Canada
Great Canadian Gaming Finalizes New GTA Gaming Bundle Lease Agreement at Casino Ajax
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation announced that it has completed agreements with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the owners of the Ajax Downs racetrack for the continued operation of slots at Ajax Downs in Ajax, Ontario.
The Greater Toronto Area gaming bundle was awarded to the Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership and is operated by the Company. The GTA bundle originally included Casino Woodbine, Great Blue Heron Casino, and Casino Ajax, whose operation was to be relocated to a new casino resort property to be developed by GCGC in Pickering, in addition to a fourth gaming zone opportunity to be located in the GTA bundle.
After assuming operation of the GTA Bundle, GCGC planned to close the Ajax slots facility upon the opening of a new casino resort property in Pickering. With the provincial government’s most recent commitment to horse racing and job creation, this agreement allows for the addition of this new gaming zone and the continued operation of Casino Ajax with 500 slots with all current amenities.
The consummation of this agreement, initiated by Ontario’s provincial government and OLG, affords stability for quarter horse racing at Ajax Downs, jobs supported by the facility, and the provincial horse racing industry in general.
“Since being awarded the East, GTA and West GTA gaming bundles, we have already created more than 1,100 new local jobs,” said Rod Baker, Chief Executive Officer of GCGC. “With the encouragement of the OLG and the provincial government, we have quickly moved forward with an aggressive capital development plan in all markets we are operating in. There will be approximately 4,000 additional new jobs for people in Ontario communities once our developments are fully built out.”
“The decision by the provincial government to create a new gaming zone at Ajax Downs has secured several hundred jobs at that location, with no impact on the number of jobs originally planned at the new facility under development in Pickering,” added Baker. “This agreement also provides an opportunity for further capital investment and a more diverse selection of gaming options to our guests. Great Canadian is pleased with the collaboration from all stakeholders in bringing this agreement to fruition and the commitment by the provincial government to economic development and job creation in Ontario.”
“I would like to thank the Government of Ontario, OLG, Great Canadian Gaming, and the loyal customers of Casino Ajax for their continued support and constructive work to finalize this agreement. This is a good day for horse racing, and we’re excited to contribute to meaningful local employment opportunities in Ontario,” said Justin Picov, President of Ajax Downs.
ABOUT GREAT CANADIAN GAMING CORPORATION:
Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a BC based company that operates 28 gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Washington State. Fundamental to the company’s culture is its commitment to social responsibility. “PROUD of our people, our business, our community” is Great Canadian’s brand that unifies the company’s community, volunteering and social responsibility efforts. Under the PROUD program, Great Canadian annually supports hundreds of non-profits, community groups, and in 2018, Great Canadian team members spent over 15,000 hours volunteering for various charitable and community initiatives. In each Canadian gaming jurisdiction, a significant portion of gross gaming revenue from gaming facilities is retained by our crown partners on behalf of their provincial government for the purpose of supporting programs like healthcare, education and social services.
Source: Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
Canada
Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario
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.
Canada
SOFTSWISS Obtains Firstly Issued B2B Tobique Gaming Licence
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.
Canada
Hacksaw Gaming and Caesars Digital Partner to Launch Online Casino Games in Ontario
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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