Gaming News Canada Show

In the spring of 2022, Chavdar Dimitrov left Bede Gaming after almost nine years to join forces with Justin Park and launch Betty. Some nine months later, Betty unveiled its product in Ontario's regulated gambling marketplace. Today, the company touts more than 39,000 customers and recently nailed down a $15 million credit facility to grow its business, including plans to launch in Alberta when the province is ready to raise the curtain on its open sports wagering and igaming industry. Dimitrov joined us from his office in Sofia, Bulgaria for a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. In addition to sharing his story on his journey through the gaming industry and creating Betty with Park, Betty's CEO also spoke about the company's success in the highly-competitive Ontario industry, a customer base that is split evenly today between men and women, and Park's recent comment about Betty becoming the “McDonald's of icasino” with its plans to “transform Betty into a global powerhouse. . . through a decentralized franchise model”. We also asked Dimitrov for his perspectives on addressing customers' needs, what makes an engaging, successful product that is rewarded with loyal customers, and creating a positive work environment for employees in the post-pandemic world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been a fortnight and more since Paul Burns has been our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show. So given the various happenings around the Canadian gambling industry since his last appearance at the beginning of 2025, we asked Paul Burns to join us once again. With apologies to the late James Stewart and Frank Capra, Mr. Burns went to Ottawa earlier this month for the Council of Europe Workshop on the Macolin Convention gathering, which included panel conversations featuring the CGA head honcho, Dave Phillips and Doug Hood from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and Sportradar's integrity services lead Jim Brown weighing in on the province's regulated sports betting industry's work to combat match fixing. During our conversation, Burns told us that the collaboration between the AGCO, licensed sportsbooks, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders means “the regime is working”. We also asked Burns for some thoughts and layers on three years of open, regulated sports wagering and igaming in Ontario and what's to come in Year 4, and the introduction of the iGaming Alberta Act by the ruling UCP party into the provincial legislature in the land of oil, gas and Connor McDavid. He also delivered an early look at what will take place during the June 17-19 Canadian Gaming Summit in the city below Caledon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Department of Learning Something New Every Day (or something went MIA from our aging brain): Bill Gates was the brain behind the “content is king” phrase.Alas, we digress.On the latest Gaming News Canada Show, The Parleh's director of creative strategy and partnerships, Kevin Kennedy returned to the podcast for a chin wag about the evolution of content and storytelling in the legal business of online sports betting and igaming. Kennedy, one of the six partners in the creation of The Parleh (and, in the name of transparency, Gaming News Canada is Parleh Media Group owned) almost four years ago, has led the company's work on behalf of OLG, ProLine, Sports Interaction (Entain), Party Casino (Entain), BetMGM, BET99, FanDuel, Betano, NEO.bet, Wildz (Rootz), 888 (Evoke), BetVictor and NorthStar Gaming, since Ontario's open marketplace launched in April 2022. The Parleh has also collaborated with sports organizations such as the Canadian Elite Basketball League and, more recently, The Curling Group, and produces Sports Interaction segments featuring David Bastl on Amazon Prime Video's NHL Coast to Coast broadcasts during the regular season.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIrbtydPifz/?igsh=aGhhaG96bWV5MXBhWe took Kennedy on a trip down memory lane to the spring/summer of 2021 when he oversaw a deep roster of content creators producing a plethora of video clips from their residences during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward to today, where we discussed the lessons learned along the way, the strategy for managing multiple operators in Ontario, the balance of sports betting and igaming storytelling – including the creation of “streeters” content that is now commonly used in the market – and the growth in online casino content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada is a gathering of members of the fourth estate to discuss and debate the latest storylines in the business of sports wagering and gaming. Dave Briggs, who mans the keyboard these days on the GNC newsletter. Robyn McNeil of Catena Media's Bonus outlet and Covers senior news analyst Geoff Zochodne join the media roundtable. The three-year anniversary of Ontario's open market sparked a good/bad/somewhat ugly-type of conversation, including the continued presence of 49 operators (and OLG), the (still) waiting for a centralized self-exclusion program to be delivered by iGaming Ontario through its partnership with IC360 and IXUp, the (still) waiting for Martha Otton's replacement to lead iGO, and the ongoing cone of silence - most notably by the provincial government and the AGCO - around legal gambling in the province (McAllister also brought up the curious decision by the American Gaming Association to turn down an interview request for a CBS Sunday Morning feature into the explosion of online sports wagering in the U.S. of A. and gambling addiction). The panel also weighed in on the horse racing industry's attempts to expand wagering through the Ontario open market, whither consolidation and the financial results delivered by the legal industry. McNeil, Zochodne and Briggs also got into the efforts by the Danielle Smith government in Alberta to get approval on Bill 48 to establish its own open sports betting and igaming marketplace. And the all-journo podcast included a segment on the stories du jour, including the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's look into limiting, and the ongoing legal wrangling involving Kalshi, Robinhood and Crypto.com around “sports event trading”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It had been a while since John Levy last spoke when he appeared last month at the NEXT.io Summit in New York. He had a few things to say about the departure of himself and sons Aubrey, Noah and Benjie from PENN Entertainment some 14 months ago, more than 2 ½ years after PENN acquired theScore in 2021. We've been giving it the old college try to get the elder Levy back on the podcast, and we finally succeeded this week as Ontario's open, legal sports betting and igaming industry recognizes its third anniversary. Our conversation included a trip down memory lane before single-event sports betting was given legal blessing by the federal government, and your humble host read a quote from Levy in a May 2021 Toronto Star column about legal online gaming coming to the true north, strong and free, Levy spoke about theScore's success in Ontario, both pre- and post-PENN ownership, the company's partnerships with the Toronto Blue Jays and Golf Canada, and some overall thoughts about the province's legal gaming market, advertising and marketing strategies, the ongoing efforts by the industry around responsible gaming and the challenges/opportunities ahead in Ontario, Alberta and beyond. He also (somewhat) answered our question about what's next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ontario's open, regulated sports wagering and online gaming market will turn three years old next week (the Fourth of April to be exact). A marketplace that opened in 2022 with a baker's dozen of operators approved to open their digital doors for business has expanded to 50 operators managing 84 gaming websites. Just before the Ontario market's third anniversary, your humble host recorded interviews with Bet99 head honcho Jared Beber, TRM Public Affairs president Troy Ross and igaming executive Amanda Brewer. Beber, Ross and Brewer answered our questions about the evolution of the province's regulated industry – including changes made to the rules around advertising and the use of athletes - and the role of both the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario in creating one of the largest legal gambling jurisdictions on the planet. The trio also talked about the industry's responsible gaming programs, and the province's success in driving out offshore operators. And, of course, the conversations included the to-come launch of open, regulated gambling in Alberta and the potential for other Canadian provinces to follow Ontario's lead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Rick Allec, the wonderful world of sports blazed the path to a career in the gaming industry that's now in its fourth decade. Allec, who's today in charge of OddsLogic and WagerTalk Media, made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBC Plc. Host Steve McAllister took the sports betting industry veteran back to his first gig in the industry writing tickets and then becoming a sportsbook manager. He discussed his creation of data business SportsOptions and an eventual merger with Don Best Sports that brought him together