Canada

Insider Knowledge at Canadian Gaming Summit: ‘Leaders’ Track Showcases Top Operators and Regulators

Published

1 year ago

March 15, 2023

Apart from a vibrant exhibition showcasing various products and services and numerous networking opportunities, the Canadian Gaming Summit, the country’s premier gaming and betting event, will host a conference with an unrivaled line-up of first-rate speakers hand-picked by event organizer SBC.

The ‘Leaders’ conference track, which will take place on June 14 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is an undisputed highlight of the event’s 26th edition, as it spotlights the most influential decision-makers, thought leaders and innovators in the Canadian gaming industry.

Attendees will gain unparalleled insights from Canada’s most successful operators, including representatives from PointsBet, BetMGM, Kindred and FanDuel. Furthermore, event visitors will have the opportunity to hear directly from regulators and exchange ideas with their peers in the gaming industry.

The opening panel of the ‘Leaders’ conference track will delve into Canada’s potential to become an international hub for iGaming innovation. Esteemed industry executives Scott Vanderwel (CEO, PointsBet Canada), Amanda Brewer (Country Manager Canada, Kindred), Dale Hooper (General Manager Canada, FanDuel) and Scott Woodgate (VP Canada, BetMGM) will explore how Canada can leverage its status as a well-established tech hub and center for global investments to emerge as a worldwide center for iGaming innovation.

Drawing upon their experiences as established operators who were among the first to obtain legal operator titles in the Canadian market, the panelists will compare Canada’s situation with that of US states and discuss how local operators can compete with larger organizations for market share. In addition, the speakers will discuss the prospects of regulatory collaboration across jurisdictions and examine the potential of other provinces outside Ontario to chart a course.

The second panel is dedicated to regulators, who will reflect on the key takeaways from the opening of the province of Ontario and explore how these lessons can be applied to other provinces and Canadian territories. The panel will feature Martha Otton, Executive Director of iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) that was established to regulate the new market, and Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer of the AGCO.

The panelists will examine how various provinces across Canada can collaborate and align on best practices and expansion tactics. They will also analyze the accuracy of the predictions that were made when the market opened in Ontario. With their first-hand experience in the regulation of the industry, the speakers will provide invaluable insights into how Canada’s gaming sector can continue to thrive in the years to come.

The closing keynote fireside chat will feature Ray Pineault (CEO, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment) and Ilkim Hincer (EVP & Chief Legal Officer, Hard Rock International). The experts will explore the convergence of iGaming, land-based gaming and provincial lotteries and elaborate on how the established land-based businesses and lotteries can capitalize on their knowledge by translating their core values to digital platforms. The speakers will also discuss the importance of partnerships with regulators and First Nations and the potential of simultaneously fulfilling the needs of various audience clusters through omnichannel experiences.

“There’s a lot to learn in Canada, especially since Ontario became the first province in Canada to regulate online gambling, legalizing what was previously a grey market,” Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, said. “Ontario’s regulation of online gambling has set the stage for the Canadian gaming industry’s growth and has already provided valuable insights that could be applicable to other provinces and territories in Canada.

“There are no better candidates to educate the industry on the potential and the lessons learned than industry leaders representing some of the biggest players in the region and the regulatory bodies who hold registered operators to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity. We’re excited to host some industry titans who will share their insights with the audience.”

There will be three conference stages running simultaneously at the Canadian Gaming Summit. The first stage will host the following tracks: ‘Leaders’ and ‘Land-based’ on June 14 and ‘Growth and Leadership’ on June 15. The second stage will host the ‘Sports Betting’ track on June 14 and the ‘Affiliates and Advertising’ track on June 15 while the third stage will focus on ‘iGaming’ on June 14 and ‘Payments & Compliance’ on June 15.

Visit the Canadian Gaming Summit website to access the conference agenda and purchase your tickets at the Early Bird discount of CA$795, a CA$200 saving from the regular full event ticket price. The Early bird deal expires on April 14, 2023. Operators and affiliates with an interest in the Canadian gambling market can register for free. To qualify, operators must fill in this form while affiliates need to fill in their information at the following link.

