Gambling in the USA

Canada still lags in online gambling front

Published

6 years ago

July 4, 2018

Canada still lags in online gambling front

Reading Time: 3 minutes

With US Supreme Court’s recent order paving the way for legalising sports betting in the country, many observers are curiously watching Canada’s gambling scene. But the indications from the country suggest that it may be going in the opposite direction. Canada’s gambling industry has created an income of $17.3 billion CAD last year. It is expected to be higher this year.

The legislation is such that it is legal to bet online, provided the online casino or poker site does not have a physical facility in Canada. Obviously, the provincial casinos, like PlayNow.com, Espacejeux, and PlayOLG, have been finding this hard to accept.

The lawmakers are also concerned with this as online gambling results in revenue loss for the state. In 2016, the Quebec legislature passed Bill 74 which, among other things, included a provision to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block international online casino operators.

Loto-Quebec, the provincial gambling body in Quebec, operates EspaceJeux.com, an online casino that requires all players to be residents of Quebec. More importantly, EspaceJeux’s profits are passed on to the provincial government just the same as lotteries and land-based casino profits, which are also regulated. As Simon Stern from toponlinecasinos.ca explains, up until 2016, Loto-Quebec has stated on the record that they were taking too much of a cut, meaning their Return to Player (RTP) was much lower than competing internationally based casinos. They were unable to grow rapidly enough to be sustainable due to players having easy options to play online where they had a better chance of winning. Since then, Espace Jeux has increased their RTP but are subsequently not meeting their profit goals as the margins tighten. Competition is fierce internationally and the largest online casinos have huge revenues to offer huge welcome bonuses and excellent RTPs. The answer for Quebec was to simply introduce legislation to eliminate the competition by forcing ISPs to block these websites. Bill 74 was passed with exactly that provision in 2016.

How is Quebec Bill 74 supposed to work? Loto-Quebec is to give a list of over 2000 gambling websites that ISPs in the province should block. They are also supposed to offer a tender to international online casinos to become partners with EspaceJeux where they will redirect registered players to these casinos through EspaceJeux but Loto-Quebec will maintain the customer information and take a cut of revenues. Some of the most visited sites from Quebec include PokerStars, Casino.com and LeoVegas and these parties may be candidates for approval. The law was given many months to set up the appropriate framework to accomplish this goal. All other online casinos will be blocked in the province and the responsibility to block them will be with the ISPs. The ISPs, which include some of the largest corporations in Canada, do not want to take on this burden and civil rights activists are concerned that this action leads the country down a slippery slope of allowing the government to restrict free speech and an open internet.

The consortium of ISPs, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), formally filed complaint to the national body governing telecommunications, the CRTC, who is formally the only organisation who legally have jurisdiction in this case. The CRTC came back with a recommendation that the law was unconstitutional and that they alone, along with the Government of Canada, have jurisdiction but they will await the court’s decision. Thus, the law introduced by the provincial Government of Quebec should not be implemented. The CWTA immediately filed suit in Quebec Superior Court to block the law from being implemented, where it stands today. The court case was delayed until March 2018 where a ruling still awaits. The general consensus among legal scholars is that the law will be rejected on constitutional grounds but will likely head all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

What if the law is able to stand? A ruling in favour of Bill 74 would be the first such case that would allow provincial governments to restrict what their residents can view on the internet. The immediate result would be that Quebec residents would be unable to play at international online casinos and poker sites that are not licenced through EspaceJeux and Loto-Quebec. The implications are far-reaching in that it opens the door for similar laws to restrict other facets of a free internet and for other provinces to do the same. Canada will go from one of the most popular markets for online gambling to one of the most restrictive. More importantly, Canada could go from one of the most open societies in the world to one that restricts free speech and freedom of internet.

Source: cardplayer.com

Gambling in the USA

Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.

“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.

The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.

“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.

The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.

For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.

Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.

Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”

The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.

“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.

He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.

“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.

In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.

At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 15-21

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Caesars Entertainment announced that the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app is accepting mobile sports bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sports fans 21 and older who are interested in wagering on sports via mobile devices can download the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app to register and deposit statewide but must be physically present on-property at Harrah’s Gulf Coast to wager.

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced that FanDuel’s sports betting app and website has officially launched. This development will introduce FanDuel’s sports wagering platform to District residents and visitors, completely replacing the current GambetDC sports betting app and website.

eCOGRA has been officially authorised by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) to operate as a certifying entity for betting systems, live gaming studios and online games in Brazil. This announcement marks a significant milestone as eCOGRA continues to extend its international offering of iGaming testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services in regulated markets across the globe.