with Friend of GNC Benjie Cherniak. Allec also got into the shifting sands that is the business of sports data, and what OddsLogic customers are seeking in today's world of live/in-play wagering. We also couldn't help ourselves on devoting a segment of the show to the sports media landscape, and Allec's thoughts on the integration of sports betting content into sports broadcasts and other content given his WagerTalk Media business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mention that Ilkim Hincer has had his fingers on the pulse of regulated gambling in Canada and the U.S. over the five years is akin to proclaiming Connor McDavid is a pretty decent player of hockey. Hence, our motivation for some time now to get the former Chair of the Canadian Gaming Association into the virtual studio for an appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. Not only did Hincer accept our invite, but appeared on the podcast the same week he was appointed the new Chief Legal Officer at gaming industry behemoth GeoComply. Hincer, who left his position as partner and chair of the gaming practice at Fogler, Rubinoff LLP to join GeoComply, let us in on the process that led to his latest position in the business of sports betting and gaming. We also spoke with the one-time senior executive at Hard Rock International about the shifting regulated gambling space, and working with Paul Burns to lead the CGA through a busy three-year tenure as Chair. We also discussed the potential for competitive regulated gambling regimes not only in Alberta, but across the rest of the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the topic of startups comes up in a conversation, one of the first thoughts is a company created by young people chugging Red Bull and leaving empty pizza boxes on the floor. OK, perhaps we exaggerate a little bit. However, the co-founders of Defy The Odds, formed to lend a helping hand to other startups, aren't your stereotypical startup trio. Sue Schneider, Paris Smith and Kelly Kehn have a combined 75-years plus in the gambling industry and have individually been among the leading crusaders for women in a business that has historically been heavily male skewed. The three gaming leaders were Steve McAllister's guests on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. They provided McAllister with the back story on the creation of Defy The Odds at the end of 2024, and the new company's recently announced partnerships with Thundr,QueenBHive, and Let's Fantasy Game. Schneider, a frequent guest on the GNCS, Smith and Kehn also spoke about their mentors during the early days in the industry, and the need to continue pushing the envelope on DEI initiatives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association (finally) decided to take the Nestea plunge into international hockey again, puck insiders and fans - and the best players from Canada, the U.S. of A., Sweden and Finland - weren't quite sure what the 4 Nations Face-Off would produce. Well, the four-team tournament which culminated with Connor McDavid's overtime goal to lift Canada over Team USA in the championship game was a resounding success. The inaugural global hockey event delivered two nail-biting, tough-as-nails contests between the North American rivals, full houses in Montreal and Boston, record television audiences on both sides of the border, and record activity among bettors with legal online sportsbooks. For more on the impact of the 4 Nations, we were joined on the Gaming News Canada Show, presented by GBG Plc. First, Rob Corte, Vice-President of Sportsnet and NHL Production at Rogers, shared his insights. Then, we brought back DraftKings' long-time Head of Sportsbook, Johnny Avello, and John Ewing, PR Manager – Insights for BetMGM. Both Avello and Ewing spoke with host Steve McAllister about the tournament's success and its impact on the operations of DraftKings and BetMGM with their respective hockey offerings. They also discussed the potential implications for the Stanley Cup playoffs and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.We also asked the pair about the upcoming spring sports schedule, including March Madness and the Masters. And we had a chinwag with Avello about the PGA Tour's recent Waste Management Open and the current state of men's golf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Including being the delivererto regulated operators in Ontario of access to two of Canada's main credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, GBG Plc has been a heavily invested player in the country's emerging regulated sports betting and igaming marketplace. The UK-based identify verification company's Director of Gaming, Rebekah Jackson, returned to the Gaming News Canada Show for a conversation with host Steve McAllister on GBG's investment in our home and native land. Jackson gave us the goods on the company's success in Ontario, and on its preparations to support the incoming regulated gambling industry in Alberta. We also asked Jackson, who's been with GBG since joining the business as a graduate management executive in the spring of 2023, about its Win Canada Market Share initiative and its recent work on behalf of Atlantic Lottery, and its entry into Brazil's new legal online gaming marketplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four years ago today, a newsletter covering the business of sports betting, igaming, and other topics of interest, was born. On that day, we covered the passing of the second reading of Bill C-218 in the House of Commons. Since then, Gaming News Canada – has produced almost 150 newsletters and some 600 audio/visual shows to deliver the latest industry news and insights to our still-growing list of subscribers. This morning, we thank everyone who has had a hand in the success of our neighbourhood media outlet, and there are far too many to mention by name in this space. To help us celebrate Anniversaire Numero Quatre, Parleh Media Group co-founder and CE0 (and the person giving your humble correspondent a friendly but firm push to create Gaming News Canada) Mark Silver helped us take a walk down memory lane with a special focus on the relationship between media and the regulated gambling industry in Ontario, and the rest of Canada. Then, long-time Friend of Gaming News Canada Amanda Brewer and journalist Dave Briggs joined us for their respective thoughts and layers on the past four years. That included a discussion on the Ontario market, which celebrates its third anniversary at the beginning of April and so far continues to wait for the consolidation many of us predicted back in April 2022. Brewer also provided an update and some advice for the folks in charge of creating an expanded legal sports betting and gaming business in Alberta. Both Briggs and Brewer weighed in on Briggs's interview last week with PointsBet Canada boss Scotty Vanderwel about the potential impact of Donald Trump's tariff war on the Ontario industry. We also asked Brewer about the Canadian Lottery Coalition-supported legal action taken by the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation against offshore betting site Bodog. Finally, we asked our two guests to take out their crystal balls to gaze into the future, and specifically asked Briggs about Canada's horse racing industry and the opportunities/challenges around betting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rarely has there been an episode of the Gaming News Canada Show for some time now where artificial intelligence doesn't come up in our conversations with leaders, experts and media folks. Your humble host recently finished Superintelligence: Is Canada Ready for AI? published by The Logic and was inspired to delve deeper into the world of AI as it relates to the business of gaming and sports business. Enter Seth Schorr, the CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and founding partner of GMA Consulting. Schorr made his maiden appearance on the podcast and detailed the use of AI in both his professional and personal life these days, and the many ways it's being exploited across the industry he's been a part of for more than 25 years since his early days at The Mirage and Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. The Fifth Street Gaming boss also got into the evolution of AI globally in the gambling business- in responsible gaming programs, content and on-site at bricks-and-mortar casinos - the efficiencies it provides and the ongoing need for human resources to support its use. Schorr also gave a shoutout to both ChatGPT and Gamma, which uses AI to produce presentations and decks. We also asked Schorr to look into his crystal ball at how AI will continue to evolve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Don Bourgeois and Harley Redlick showed up at a Canadian Gaming Association event just before Christmas in December 2023, inquiring minds among the attendees asked the pair of Osgoode Hall Law School graduates when they were bringing back a gambling law certification program launched in 2017 only to be placed on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, Bourgeois and Redlick listened and the result is the return of the five-module program, which will begin April 3 and run through early May. The two gambling industry veterans were Steve McAllister's guest on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. Bourgeois, who has more than 25 years of experience in the gaming sector and Redlick of Sharp Edge Picks fame, summarized the curriculum for the 2025 program – which reflects the evolving legal gambling industry in Ontario and the rest of Canada. They also told our humble host the potential beneficiaries of participating in the program. The pair also weighed in on the evolution – and the wins and losses - of Ontario's regulated marketplace since launching in April 2022, and provided some thoughts on the launch of an expanded legal sector in Alberta. And, oh yes, we asked Redlick for his thoughts on Super Bowl LIX; the Philadelphia Eagles' surprising dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs delivered a banner evening to sportsbooks (as reported yesterday by Patrick Everson for Fox Sports). To register for the Osgoode Certificate in Gambling Law and for more information, please visit osgoodepd.ca. