Canada

Jamul Casino to Begin Phased Re-Opening on May 18, 2020

Published

6 years ago

May 18, 2020

After a two-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamul Casino will have a soft re-opening at 10AM on May 18, 2020 for its Amber and above Sweetwater Rewards® Club VIP guests, and a public re-opening planned on May 21, 2020. In response to the pandemic, Jamul Casino closed on March 20, 2020 to protect the health and safety of its guests, team members, and tribal members. Throughout its closure, the Casino has been in touch with guests via its Facebook page, posting messages on its website, and has been working hard on its re-opening plan. Jamul Casino will begin its phased re-opening next Monday with physical distance enhancements, increased cleaning protocols, and improved gaming technology. The Casino will also operate under limited hours from 10AM to 2AM daily until it expands to 24-hour operations beginning at 10AM on May 21.

President and General Manager of Jamul Casino, Mary Cheeks, states, “This has been an unprecedented season of uncertainty, and we understand it may take time for some guests to be ready to come back. I can assure you that we are doing everything in our power to ensure that Jamul Casino is a safe and fun environment when guests return.”

Jamul Casino recently surveyed its entire database of guests, and 94 percent of respondents indicated that they would be comfortable coming back to the Casino when it re-opens. For patrons who are not yet ready to return, the Casino is offering “Jamul at Home” prepackaged meal kits. Each kit includes fresh, high-quality ingredients from Jamul Casino’s restaurants—everything needed to prepare a meal for two to four people—plus a simple recipe to put it all together. Each kit can be scheduled for pickup from the valet.

Jamul Casino’s re-opening plans follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of California, the County of San Diego, the Tribe’s COVID-19 Task Force, the National Indian Gaming Commission, and were reviewed by the Southern Indian Health Council (SIHC). A few key re-opening plans include:

Thoroughly cleaned and disinfected surfaces, machines, chips, dining and bar areas, kitchens and food prep areas, new air filters and HVAC cleaning.

Continuous cleaning and sanitizing of dining venues and guest touch points throughout the day. A special “Clean Team” has been established to be laser-focused on all high-touch guest and team member areas that will be continuously cleaned.

Temperature screening using non-contact infrared thermometers before team members and guests can enter the Casino. Anyone with a temperature of 100o or higher or other symptoms (coughing, sneezing, runny nose) will not be allowed in the Casino.

Required face coverings for all team members and guests.

Most Casino employees will wear gloves, and the Casino will provide gloves to guests upon request. Dealers and patrons who cannot wear gloves due to chip handling will be required to constantly sanitize and wash hands. Dealers will frequently change cards as well.

At least one hundred fifty (150) hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the Casino.

Required physical distancing, including reduced seating, shutting off certain gaming machines, and controlled entry and exit to facilitate distancing and occupancy.

Social distance signage will be placed throughout the Casino and dining venues.

All cage cashiers and quick serve dining counters will have Plexiglass dividers.

A phased re-opening of dining venues, enforcing physical distancing for restaurants.

During this first phase of re-opening, Jamul Casino will not be offering shuttle or valet services, entertainment (DJs or live bands), buffets, or promotions.

During the unexpected closure, Jamul Casino also upgraded its gaming system and improved the benefits offered to Sweetwater Rewards members. Upon re-opening, members can get their new Sweetwater Rewards card that will sync with the system. With more benefits activated through the Sweetwater Rewards card, there’s less need to handle paper and money—a cleaner “touchless” experience. New benefits include:

Points can be downloaded for play at any slot machine.

Dining offers can be redeemed simply by swiping the card at the dining venue.

In-game television screens.

Ability to check tier status and change PIN numbers at the slot machines.

Slot machine winnings can be saved on the member’s Sweetwater Rewards account and used at any other machine or cashed out. Again, less paper, fewer touches.

Members can load cash into their Sweetwater Rewards card account, then use it to play slots and table games without having to carry around paper money.

Additional features in the coming months include:

Drawing check-in at the slot machines.

Enhanced promotions.

Streamlined jackpot processing.

Beverage ordering on the slot machines.

Jamul Indian Village Chairwoman, Erica M. Pinto, states, “We are excited to be re-opening Jamul Casino, and celebrating this key moment in returning the livelihoods of our team members, tribal members, and the hundreds of businesses that help keep our wheels turning. We thank everyone for their resilience. Welcome back!”

About Jamul Indian Village of California:

Jamul Indian Village of California is one of 13 federally recognized tribes that are part of the Kumeyaay Nation, with roots in east San Diego County going back 12,000 years. The Tribe uses revenue and resources from Jamul Casino to fund educational opportunities, healthcare, and housing initiatives for its members, and projects that benefit the surrounding community, through a tribal-state gaming compact with the State of California signed in 2015. For more information about Jamul Indian Village of California, please visit jamulindianvillage.com.

About Jamul Casino:

Opened in 2016, the recently rebranded Jamul Casino, located in Jamul, California, is owned and operated by Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), a wholly owned entity of Jamul Indian Village of California. The $430 million Casino features over 1,600 slot machines, 39 live table games, and a dedicated poker room with weekly tournaments; free shuttle service from various locations in San Diego; live entertainment; and seven restaurants, bars and lounges. Jamul Casino supports more than 1,000 permanent jobs in the region. For more information about Jamul Casino, please visit www.jamulcasinosd.com.

SOURCE Jamul Casino

Berkley Egenes

Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

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

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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.

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.

The post St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.