Jennifer Shatley, a recognised expert in the field and a highly sought speaker and advisor, has joined the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) as Executive Director. Shatley has had 25+ years worth of experience, working closely with the treatment community, academics, researchers, government bodies, state councils and gaming industry representatives to promote responsible gaming.

Odditt, a leading provider of innovative sports betting data, tools and analytics, has appointed Elaine Milardo as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With over 25 years of experience in the data industry and key roles at DraftKings and Vistaprint, Elaine brings a wealth of expertise to Odditt’s growing team.

Partnerships

Trustly, the global leader in Open Banking Payments, and Light & Wonder, the leading cross-platform global games company, are bringing cashless, in-person deposits to casino floors with Light & Wonder’s cashless solution, RAPIDPLAY. Building on Trustly’s success with guaranteed payments in online sports betting and iGaming, Trustly will deliver the same seamless, quick and secure online payment experience to the physical casino floor.

Fintech company Sightline has entered into an exclusive partnership with compliance and anti-fraud technology solutions leader GeoComply to bolster the security and efficiency of digital transactions within the regulated gaming industry. Sightline will integrate GeoComply’s cutting-edge IDComply identity verification solution as well as GeoComply’s compliance-grade geolocation tools across its comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions for land-based casinos and online gaming operators.

BetMGM has announced a partnership with GameCode, a distinguished iGaming company focused on the North American market. The partnership includes the launch of Boom Boom Boom, HammerCash, Gold Gold Gold and Super3 series which are now live at BetMGM in Michigan and New Jersey through direct integration. BetMGM plans to offer GameCode’s full portfolio of games in all jurisdictions where the operator’s iGaming platform is live pending regulatory approvals.

SCCG Management has announced a joint venture investment with Numb3rs, an innovative all-in-one payment solution provider built for gaming operators. The partnership aims to transform the gaming sector by integrating Numb3rs’ proprietary tech stack, ECRYPT, into the marketplace, thereby offering a comprehensive suite of payment processing solutions.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 8-14

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

FanDuel Group, the premier online gaming company in North America and an Official Partner of Churchill Downs Inc., announced five time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and Grammy award-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo as the headlining performers at FanDuel’s inaugural Kentucky Derby Party. The exclusive, invite-only event will take place on Friday, May 3 at Paristown Arts and Entertainment District in Louisville, Kentucky from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

TPI, a leading provider of innovative player communication solutions for the casino industry, has appointed Joe Tingson as its new Vice President of Customer Success. With his unparalleled dedication to his customers, Joe will play a pivotal role as a leader for our digital Customer Success and Product teams.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, has announced plans for its new 33,000 square foot Atlanta Headquarters, which will be located in the Star Metals Building in Midtown Atlanta. The company plans to grow its workforce by 1000 new jobs over the next seven years, the economic impact of which will be $25M to the state of Georgia.

Century Casinos Inc. has announced that it opened its hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, The Riverview. The Riverview is a 69 room, six-story building with 68,000 square feet that is adjacent to and connected with Century Casino Cape Girardeau. The project cost $30.5 million and was financed with cash on hand.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced the opening of Terre Haute Casino Resort in Terre Haute, Indiana. The $290 million investment includes a casino floor with 1000 slot machines, 36 table games, and a state-of-the-art sportsbook. The 400,000-square-foot entertainment venue also features regionally inspired bars and restaurants including: Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar & Grill, The Soda Shoppe, Crossroads Center Bar and High Limit Bar.

Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Partnerships

EQL Games has partnered with global aggregation leader and NeoGames company, Pariplay, to provide the Virginia Lottery, through an agreement with NeoPollard Interactive, with a series of eInstant iLottery games for their industry-leading digital platform.

JACK Entertainment LLC announced the selection of Konami Gaming Inc.’s SYNKROS to power industry-leading systems technology across its 1.5 million square feet of casino entertainment space. The Ohio-based gaming operator’s portfolio includes a combined 2600+ gaming machines and 85 table games at JACK Cleveland Casino in downtown Cleveland, and at JACK Thistledown Racino, located approximately 10 miles to the southeast.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that the company has reunited with the Atlanta Braves as the club’s Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner for the 2024 season. The partnership extends a longstanding relationship that dates back to 2020, with the two Atlanta-based companies continuing to work together on unique opportunities for their dedicated fans.