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In case there was any doubt that Sunday's Super Bowl LIX will be a really big deal among the betting populace, a Responsible Gambling Council-commissioned survey shows more Ontarians will place a wager on the Eagles-Chiefs tilt than last year's NFL championship game. Also this week, the American Gaming Association announced an estimated $1.39 billion in wagers will be taken by legal sportsbooks across the U.S. of A. on the game. Those wagers will be a blend of moneylines, over-unders, player props and those novelty wagers around the coin toss, national anthem, Kendrick Lamar's halftime gala, Taylor-Travis and more. Among the operators preparing the smorgasbord of betting options is Ontario licensee FanDuel, so we welcomed back to the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG the operator's Director of Content Activation and Brand, Alannah Della Vedova, and Vice President of Marketing Tom Burdakin. Host Steve McAllister asked Della Vedova and Burdakin not only about the Super Bowl – including its latest Kick of Destiny campaign featuring the brothers Manning, and its plans around its Bell Media partnership for Sunday's game – but some other topics including: - The continued appetite by Ontario customers for online casino and other games in the province's regulated gambling marketplace, and FanDuel's response; - FanDuel's investment in women's sports, including the partnership it announced in December with the Professional Women's Hockey League; - The recent announcement by ESPN that the Worldwide Leader was launching a responsible gambling campaign featuring anchor Elle Duncan, and the potential for TSN and Sportsnet to follow suit;- FanDuel's efforts around responsible gambling, including the launch of its My Spend customer dashboard at the end of last year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under other circumstances, last week's announcement about the launch of another awards show in the sports betting and gaming industry would induce a shaking of the eyes and a scratching of the scalp. After all this is an industry which throws out awards like promises during election campaigns. But. . . when WagerWire co-founder Travis Geiger and gambling startups insider Jesse Learmonth (the man behind the Betting Startups podcast, which your humble host at The Parleh co-founder/CEO Mark Silver appeared way back in December 2021) got together with an idea to recognize the efforts of new businesses in the business of gambling, we thought “OK, tell us more.” So, Geiger and Learmonth were our guests on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. to walk us through their raison d'etre for The Starties, which will make their debut at next month's NEXT.io Summit New York. Learmonth and Geiger presented the back story behind the awards, which has a presenting sponsor in Eberg Capital and additional backing from Defy the Odds, Optimove Ignite+ and Sportradar Futures Hub. By the by, nominations are now being accepted for the various categories. They also discussed the current state of real-money gaming startups, including the opportunities and challenges for new businesses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gambling industry veteran Amanda Brewer returned to Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc, having just. . . er returned. . . from last week's ICE Barcelona conference. Brewer shared her thoughts on the move of ICE to the Spanish city from London, and some of the many conversations she had with members of the Canadian Gaming Association and stakeholders from other parts of sports betting and gaming universe. Not surprisingly, Brewer was frequently asked last week what in the world of Connor McDavid is going on with regulated gambling in the province of Alberta. The industry veteran also responded to our question about a recent report from FINTRAC Canada that online gambling sites are being used to launder proceeds from fentanyl dealing and production (Dave Briggs covered this in the Wednesday newsletter). Brewer pointed us to a LinkedIn post from another gambling biz veteran, Kinectify executive Derek Ramm, with his take on the alert from FINTRAC. Our conversation with Brewer also included the latest market performance report from iGaming Ontario and the organization's move to providing monthly reports; the status of a centralized self-exclusion program in Ontari-ari-ari-o; the potential impact of a provincial election on the industry; and Briggs's reporting last week that fake social media ads promoting phony online casino products on Meta and other social media platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've been following along with the writings and audio recordings on this (mostly) august media platform, you know all about the still-growing popularity of igaming within the world of gambling. So, when sports media industry confreres Steve McAllister and Jason Sukrahj reconnected on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc, there was some talk about the current state of media, sporting style. But the conversation eventually shifted to SportsGrid shifting more than a middling amount of attention to online casino and other games. That was punctuated in the final quarter of 2024 when the U.S.-based multimedia content and technology company brought into the fold casino content personality Brian Christopher – who along with his life and BC Ventures partner Marco Bianchi were our guests on the podcast during last summer's Canadian Gaming Summit – and golf and social media celebutante Paige Spirnac. Sukrahj, the general manager, audience and Canada at SportGrid and sports industry veteran, gave us the goods on the company's investment in Christopher and Spirnac, whose Gimme Props show will launch next month during Super Bowl week. And, of course, the chat included a look at the ever-changing attempts to integrate sports betting content into traditional sports media networks and programming, and the growth of SportsGrid in the streaming universe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc is one of the two-segment variety. Paul Burns, the president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, returned to the podcast for a rapid-round conversation including the impact of the current turbulence around the Canadian political system on the gambling industry. The proroguing of Parliament by the Liberal Party will likely result in the demise of a couple of bills, and most likely push back once again attempts to modernize anti-money laundering laws. The current ones, said Burns, don't address the creation of online gambling across the country. Burns also answered our questions about the federal/provincial dynamics around sports betting and gaming in our home and native land. The CGA head honcho also helped us tee up next week's ICE Barcelona conference, where he will meet with association members and global industry stakeholders in the first major gambling rendezvous of the new year. Ariane Gauthier, the new spokesperson for the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, made her maiden GNCS appearance to shine a brighter light on the op-ed she keyboarded in Le Journal de Montreal last week to make the coalition's case for a regulated regime in La Belle Province. We asked Gauthier about the latest efforts by the coalition to meet with officials in the Francois Legault government at a time when it's dealing with major issues at home and the threat of harmful tariffs being imposed by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump when he takes office for the second time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There were some raises of Spockian eyebrows last week when Flutter Entertainment, the owners of FanDuel, announced an expected drop in revenue of some $370 million (Amarican bucks) thanks to its NFL customers getting the better of the books this season. So, as the four-down football league's postseason got underway with wild card weekend, Gaming News Canada Show regular Phill Gray – who led trading operations at Sports Interaction for more than two decades – rejoined the podcast. Gray and your humble host dug a little deeper into the reasons behind the bettors taking advantage of sportsbooks, and also looked ahead at the challenges and opportunities for the betting populace in the race to next month's Super Bowl. The 2024 U.S. presidential election and Justin Trudeau's pending departure as leader of the Liberal Party