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Canada

America First in Canadian Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara Bid

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Under, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s new plans, Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara’s leases are up for grabs. Both casinos will be bundled together for a 20-year lease deal. Originally five companies expressed their interest in taking over the lease. Out of the five bidding companies, only two were Canadian. These two companies, are the Great Canadian Gaming Corp and Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd.  Heading up the American charge is Hard Rock Café International Inc., Caesars Entertainment Corp. and Mohegan Sun Inc. However, despite strong bids it was reported by Globe and Mail that only the US companies remain in the running. Meaning that for at least the next 20 years Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara will be under US management.

What does this mean for the city of Niagara?

Currently, both casinos are owned by the government of Ontario. Through the government, they are both run by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. This means that the government have a say in the day to day running of the casino. It also means that they are responsible for the future planning and costs associated. In the past, this has been a very profitable relationship. Not only for the government, but also for the city.

Since December 1996, the OLG netted revenue of $124.7 million for the city of Niagara. Revenues which of course were raised from payments. These payments are made to “thank” the city of Niagara for being the host city. Currently, payments to the city from the OLG are made quarterly. In June 2018, the city of Niagara received $7,393,429 in hosting payments. In addition to these payments, the casinos are also the largest employer in the city. This provides further revenue to the city. Although, no new lease-holder deal is finalised it is likely that the ‘host’ payments will continue.

However, just as the two casinos bring money, they also cost money. This is because as government operations, the government is liable for costs. As you can imagine, the running and upkeep of a casino is not cheap. This means dipping into tax payer money. Speaking about this in an interview OLG President Stephen Rigby said the lease sale ““Will make future capital costs of developing, expanding, improving and maintaining the Niagara casinos the responsibility of a service provider — so public money is no longer used to cover these costs.”

What does the future hold for Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara?

Despite, being the prize at the end of a bidding war the future of both casinos is assured. One thing that is for sure is that they will no longer be Canadian run. That privilege will now pass to one of the three remaining US bidders. According to sources the OLG will base their final decision on the bidders’ experience in gaming development. Of which, all of the three remaining contenders have plenty. Especially, when it comes to online gaming operations. Online gaming in Canada is a strong and fast growing industry. Figures on Canadian casino review website Casinos.co suggest that over 70% of Canadians have gambled online in the last year. It is highly likely that all three companies will be looking to negotiate on online gaming.

Another area of the casinos, all bidders will be looking to expand and build upon is loyalty schemes. Something, which Hard Rock and Caesars Entertainment Corp can easily incorporate into their existing schemes. This has raised some concerns with the OLG, who fear that both casinos will lose their high-rollers to Las Vegas. Something, which would have a seriously negative effect on Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara.

Unfortunately, as no deal has been reached there is no concrete plan for either casino. Nobody, besides the OLG knows for sure what terms and conditions will be attached. For Fallsview Casino, and Casino Niagara any future without Canadian ownership will be bittersweet.

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Canada

Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario

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Glitnor Group, operating under the LCKY Group in Ontario, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Glitnor Group’s luckycasino.ca brand sportsbook will feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity monitoring platform. The operator joins over 50 companies and 125 leading sports betting brands in IBIA and further cements the association’s position as the leading sports betting integrity monitoring body in Ontario and globally.

David Schwieler LCKY Group CEO, said: “At Glitnor Group, we’re dead serious about keeping our betting games fair and square. That’s why teaming up with IBIA is a big deal for us. We know how crucial it is to protect the spirit of sports, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work closely with the IBIA to make sure sports betting stays exciting, speedy, and above all, fair.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Glitnor Group as IBIA’s latest member in Ontario. Glitnor and IBIA share a common goal to maintain the integrity of the sports betting marketplace and to protecting consumers and sports from match-fixing. Ensuring product integrity is paramount to our approach and we look forward to integrating Glitnor within our leading global sports betting integrity monitoring system.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.

Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.

IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sports betting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.

IBIA’s 2023 annual integrity report detailed 184 alerts reported in the year, which represents a decrease of 101 (or 35%) on the revised 2022 figure of 285 alerts. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.

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Canada

SOFTSWISS Obtains Firstly Issued B2B Tobique Gaming Licence

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SOFTSWISS Obtains Firstly Issued B2B Tobique Gaming Licence
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SOFTSWISS, an iGaming software provider celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, has obtained the B2B Tobique Gaming Licence, the first ever issued in the jurisdiction. The Tobique Gaming Commission (TGC) and Differentia Licensing Advisory Group Limited (DLAG), a provider and facilitator to gaming companies for international gaming licences, authorised SOFTSWISS to engage in business activities for one year. 

Located in western New Brunswick, Canada, the Tobique First Nation is a sovereign indigenous community issuing online gambling licences through the TGC under the Tobique Gaming Act of 2023. The licence, recognised as the B2B Tobique Gaming Licence, offers businesses the prospect of international operations, facilitating the establishment of a global footprint. The licence covers various categories of real money betting, including sports, casino games and lottery. Its significant advantages include the streamlined application process, reasonable price and quick acquisition.

Yuri Sharapa, Head of Country Projects at SOFTSWISS, comments: “Acquiring a new licence is a remarkable achievement for us, signifying our dedication to offering our clients a diverse range of options. We extend our gratitude to the Tobique Gaming Commission for their trust and stringent standards. We are proud to announce that one of the companies under the SOFTSWISS brand has become the first company to secure the B2B Tobique iGaming Licence.”

“The DLAG team is pleased to announce that the first Tobique Licence has been granted. The Licensee is under the tier-1 international brand, SOFTSWISS, in our industry, recognised for its leading products and services. These are exciting times for both the gaming world and Tobique!” adds Graham Martin, Chairman of DLAG.

SOFTSWISS supplies multiple operators under three international licences: MGA, CGA, and Kahnawake. Additionally, SOFTSWISS has several national licences and certifications, among which the recently obtained South African Licence through the acquisition of Turfsport, a leading South African provider of wagering software with 35 years of experience. Additionally, last year, as part of its strategy to enter regulated markets, the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform and the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook obtained GLI-19 and GLI-33 certifications, respectively.

 

About SOFTSWISS 

SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Casino Platform, Game Aggregator, the Affilka affiliate tracking platform, Sportsbook Platform, and Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.

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Canada

Hacksaw Gaming and Caesars Digital Partner to Launch Online Casino Games in Ontario

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Launch brings Hacksaw Gaming titles to Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario

Hacksaw Gaming today announced its first market launch with Caesars Digital in North America, in the regulated iGaming province of Ontario, Canada. The new partnership marks the exciting launch of new games on Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in the province.

This new partnership, a first between the two companies, will bring familiar titles to online casino players and will be followed by a dedicated roadmap for additional launches in more jurisdictions in 2024, showcasing the entire Hacksaw Gaming catalog. The first release of games includes Hacksaw Gaming classics Wanted Dead or a Wild, RIP City, Hand of Anubis and Mines.

“Forging partnerships with new faces is always an exciting time but the influence of Caesars Digital is one we pride,” the Chief Executive Officer for Hacksaw Gaming, Marcus Cordes, said. “Launching this partnership in Ontario is the perfect place to begin our journey.”

“Hacksaw Gaming brings an exciting catalog of games to our platforms that should provide a thrilling experience for our players,” the Senior Vice-President and Chief iGaming Officer for Caesars Digital, Matthew Sunderland, said. “We’re excited to see how our players engage with this content in Ontario and in jurisdictions in the future through our new partnership.”

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