evolve its content portfolio and support operators with games that deliver strong performance across competitive markets.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.
“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.
“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”
The post St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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