here in our home and native land has reinvigorated wagering on politics, including in Ontario's regulated gambling industry (as Dave Briggs reported in Friday's newsletter). We asked Gray for his thoughts on that topic, too. Finally, we took a quick peek at stories to watch in the sports betting space in 2025, including the odds of regulated gambling coming to Alberta, the crypto/betting story, and the potential impact around the growing popularity of women's sports on sportsbook operators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a full-out sprint across the sports industry these days when it comes to exploiting data, technology, and more recently, artificial intelligence. Late last year, the founder/CEO of Sportradar, Carsten Koerl referred to the “global revolution” happening around sports analytics. The company's senior vice-president of fan engagement, Patrick Mostboeck joined us from Austria for a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. Mostboeck weighed in on several topics including: Sportradar's ongoing growth with its betting technology and solutions, and sports content, technology and services sectors.The company's expanding relationship with the NBA to increase fan engagement globally through their exclusive data partnership.Riffing off an op-ed of sorts by Koerl on the Sportradar website back in October.The company's evolving support of legal sportsbook operators in North America, and other parts of the world. That includes, on the eve of the start of the Australian Open, the introduction of micro markets for ATP matches.And, Sportradar's partnerships with the NHL, men's professional tennis tour (ATP) and NASCAR. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next 12 months are expected to deliver continuing change when it comes to the business of sports, sports media, and of course, sports betting. That was made clear on the first Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. of 2025. Brian Cooper, the long-time Canadian sports sponsorship guru and current frequent board member – including chair of MKTG Canada, and Canada Basketball, and a member of the board of directors at NorthStar Gaming – and The Parleh co-founder/CEO Mark Silver were our guests for a lookahead edition of the podcast and covering a cornucopia of topics, including: - What's next for sports media in our home and native land from the reduction of journalists from newsrooms, to the continuing growth of podcasts, the increasing influence of “content creators” to the future of sports talk radio.- Twenty-five years ago, then-Toronto Star sports media beat writer Chris Zelkovich reported on interest by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to acquire CTV SportsNet. With Rogers, owners today of Sportsnet, now controlling majority ownership of MLSE (one of the leading sports and entertainment entities on the planet, and with long-time sports broadcast executives Keith Pelley and Phil King now helping steer the good ship MLS and E), what does that mean for the future of Canadian sports and sports media?- Speaking of MLSE, what's next for Larry Tanenbaum, who continues to be a large presence on the Canadian sports scene and is bringing a WNBA franchise to Toronto?- The partnership announcement on New Year's Eve between the MLB Milwaukee Brewers and FanDuel Sports Network and court proceedings between MLB Players Inc., and DraftKings and bet365 highlight the ongoing investment by sportsbook operators in sports media and content.- And, the still-evolving fragmentation of sports broadcast rights, including Netflix's hugely successful partnership with the NFL on Christmas Day. To cap off the podcast, host Steve McAllister asked Cooper and Silver for stories to watch in 2025 and received a couple of Spockian-eyebrow responses from the two veteran sports executives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in January, when we were still doing the LinkedIn Audio thing on Thursday afternoons, a Gaming News Canada Show panel covered a lot of real estate over 60 minutes.Mitch Davidson, the chief of staff for iGaming Ontario, joined us to provide some thoughts on the best numbers yet from the regulated business of sports wagering and online gaming in iGO's latest quarterly market performance report. Amanda Brewer and Phill Gray also hopped into that conversation, including a lookahead to 2024.Parleh Media Group co-founder/CEO Mark Silver and Eric Herd – founder of A2Z Ventures and the former head honcho at The Post Game – weighed in on the departure of Erika Ayers Badans as CEO of Barstool Sports and The Action Network grand poobah Patrick Keane. We also asked Herd and Silver to analyze the potential acquisition of bankruptcy-bound Diamond Sports Group by Amazon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early August iGaming Ontario let it be known that a joint bid by Integrity Compliance 360 and Australian company IXUP had been awarded the contract to develop a centralized self-exclusion system for Ontario's regulated online sports betting and igaming marketplace. Catherine Jarmain, the director of industry programs and monitoring for iGaming Ontario, and IC360 president Eric Frank joined the podcast to discuss the project to build on the existing player protections in Ontario – a program considered to be overdue by operators and others following the province's legal gambling industry.Both Jarmain and Frank also paid tribute to Martha Otton, a week after iGO announced that its executive director would be retiring at the end of the year. As Dave Briggs reported last week in the Gaming News Canada newsletter presented by GBG Plc, Otton's departure is being delayed until March while her successor is found. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the roller-coaster that is the current state of sports media in North America, the folks at The GIST are among the ones enjoying the ride. In October, “the revolutionary and inclusive sports media brand” announced it had reached one million subscribers across its various and sundry platforms. It's most likely not a coincidence that the milestone was reached in a year highlighted by the overwhelming impact of basketball superstar Caitlin Clark on both the NCAA women's hoops game, and the WNBA, along with a dominant performance by Canadian(including swimmer Summer McIntosh, who was a no-brainer choice to receive the Northern Star Award as the country's athlete of the year) and American women at the Paris Olympics. Ellen Hyslop, the co-founder and head of content for The GIST, made her maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc to talk about the company's evolution since its creation in 2017. She discussed with host Steve McAllister the “Caitlin Clark effect” - including Clark's recent selection as TIME Magazine's athlete of the year – the arrival of a North American women's professional hockey league, and support of women's sports from brands and corporations. Our conversation also included the appetite “GISTers” have for the NFL and other major professional sports. Hyslop spoke with McAllister in July 2021 for a Toronto Star column about sports and sports betting, so we revisited that topic and the partnerships The GIST have had with sportsbook operators. Finally, she gave us a (tiny) glimpse into what GIST subscribers can expect in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eighteen years ago, a former Microsoft engineer was tuned in to the changing landscape of sports broadcasting rights and the opportunity to guide sports fans through the expanding maze. That bit of prescience prompted Mark Phillip to create Are You Watching This?! which today provides real-time data for professional and U.S. college sports around the world. In 2019, after the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) to legalize expanded sports betting in the U.S. of A., Phillip founded MetaBet to deliver sports wagering technology to media companies. On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc, Phillip spoke with host Steve McAllister about the growth of both companies – and also his I Can't Find The Game! brand – and both the challenges and opportunities in an ever-expanding media rights world that this season added NHL games on Prime Video in Canada, and speculation on what the NHL broadcasting landscape will look like in our home and native land when the Rogers deal expires in 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest shoe to drop on the current tempest around regulated gambling in North America happened yesterday when the U.S. Senate for the Judiciary announced a America's High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling hearing for Tuesday, Dec. 16. All of the ruckus south of the border around sports betting and online gaming, including the angst around problem gambling, sports betting advertising – which is also happening in our home and native land - daily fantasy sports, and sweepstakes has attracted the attention of elected officials, traditional media, mental health advocates and others. So, we welcomed back Chris Grove to lend his voice of reason to the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. Grove, a co-founder of Acies Investments and partner emeritus at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, provided a plethora of measured insight on the current brouhaha, including: · The interest in the industry from politicians