Canada

Play’n GO announces partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

play’n-go-announces-partnership-with-canadian-operator-loto-quebec

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced a partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec, launching the Swedish gaming giant’s games into another Canadian province.

Already active in another Canadian province , this partnership sees Play’n GO’s content available in the province of Québec exclusively with Loto-Québec, a state-owned corporation, where online players now have access to titles such as Tome of Madness.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer, Play’n GO said: “At Play’n GO, we have always been clear in our vision to be active in every regulated market in the world, and this partnership with Loto-Québec is the next step on that journey.

“Our past success in Canada gives us confidence that players in Québec will enjoy the best Play’n GO content, and we look forward to many years of success with Loto-Québec in the province.”

Stéphane Martel, Head of Product and Innovation at Loto-Québec added: “As the sole iGaming operator in Québec, we pride ourselves on offering titles that truly add value to our platform, lotoquebec.com. We are happy to bring Play’n GO games to our players.”

Canada

Court Decision Upholds iGaming Ontario’s Model

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

court-decision-upholds-igaming-ontario’s-model

iGaming Ontario has welcomed the decision of the Ontario Superior Court, which found that iGaming Ontario’s model is consistent with the Criminal Code and that iGaming Ontario is conducting and managing igaming in the province.

“We have always been confident in our model and are pleased that the court has ruled in our favour, and that Ontarians can continue to play with confidence in our regulated igaming market,” said Martha Otton, Executive Director of iGaming Ontario.

“Ontario’s model meets the requirements and contributes to the public good by protecting players, their data and their funds, while helping to fund priority public services in Ontario, and bringing well-paid, high-tech jobs and economic development to Ontario,” Otton added.

In dismissing the application brought forward by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK), the Superior Court found that iGaming Ontario is the “operating mind” behind Ontario’s competitive igaming market in accordance with the conduct and manage requirements of the Criminal Code.

iGaming Ontario will continue to conduct and manage igaming as it has since the launch of the regulated market on April 4, 2022.

Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Appoints Renowned iGaming Executive Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

bragg-gaming-appoints-renowned-igaming-executive-neill-whyte-as-chief-commercial-officer

Bragg Gaming Group, a global iGaming technology and content provider, announced that Neill Whyte has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective 1st May 2024, establishing a new global commercial structure at the Company and bolstering its leadership team.

Whyte brings over 18 years of experience in the iGaming sector, most recently in the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Gaming Corporation’s (DGC), B2B iGaming Division. After joining DGC in early 2020, he was responsible for the commercially successful launch and growth of its content distribution business in the US.

Prior to joining DGC, Whyte held multiple positions in the gaming industry including as Head of Business Development at Isle of Man-based iGaming specialist Apricot Investments, as Board Member at Swedish iGaming product and Lottery content distributor Genera Networks, and in various senior roles over eleven years at leading iGaming content supplier Microgaming, including as Head of Product Channels.

In his new role with Bragg, Whyte will be tasked with leading the Company’s global commercial teams to drive growth across all of the Company’s product verticals which include proprietary online casino content from its Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic and Wild Streak Gaming studios, exclusive content from content partners, HUB a leading casino content aggregation platform, Fuze player engagement, as well as its award-winning player account management (PAM) platform and turnkey solutions.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg, said: “I am very pleased to be announcing today the appointment of Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg. His iGaming product and market knowledge, together with his record in driving growth from developing successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships are exceptional.

“As we leverage our broad content and product portfolio to grow in existing and new markets, including in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe, Neill’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience in this sector are a perfect fit for our ambitions at Bragg.”

Neill Whyte, Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg, said: “It’s an honor to join Matevž and the wider teams at Bragg already in place across North America, Europe and in India. I have been impressed with the depth and quality of the content, product and technology offerings at Bragg, and its ability to rapidly adapt, certify and deploy this content and technology in newly regulated markets is a distinct advantage.

“We also have a huge opportunity to grow our footprint with our existing customers in markets in which we are already established. Our content and product roadmaps are second to none, and I’m planning to get on the road in the coming weeks and months to meet the team and our customers and to start building for the next stage of mutual growth. I can’t wait to get going.”