Canada

Canadian Gaming Summit Gets a New Addition with SBC First Pitch Competition for Startups

Published

1 year ago

March 31, 2023

SBC is thrilled to announce the inclusion of SBC First Pitch in the 26th edition of the Canadian Gaming Summit, scheduled to take place from June 13-15 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

This startup competition for sports betting and iGaming firms has been successfully conducted at SBC Summit North America in New Jersey and the global flagship SBC Summit Barcelona event. With SBC now managing the Canadian Gaming Summit, the First Pitch competition will be a vital component of the Growth and Leadership track on the second full day of the event (June 15).

The inclusion of SBC First Pitch in this prestigious summit underscores SBC’s commitment to supporting the brightest entrepreneurs and most innovative startups in the sports betting and iGaming space.

The SBC First Pitch application period is officially open and will remain so until April 30th. A panel of esteemed judges will meticulously evaluate each submission to assess their alignment with the application criteria, and ultimately select the five most promising startups with the strongest pitch decks.

The selected companies will receive the opportunity to present their groundbreaking products in front of industry leaders and investors, as well as compete for a chance to secure an exclusive prize package already valued at CA$30,000, designed to support their future development and growth plans.

The competition will be judged by a group of highly respected professionals, including Benjie Cherniak (Principal at Avenue H Capital, LLC), a distinguished investor and advisor in the sports betting industry, and Dani Lipkin (Managing Director of Global Innovation Sector TMX Group), an expert in guiding private companies and their shareholders through the process of raising equity capital in Canada. Before the application deadline expires, SBC will be including additional judges to the list.

The winner of the competition will receive an exceptional package, already valued at $30,000, which will be further enriched by the time of the event. The prize package includes:

A six-month subscription to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s Sports & Emerging Verticals, a boutique research firm that specializes in providing comprehensive services to the gaming equipment, sports, and interactive gaming sectors within the global gaming industry. This subscription alone is worth $25,000.
An exclusive brand or web design package, valued at $2,800, from Vegas Kings, the premier iGaming design and development agency that has been trusted by leading brands such as Ladbrokes, Betfred, Spinomenal, BetConstruct, and more.
A comprehensive promotional package from SBC Media, including six months of advertising on either SBC Americas or Canadian Gaming Business, newsletter advertising, as well as two featured editorials promoting the winning business. This package alone is valued at $12,000.

Sue Schneider, VP of Growth and Strategy at SBC, said, “One of our previous winners, Parleh Media Group, is a Canada-based company, and the country itself is a well-established tech hub and a centre for global investment. So, this inaugural edition is sure to attract exciting entries, and we can’t wait to see what innovative products and ideas the Canadian startup scene has in store.

“It’s SBC’s first involvement in the Canadian Gaming Summit as an organizer, and adding the First Pitch competition to the event schedule was a no-brainer. We are committed to supporting young companies in their growth journey by providing them with a platform to showcase their breakthrough products and innovations – and the First Pitch competition is one of our most powerful cards in doing just that.”

The start-ups that apply have to fulfil certain eligibility criteria:

Must have been founded no earlier than 2020
Must be focused on the sports betting and iGaming industry
Must have raised no more than CA$5 million on outside financing
Must have an MVP product to discuss and showcase
Must be seeking investment of a minimum of CA$250,000
Have at least one representative from the company present at the competition on June 15

Canada

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

Published

2 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

3 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.”