and mainstream journalists should elicit more than a raised-eyebrow reaction from the industry;· Some suggestions for industry stakeholders in responding to the scrutiny;· The good work being done by the American Gaming Association – which recently added athlete harassment to its campaign around betting responsibly - to inform and educate folks on regulated gambling· The industry needing to catch its collective breath on issues such as expanding legal online casino across the U.S. Grove, the founder of Legal Sports Reports, discussed the challenges that journalists face in newsrooms and editorial departments that have shrunk in the U.S. and Canada. He also talked about the “Google effect” on gambling affiliates that led companies such as Catena Media to lay off journalists this fall (Dustin Gouker, in his Closing Line newsletter, created a spreadsheets of journalists available for hire). And he spoke about the potential impact of a second Donald Trump administration on the industry. Finally, we asked the industry veteran about the current appetite for funding startups and his thoughts on the M&A landscape in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The continuing rise in esports betting – expected to hit $2.5 billion (U.S.) in 2024 – and the partnership between Bet99 and PandaScore which was announced last week – prompted us to bring back Steven Salz to the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. The founder and CEO of Rivalry, which cut its teeth at inception on esports wagering back in 2017, answered our questions about the still-growing engagement by fans and bettors around Fortnite, CounterStrike, Dota2, Valorant, etc. That conversation reminded us of our first encounter with Salz back in 2022 just after the opening of Ontario's regulated sports betting and online gaming market, when he compared Rivalry with Wealthsimple and Robinhood when referring to its customer base. So, that led us to get Salz's thoughts on the recent rumbling about Robinhood contemplating a deeper dive into wagering in the aftermath of the U.S. election. He also addressed the growing popularity of crypto as the currency of choice among gamblers, including among the offshore casino industry, and Rivalry's focus on accelerating its position as a “global, crypto-native operator”. (Salz reminded us that the AGCO's rules around deposits in Ontario's legal gambling business forbid the use of crypto). Rivalry has undergone a major transformation in 2024 and Salz expanded on the company's release of its latest financial results at the end of November. Finally, he gave us some parting thoughts about Ontario emerging as a good story for the company over the past year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the snow was flying outside of Gaming News Canada HQ on the shores of Lake Huron earlier this week, your humble host fired up the virtual studio to welcome Dave Briggs, the former managing editor at Catena Editor and editor interim of the Gaming News Canada newsletter, for an unplugged/unvarnished/unfiltered episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc. Instead of opening up our notepads, Briggs and yours truly conversed on a number of topics about the business of sports betting and gaming, including: Briggs's tour of duty in journalism, the horse racing industry, and his time at Catena as editor-in-chief of Play Ontario/Play Canada, PlayPennsylvania, PlayIllinois and PlayMichigan; A fact sheet released this week by the World Health Organization on gambling, and the global impact of advertising and marketing on problem gambling;The layoffs involving journalists by gambling affiliates in 2024;The opportunities with the breakup of iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and the call (once again) for both parties to be more transparent and also be voices for the regulated gaming industry in the province;Coverage of the industry by traditional media outlets since the Ontario regulated marketplace opened its doors in April 2022; What the province's licensed operators – and the regulators - have done well, and what they could do better; And the motivation behind Briggs's Fresh Waves podcast which features music you won't hear on Top 40 radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three days of arguments around the expanding of daily fantasy sports and online poker in Ontario's regulated gambling industry were heard in the province's court of appeal last week with a decision by the five-judge panel not expected until the new year. The legal beagles piled up the billable hours on behalf of their clients, including the Douglas Ford government, sports betting and gaming businesses, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, and the four provincial lottery and gaming entities that make up the Canadian Lottery Coalition. Among the interested observers in the courthouse proceedings was Canadian Gaming Association senior advisor Amanda Brewer, who made her return to the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by GBG Plc (welcome back to our presenting sponsor). Brewer provided her take on what she saw and heard last week and the scenarios that could play out once the panel reaches a decision. We also asked Brewer for her thoughts on the continued debate around sports betting advertising in our home and native land, what's news in Alberta (the province's Minister of Red Tape Reduction last week took aim at Bodog), and iGaming Ontario's search for a president and chief executive officer, who's expected to move into Martha Otton's chair some time in the first quarter of 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These are heady times for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Just weeks after hosting its annual New Horizons in Safer Gambling conference, BCLC was awarded the Best Flagship Responsible Gaming Award – Level 4 in Paris at the World Lottery Association's annual global summit. So, we invited the corp's director of player health, Ryan McCarthy to make his return to the Gaming News Canada Show. McCarthy, who joined BCLC in August 2022, spoke about the recognition by the WLA, and his three key takeaways from the latest New Horizons conference. Highlighted was a keynote address by Dr. Shawn DuBravac on Gambling on the Safer Side: A Different Approach to Creating Competitive Advantage. He also dug into the continued changes around responsible gaming involving not only BCLC, but other provincial lottery and gaming corporations, operators, regulators and, of course, players. For BCLC, that includes its highly acclaimed GameSense initiative which is also used by operators including MGM Resorts and BetMGM. Our conversation not surprisingly included a segment on artificial intelligence. We also asked McCarthy about the collaboration between player health advocates, revenue teams and others within BCLC to maintain balance between growing the business and prioritizing protecting customers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sporttrade and its CEO are carving their own path through the sports betting businessThis fall, New Jersey-based online sports wagering business Sporttrade announced the launch of its app in Virginia, the fifth U.S. state where the seven-year-old company is operating. Chief executive officer Alex Kane founded Sporttrade in 2017, one year before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).Kane made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show and told the story of the paralegal assistant who got into the sports betting and technology industry. He also explained the differences between the Sporttrade apps and other online sportsbooks, and the company's deliberate strategy in building its business.Kane also offered his thoughts on the existing regulated industry in Ontario, and the conversations he's had with Jay Welbourn, the senior manager of technology and compliance for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, about the province's acclaimed competitive and legal gaming industry. And, of course, we prodded him for some thoughts and layers on the state of regulated gambling in the U.S. – included discussion in some states right now about adjusting the tax rates on legal gambling operators – and the soon-to-come regulated business in Alberta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show is one of the breaking news variety.On the eve of next week's Kioti National in St. John's, the Grand Slam of Curling getting together with ALT Sports Data on a multi-layered partnership highlighted by growth and innovation around making the sport more wagering-friendly and also supporting the CGOS' efforts to grow curling internationally."Our partnership with ALT Sports Data will open up a new world of engagement for curling fans; where real-time insights, advanced analytics, and seamless betting experiences come together to help elevate the sport,” Nic Sulsky, the co-founder and CEO of The Curling Group, which acquired the series from Sportsnet in April, said in a media dispatch. “As the popularity of curling continues to rise internationally, our collaboration with ALT Sports Data will allow us to enhance the fan experience while unlocking new growth opportunities within untapped markets.”Sulsky and Michael Jordan, the co-founder and head of product for ALT Sports Data, joined us on the podcast to dig a little deeper into the details of the