Canada

TheLines.com: Scheffler, Rahm the oddsmakers’ favorites at PGA Championship

Published

4 years ago

May 17, 2022

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Spaniard Jon Rahm are the oddsmakers’ consensus favorites to win the PGA Championship this week at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., according to TheLines, which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting market.

Scheffler, who entered 2022 without a PGA Tour win in his career, has now won four times and ascended to the No. 1 world ranking. Both Scheffler and Rahm are listed at +1100, according to a consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, and PointsBet. That means a bettor will win $1,100 for every $100 wagered should Scheffler or Rahm claim the Wanamaker Trophy.

Rahm won last year’s U.S. Open in June to claim his first major title, but was winless until three weeks ago at the Mexico Open. Rory McIlroy is next at +1400, followed by Justin Thomas (+1500), Collin Morikawa (+1800), and Patrick Cantlay (+1800).

Also at +1800 is Jordan Speith, who needs a PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam. Spieth missed the cut at The Masters but rebounded to win the following week, and he finished second over the weekend at the Byron Nelson Championship.

Tiger Woods, who shocked many by not only playing at The Masters, but also making the cut, is +6000 at this week’s PGA. This will be just his second start since the devastating car accident 16 months ago.

The PGA Championship will not have a back-to-back winner after Phil Mickelson — who stunned many last year with a win at Kiawah Island, South Carolina — withdrew from this year’s event. Mickelson has not played a PGA Tour event or major championship since his controversial comments about the Saudi Arabian government and his connection to LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed rival to the PGA Tour.

“There will be a lot of talk this week about who is not playing, and the fact that Tiger Woods is playing,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines. “While the PGA has had its share of longshot winners in the past, golf hasn’t really had a surprise major champion since Gary Woodland won the 2019 U.S. Open. There is value down the board, but bettors will likely focus on the top of the board when picking a winner this week.”

As for the course, Southern Hills should prove to be a strong test, playing at more than 7,500 yards this week.

“As it relates to Southern Hills, the 2022 PGA Championship is a perfect amalgamation of the characteristics of each of the other three Majors,” said John Haslbauer, who writes about golf wagering and advanced golf metrics for TheLines. “It has the expansive undulating fairways and around-the-green premiums of Augusta National, it has the tight greenside runoffs and exposure to high winds which we’re accustomed to seeing at The Open, and it’s been lengthened to a point where distance will provide a distinct advantage, just like the U.S. Open.”

The consensus odds for the favorites to win the 2022 PGA Championship as of May 16:

Jon Rahm, +1100
Scottie Scheffler, +1100
Rory McIlroy, +1400
Justin Thomas, +1500
Collin Morikawa, +1800
Patrick Cantlay, +1800
Jordan Spieth, +1800
Dustin Johnson, +2000
Cam Smith, +2000
Viktor Hovland, +2200

affiliate marketing

SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

seobrothers’-aleksandra-drigo-flags-higher-barriers-for-affiliates-in-regulated-alberta

SEOBROTHERS Chief of Business Development Aleksandra Drigo says Alberta’s move toward a regulated online gambling market is likely to raise the cost and complexity of affiliate acquisition, reshaping competition for SEO-led publishers. Drigo shared the view in an exclusive interview with SiGMA News focused on Canada’s affiliate landscape.

Drigo said regulation can bring more transparency, but also higher compliance demands and tougher economics for smaller players. “Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” she said.

She added that regulated markets typically advantage well-funded affiliate groups with the ability to invest in legal and compliance support and tracking infrastructure. “Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”

On partner selection, Drigo said affiliates are increasingly weighing operators on operational quality and regulatory readiness, not just commercial terms. “We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”

Drigo also pointed to communication and access to performance data as major friction points in operator-affiliate relationships. “Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”

Looking ahead, Drigo said affiliates targeting regulated North American markets will need stronger localisation, trusted brands and more diversified traffic strategies as search behaviour changes. “With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”

The post SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Affiliate Industry

SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates

Published

5 hours ago

July 6, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

sigma-exclusive:-aleksandra-drigo-on-traffic-shifts,-transparency,-and-the-future-of-seo-affiliates

In an exclusive interview for the SiGMA News, Aleksandra Drigo, Chief of Business Development at SEOBROTHERS, shared her perspective on the future of affiliate marketing in Canada.

She discussed how Alberta’s upcoming market launch could reshape competition, why transparency has become a cornerstone of operator-affiliate partnerships, how compliance is changing the way affiliates choose partners, and why localisation, trusted brands, and data-driven decision-making will define the next generation of SEO affiliates.

Regulation will reshape Alberta’s affiliate landscape

As Alberta prepares to regulate its online gambling market, affiliates are entering a more challenging environment. While regulation brings greater transparency, it also increases compliance demands, acquisition costs, and competition – particularly from larger, well-funded companies.

“Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” Aleksandra said.

Bigger brands gain the advantage

According to Drigo, regulated markets naturally favour established affiliate businesses, whereas smaller publishers face much higher barriers to entry despite niche opportunities still existing.

“Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”

Compliance is now a deciding factor

Operator selection is no longer based solely on commercial terms. Affiliates increasingly assess partners by their transparency, reporting quality, responsible gaming standards, responsiveness, and ability to meet local regulatory requirements.

“We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”

Communication matters more than financial disputes

Drigo believes that most partnership conflicts arise not from payment issues, but from poor communication and limited access to performance data.

“Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”

The future belongs to trusted brands and localisation

Looking ahead, Drigo expects meticulous localisation, brand authority, first-party audiences, and community-driven products to define success in regulated North American markets. As AI reshapes search, affiliates will need stronger technology, diversified traffic sources, and compliance-friendly SEO strategies to remain competitive.

“With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”

The post SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

4 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-expands-octoplay-aggregation-deal-to-ontario-and-the-uk

St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.

Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.