partnership – which has a betting element. The California-based business has a rather lengthy list of partnerships with non-traditional sports organizations, including the World Surf League, the Disc Golf Pro Tour and Power Slap while providing data to many of the biggest brands in sports betting. The deal with the CGOS includes ALT Sports Data becoming the exclusive global partner of data for sports betting worldwide.We spoke with Sulsky, who left his post as chief commercial officer of PointsBet Canada to co-found The Curling Group, about the changes that have already taken place under the GCOS's new ownership, the growth of the series' streaming audience, and the appetite by the curlers and their coaches for advanced analytics.Sulsky, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgins Lymphoma in 2009, will be on The Rock next week and will don his road gear once again to run and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society's Curl for Cancer campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been a renewed flurry of media coverage lately around the legal gambling industry in the true north, strong and free, including: · An editorial by The Globe and Mail calling on the Justin Trudeau government to pass Bill S-269 before our elected federal officials head home for the holidays:· An interview by Matt Galloway of CBC's The Current with a problem gambler in the aftermath of a study released by the Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling;· A St. Albert Gazette piece on the relationship between igaming, advertising and problem gambling;· And just yesterday, this “Is the $11 billion online sportsbook bubble about to burst?” tome from the keyboard of David Hill for Rolling Stone. At the same time, the Canadian Gaming Association just made public research it commissioned North American advertising intelligence company MediaRadar to conduct on advertising by operators in Ontario's regulated market. The research shows a decrease in the amount of advertising spend by operators of online sports betting and gaming products since the province's market opened its doors in April 2022.Paul Burns, the CGA's president and CEO, returned to the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the latest research, and also respond to the latest coverage by the Globe and CBC (the CGA also posted a response on LinkedIn to the Globe editorial). Burns also addressed the efforts the industry have made around responsible gambling while yet again emphasizing the operators' multi-layered actions to keep children from accessing their products. He also spoke about the challenges in front of advocates of Bill S-269 to have a national framework for sports betting advertising to take effect. He also spoke about the recent Royal Assent given by the Douglas Ford government to the iGaming Ontario Act, which will separate iGO from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. We also asked Burns for his thoughts on what background and skill set the iGO board of directors and its recruiting firm should be seeking in the president and CEO who will replace Martha Otton when the woman responsible for leading the charge to opening the Ontario market in the spring of 2022 retires at year's end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest financial results released over the past week or so by the likes of Sportradar, Genius Sports, DraftKings,theScore Bet and Flutter Entertainment all refer to the continued increase in activity by sports bettors when it comes to in-play/live wagering. From Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke, in his prepared statements in a call with analysts when the data/technology/broadcast giants put forth its Q3 2024 financials on Tuesday: “In-play wagering now represents 30% of total NFL handle—up from roughly 25% the prior season—representing a meaningful step in the right direction, which we always expected.” Phill Gray, the former long-time head trader for Sports Interaction and regular guest on the Gaming News Canada Show, returned to the podcast to deliver his thoughts and layers on the expanded in-play and same game parlay betting products, how sportsbooks are creating those markets in real time and the shifting role of traders with the operators. Gray also talked about the three types of bettors today, the acknowledgment by books that the customers did pretty darn well in October, and he offered his take on a new report by Bettometrics analyzing suspension times between top operators for Week 8 of the U.S. college football season, and Week 9 games in the National Football League. Gray also weighed in on the ongoing debate around limiting, and the overwhelming popularity beyond the United States for wagering on the recent U.S. elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Swifties prepare to gather in Toronto next week for their beloved songstress's six concerts, the Westin Harbour Castle will be home for three days to leaders in the sports industry from across North America - including NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and MLSE president/CEO Keith Pelley – for the 17th annual PrimeTime sports management conference. Among the plethora of panels that will take place beginning Sunday (Nov. 10) is a Developments in Sports Betting discussion with Parleh Media Group CEO/co-founder Mark Silver holding the moderator's mic. Silver will be joined by Tom Burdakin, the vice president of marketing, Canada, for FanDuel; Daniel Caufield, the head of business development and partnerships at Woodbine Entertainment; Tyler Puley, the director of marketing communications and brand experience at OLG; and Michael Zitney, the director of brand and content for Entain Group. Ahead of the conference and the Swifties invasion, your humble host made the trip to Toronto this week for a pre-PrimeTime podcast with the aforementioned panelists and Silver. Among the topics covered: Reaction to Tuesday's announcement that the Senate has sent Bill S-269, aka the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act, to the House of Commons;The evolving strategies around advertising, marketing and partnerships since Ontario unlocked the door to regulated sports betting and online gaming in the spring of 2022. That included a discussion around the ongoing efforts to integrate sports betting into sports broadcasts and the opportunities that lie ahead in a changing sports rights, broadcasts and streaming landscape.Reaction to the financial results from iGaming Ontario'slatest market performance reportand OLG's 2023-24 annual report. The challenges and opportunities ahead for Ontario's regulated operators, OLG and Woodbine.And, of course, we asked Zitney and Burdakin for their thoughts on the road to regulation in Alberta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These aren't the best of times for affiliates in the business of gambling, as reflected by the recent news involving XL Media, Catena Media and Better Collective. Straight to the Point publisher/editor Steve Ruddock returned to the Gaming News Canada Show. Ruddock walked us through his experiences in the affiliates industry over the past 15 years, and discussed with your humble host the decision by Catena Media and Better Collective to let go journalists covering the industry and what's next in the affiliate space. That also led to a lengthy discussion around coverage of the sports betting and gaming industry since the overturning of PASPA by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. The wild and crazy presidential election in the U.S. has attracted the interest of 16 sportsbooks – including OLG - in Ontario's regulated marketplace. We asked Ruddock about the participation by Robinhood, Kalshi and Polymarket in predicting the Harris-Trump battle, and the potential impact the next U.S. federal government will have on the country's legal gambling landscape. Last but not least, the debate continues about the competition/collaboration of retail and online gambling, so we asked our guest for his two cents on the topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Responsible Gambling Council recently released its 2023-24 annual report, which included 32 igaming sites across 20 operators being accredited through the council's RG Check program over the past year, and the Ontario government delivering an unprecedented $9 million investment to the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund over three years. Shelley White, who is leaving the RGC after an eight-year tenure as its chief executive officer at the end of the year, and VP, marketing and communications Elaine McDougall joined us for a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. White and McDougall dug a little deeper into the latest annual report, and spoke with us about: The ongoing efforts of the council and other stakeholders in the sports betting and igaming industry in Canada and globally to inform and educate people on gambling safely, and the use of artificial intelligence to help amplify messaging in the future;The RGC's new partnership with Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment, which debuted last Saturday during the Toronto Maple Leafs' home opener at Scotiabank Arena;The council's participation in the creation of a regulated gaming marketplace in Alberta;White's testimony in front of the Senate transport and communications committee earlier this month on sports betting advertising;The continuing momentum when it comes to women landing executive suite positions across the industry. White also let us know that the RGC is expected to announce her success by the end of November, and gave us some thoughts on her eight-year run. McDougall also spoke about the impact White has had on the council in bringing a much-appreciated cultural shift to the organization and leading its evolution as a business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon Prime dropped the puck on its NHL digital streaming journey across Canada over the past week, first with the debut of NHL Coast to Coast last Thursday followed by Prime Monday Night Hockey while we were awakening from our Thanksgiving turkey coma. Sports Interaction has a segment in the first hour of the Thursday NHL Coast to Coast broadcast. To learn more about the Homegrown Bet of the Night segment, veteran sports broadcaster David Bastl – now SIA's chief betting officer – was our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show. Bastl provided more details on the SIA integration (with a helping hand on the production end from Parleh Media Group) into the Amazon Prime hockey broadcasts – Thursday nights deliver a Red Zone-like experience for NHL fans – and revisited his first picks from opening night. We also asked Bastl about the ongoing evolution of professional sports leagues, rightsholders and sports wagering operators when it comes to integrating betting information and insight into a game broadcast – including The Locker Room show produced by Homestand and available on the Sports Interaction app. He also spoke about his background in media and betting, including his work on the Inside the Lines NFL betting show, and The Mike Richards Show in the early years of TSN Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It turns out that the road to regulated sports betting and online gaming in Alberta has hit a pothole or two. Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business reported Monday that more time is needed for the provincial government in the land of the Oilers and Flames to meet with various stakeholders with potential skin in the game of a legal gambling marketplace. For further context on this story, Jessica Welman – the editor-in-chief of both SBC Americas and Canadian Gaming Business – made her return to the Gaming News Canada Show. Welman joined GNCS host Steve McAllister before getting on yet another plane. . . this time to Las Vegas for this week's Global Gaming Expo, to provide her insight on a few topics, including: · Some key takeaways from the recent SBC conference in Lisbon· Teeing up G2E this week· The buzz around sweepstakes in the U.S. of A. these days, including her recent conversation with Novig co-founder/CEO Jacob Fortinsky· The latest on efforts in the Canadian Senate to pass a bill which would create a framework for sports betting advertising in our home and native land· And other matters pertaining to legal gambling in the U.S., including what's happening (or not) in California, Texas and Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Senate Committee on Transport and Communications resumed hearing from witnesses at the beginning of October with the proposed Bill-269 to create a national framework for advertising on sports betting. Among the folks making the trek to the nation's capital to appear in front of the committee was Canadian Gaming Association grand poobah Paul Burns. Burns returned to the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss his appearance in Ottawa, and the continued evolution of advertising in Ontario's regulated sports betting and online gaming marketplace. From Tom Nightingale's reporting in Canadian Gaming Business: Burns had argued in his opening statement that he doesn't believe S-269 is necessary, as most of what the bill aims to do is already being done. In particular, he pointed to Ontario's advertising restrictions and stipulations around responsible gaming messaging, noting that anecdotally, Ontario has seen a far higher uptake of RG messaging and practical tools than operators are legally required to offer. “There's been a lot of emotional discussion about gaming advertising over the last couple of years because people have seen more of it,” noted Burns. “But there's also been some absence of facts and data and understanding.” The CGA president/CEO also provided an update on the road to regulation in Alberta, including Minister Dale Nally's pending appearance on a panel Wednesday alongside Burns, AGCO chief Dr. Karin Schnarr and iGaming Ontario executive director Martha Otton (you can expect the soon-to-retire iGO ED will deliver the latest quarterly results on the Ontario industry) at this week's Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. We also asked Burns for his thoughts on the state of regulated gambling today across the true north, strong and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since Ontario's regulated gaming industry opened its doors in April 2022, there's been a steady rise in the popularity and corresponding revenue from online gaming. Paul Adams, the director of marketing operations for BetMGM, made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show alongside the company's PR/data insights manager John Ewing for a chin wag about the operator's increasing investment in igaming via the launch of Lightning Storm and WOF Casino, and exclusive slots based on movies and TV Shows such as The Godfather and Charlie's Angels. Adams also got into the partnership announced this summer between BetMGM and gaming casino content creator Brian Christopher. Ewing returned to the podcast for a conversation on the wave of wagering around the early weeks of the National Football League season, and how its customers in Ontario engaging in four-down football. We also asked Ewing about the impact Shohei Ohtani's season for the ages has had on the business of betting, and the potential excitement around a Dodgers (Ohtani)-Yankees (Aaron Judge) World Series. Finally, Adams confirmed that BetMGM is among the operators paying close attention to plans for launching a regulated sports betting and online gaming marketplace in Alberta (we recommend our recent GNCS episode with Amanda Brewer and Phill Gray for more on the Alberta situation). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many folks employed in the world of sports betting and gaming are congregating in Portugal this week for SBC Lisbon. That includes Gaming News Canada Show regular panelist and industry consultant, Amanda Brewer, who will be lending her voice along with other stakeholders in the Canadian marketplace (NorthStar Gaming's Michael Moskowitz and Jared Beber from Bet99 are among the speakers on a “Is the goose still golden” panel Wednesday around regulated gambling in Canada and the U.S. Speaking of which, Brewer and fellow consultant Phill Gray returned to the GNCS for a roundtable that was heavy on talk about the pending regulated market in Alberta. We tackled the rumblings about an opening date , the potential tax rate and other costs of doing business in the western Canada province, a consultative process which so far has been different than what operators experienced in the lead-up to the opening of regulated sports wagering and iGaming in Ontari-ari-ari-o, and the reaction from the Canadian Gaming Association to the results of a report by an Ottawa-based think tank earlier this month with the recommendation that Alberta shouldn't follow Ontario's lead in creating regulated gambling beyond what's currently offered by Alberta Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis. (Ed's Note: We reached out to the communications folks at the office of Minister Dale Nally requesting an update on the province's plans. After recording this episode, we received a response including: “We'd be happy to give an update, however due to a busy schedule we don't have much availability until the first to second week in October”. We expect the minister will be in Lisbon and will participate in a Thursday roundtable on Canada hosted by Alon Segev of Segev LLP. Also, ICYMI, Ron Segev was our guest on the podcast a few weeks ago to provide his take on Alberta.) Both Brewer and Gray weighed in on the proposal by two U.S. senators to create a federal Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE) Act. Gray also addressed our questions into a recent roundtable organized by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission into operators placing limits on sports bettors (Steve Ruddock's thoughts in his Straight to the Point newsletter is a good read). Finally, our two panelists also weighed in on the pending retirement of IGaming Ontario executive director Martha Otton, and the challenges facing her successor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There were tremors through the Canadian sports business and media landscape this morning when Sportico's Scott Soshnick and Kurt Badenhausen broke the news that Rogers was acquiring Bell's 37.5 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for $4.7 billion, subject to the approval of sports leagues tied to MLSE's ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC.From the reporting done by Soshnick and Badenausen of the U.S.-based sports business publication:Rogers already owned 37.5% of MLSE, and now puts a total valuation of Rogers' ownership of the entity at $9.4 billion Canadian dollars. Rogers also owns the Toronto Blue Jays, who are worth $2.27 billion, according to Sportico. Larry Tanenbaum owns the remaining 25% stake in MLSE, which also includes the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts.Jonah Sigel, the go-to person for the latest news on the Canadian sports media industry (you can find him on X at @yyzsportsmedia), and Parleh Media Group co-founder Mark Silver hopped on their laptops for a special edition of the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the topics discussed:The impact of today's announcement on the sports media business in our home and native land, including the expiration of the NHL's $5.2 billion, 12-year broadcasting contract with Rogers at the end of the 2025-26 season;Bell Media securing content rights for the Maple Leafs and Raptors for the next two decades;The potential impact of the announcement on Rogers and the leaders – led by Edward Rogers - of MLSE and its franchises, and the Blue Jays; The relevance of the sports and entertainment behemoth having a face for the organization a la George Steinbrenner, Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban (which got us talking about Bruce Garrioch's feature on Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer in today's Ottawa Citizen);And of course, some thoughts from a regulated gambling industry respective given the dollars spent on media and partnerships with pro sports organizations by legal operators in Ontario and provincial lottery and gaming corporations across the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some 18 months ago, your humble host sat in a New York restaurant with three guys who came friends while attending UCLA and took the startup plunge to create WagerWire.Today, the Los Angeles-based business has established a place in the sports wagering and daily fantasy sports trading marketplace while using social and media platforms to build a community of sports aficionados. The co-founders of WagerWire, Zach Doctor, Travis Geiger and Guy Dotan were our guests on the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the company's ongoing growth, including this summer's announcement of establishing fantasy and media verticals to “operate sports products and other types of gaming independently of sports betting”.We also asked the trio about the opportunities in Ontario's regulated gambling marketplace, and the soon-to-come regulated industry in Alberta, their newish foray into horse racing. Dotan also lent us his expertise on the continuing challenges with new technologies.And, our conversation included some NFL talk in a week when the four-down gridiron giant kicked off its regular season, and the American Gaming Association announcedthat an unprecedented $35 billion (Amarican dollars) will be wagered on the league this season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation bid adieu to the old days of sports bettors stopping by the local convenience store to make their picks on paper with the launch of its ProLine digital sportsbook.Brett Hanson, BCLC's Manager – Retail Sports was our latest guest on the Gaming News Canada Show to dig into the deets of the new ProLine, which went live just before the start of the NFL regular season. Hanson, who previously worked for offshore sportsbooks before joining the provincial lottery corporation in April 2018, talked about the race to launch ProLine before the start of the four-down football campaign and the challenges and opportunities around creating a new and improved sportsbook product for retail customers. That includes some new features and an expanded offering of wagers for Lions, Canucks, Seahawks and other favourite teams of sports fans in Canada's most-western province. We also asked Hanson about changing the habits of ProLine customers to move into the digital world, and on the opportunity to educate those customers about responsible gambling with the new sportsbook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been awhile since we had a conversation with Ron Segev, the founder of Segev LLP and one of the leading legal beagles when it comes to the business of sports betting and gaming. So, the recent announcement that the British Columbia-based law firm was establishing some roots in Calgary ahead of the launch of regulated gambling in Alberta was the catalyst to have Segev join us on the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the topics discussed: · We've never heard the story of Segev LLP having a gaming component to its legal practice, so we asked;· While it's expected the Alberta model will have similarities to Ontario's regulated gambling marketplace, Segev says there are unique qualities in the western Canada province that will come into play;· A state-of-the-Ontario-market discussion, including with regards to the current Ontario Superior Court case brought forth by the provincial Attorney General's office on liquidity;· Why it's not a slam dunk for B.C. to follow suit with an open, legal marketplaceWe also asked Segev for his thoughts on what's expected to be a rather robust fall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the start of the National Football League regular-season, Michael Cryan – the newish Head of Paid Social at Sportradar – was our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show to answer our queries about his new gig. Cryan, who landed at Sportradar after stints with social media behemoths TikTok and Meta, and is still settling into his new role, dug into the evolving use of short-form videos for betting brands and acquiring new customers. He also spoke about the integration of Sportradar's data and technology into the video content of operators in the business of sports wagering and online gaming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the spring, Bettormetrics released a report analyzing suspension strategies and the impact they were having on sportsbook revenues in the U.S. of A. Robert Urwin, the co-founder and managing director of the sports odds intelligence company, made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show to dig deeper into the company's data around betting on the 2023-24 NBA season. Included in the company's analysis as FanDuel leaving an estimated $1.45 billion (Amarican bucks) in handle during the pro hoops campaign. Urwin, who's worked in the gaming industry for more than two decades – including tenures with Unibet, Betfair and Ladbrokes before co-founding Bettormetrics almost three years ago – spoke about his current company's place in the sports betting biz and further addressed suspension of wagers during live sporting events. He also got into the evolving use of artificial intelligence in delivering data around sports and sports betting, as we enter a busy fall sports schedule with the return of the NFL, NBA and NHL regular seasons, MLB playoffs, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the beginning of August, iGaming Ontario announced a select bid by Integrity Compliance 360 and Australian company IXUP was selected to develop a centralized self-exclusion system for Ontario. Catherine Jarmain, iGO's director of industry programs and monitoring, and IC360 president Eric Frank joined the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the project to build on the existing player protections in Ontario. Frank explained the creation of the partnership between IC360 and its ProhiBet betting integrity product, and IXUP, which designed and delivered and operates Australia's national self-exclusion register (BetStop). Jarmain spoke about both the lengthy process that led to the August 1 announcement, and the coming together of Ontario's regulated operators and OLG in supporting the development of a centralized program for Canada's only regulated industry. We also asked Frank about the IC360/IXUP partnership extending into other jurisdictions, including the anticipated opening of a regulated gambling industry in Alberta. Finally, both Jarmain and Frank paid tribute to Martha Otton, after iGO announced last week that its executive director is retiring at the end of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much for the dog days of summer, at least when it comes to the business of sports betting and gaming in Canada and the United States of America. Geoff Zochodne, the veteran gaming industry beat reporter for Covers, took a break from listening to hearings, transcribing interviews and tapping the keyboard to return as our guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the many topics we covered over a lengthy conversation: - What is motivating DraftKings to, in Zochodne's words, “plan to hit winning players with a ‘gaming tax surcharge'?- What make sense in terms of timing for regulated sports wagering and online gaming to arrive in Alberta and what will that marketplace look like?- Jeff Marek's departure from Sportsnet appears to have involved both the NHL and Nevada Gaming Control Board.- And what's the dilio with regards to sports betting regulators and limiting? Zochodne also provided his perspective on the Ontario Court of Appeal case considering the expansion of online poker and daily fantasy sports, consolidation of the U.S. sports betting industry (and why it hasn't happened in Ontario), and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.