Canada
Pollard Banknote Awarded Five-year Contract Extension from the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation
Pollard Banknote Limited announced an extension to its Instant Ticket Printing Services Agreement with the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC). The original contract term began on December 30, 2013, and under this extension Pollard Banknote will continue to provide instant tickets, game design, and related services through December 31, 2028, with an option to renew for an additional five years.
The contract extends the successful and collaborative partnership Pollard Banknote and ILC have established over the past 35 years. As a coordinating agent representing all five Canadian lottery organizations, ILC has worked with Pollard Banknote throughout the years to leverage a variety of print innovations and regionally-specific strategies to deliver top-selling national games to players, which have consistently been significant drivers of overall sales for Canadian lotteries. Two recent examples are ILC’s latest launch of its $50, $100, $150 game, featuring the eye-catching hues of neon ink, and the Mystery Multiplier ticket with Pollard Banknote’s Flip Scratch innovation that features pop-up windows with additional scratch-off areas. Most recently, Pollard Banknote collaborated with ILC to expand its presence into the digital lottery landscape with the latest iteration of its Jackpot family of gamesâa key number match series of tickets which includes a 2nd chance contest where players can play an online slots-style game to earn bonus entries with each code they enter.
âWe look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Pollard Banknote. Their expertise and experience in the industry has allowed us to bring exciting new concepts and instant games to the Canadian market. The contract extension will allow us to continue to deliver innovative and creative games that players love and that will generate revenue for the vital programs the lotteries support throughout Canada and their respective provinces,â said Sarah Price, Director of National Games, ILC.
âPollard Banknote is thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our partnership with the ILC. We are excited to continue providing innovative products that stand out at retail and extend the play experience into the digital landscape, with the ultimate goal of maximizing revenue for good causes across Canada,â said Brad Thompson, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Pollard Banknote.
Canada
Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Agreement for Purchase and Sale of Elements Casino Victoria
Great Canadian Entertainment announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Elements Casino Victoria to Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. (PDG) in yet another historic transaction for both parties.
This transaction comes on the heels of the previously announced definitive agreement for Great Canadian Entertainment to sell its other landmark property and business on Vancouver Island, Casino Nanaimo, to PDG. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (the Nation) and is dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation.
Great Canadianâs Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by the regulatory authorities. The Company will provide transition services to PDG for up to two years post-closing.
âWe are very pleased to have executed this second historic agreement with the Snuneymuxw First Nation. From its original opening as View Royal Casino in 2001, to major expansion and rebranding of the property in 2018 as Elements Casino Victoria, we are looking forward to the next chapter for this beautiful and historic Vancouver Island destination under PDG’s stewardship. We are excited to work with the Petroglyph team during the transition period to ensure yet another outstanding outcome for the community, our guests, our team members, and the Nation,â said Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment.
âWe celebrate our growing partnership with Great Canadian and our continued progress toward building a strong Snuneymuxw economy that provides a solid foundation for Snuneymuxw self-determination and nationhood. With the acquisition of a second casino operation, we continue to honour the decades of work by past Snuneymuxw leadership who tirelessly pursued this goal, as we begin to realize various opportunities that contribute to optimizing Snuneymuxw socioeconomic potential. Our Nation is sharply focused to make investments that bring returns to our people and builds our presence in the economy so that Snuneymuxw takes its rightful place. Today, we also celebrate our partnership with the B.C. Lottery Corporation in our shared pursuit to support the growth of the provincial economy and First Nation participation,â said Snuneymuxw Chief Mike Wyse.
Erralyn Joseph, President of PDG, said: âThis measured acquisition is one that PDG celebrates on our quest to build a corporate enterprise that reinvests into Snuneymuxw First Nation. With a strong operating plan that includes risk mitigation and yields sizable gains, PDG is well on its way to generating wealth for Snuneymuxw and taking a seat at the local, regional, provincial, national and global economic tables. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to share this news and remain committed to advancing the regionâs economic growth in support of all its residents.â
Ian Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of PDG, said: âAcquiring this significant asset will unlock unprecedented economic potential for Snuneymuxw and PDG, paving the way for transformative growth in Snuneymuxwâs economy and the profits that PDG returns to our Nation.â
McMillan is serving as legal counsel to Great Canadian. McCarthy TĂ©trault is acting as legal counsel and KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor to PDG.
Canada
Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta Extend Partnership
The Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta announced a new agreement that makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Edmonton Oilers.
The deal will see the Play Alberta logo featured prominently on the Oilers home jerseys and GameSense, AGLCâs responsible gambling program, displayed on the helmets of the Oilers for each home game.
âPlay Alberta is proud to continue its partnership with the Edmonton Oilers over the next several seasons. We value our patrons and the fans of the Oilers and are thrilled to see PlayAlberta.ca, Albertaâs trusted gambling platform along with the best-in-class responsible gambling program â GameSense â as prominent fixtures on the Oilers uniformsuniforms,â said Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.
PlayAlberta.ca is a leader in the iGaming landscape in the province. All money generated through the site goes to the General Revenue Fund, which supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day. In addition, the website has integrated AGLCâs GameSense and Self-Exclusion programs to better support players in their gambling journey.
âWe are proud to call Play Alberta the official sportsbook of the Edmonton Oilers. With the revenue generated by Play Alberta going to valued services and programs that help enrich the lives of Albertans, donning the Play Alberta logo on our iconic home jersey is a testament to our long-term commitment to communities across Oil Country,â said Stew MacDonald, President & Chief Revenue Officer, OEG Sports & Entertainment.
The relationship between the Edmonton Oilers and PlayAlberta.ca will allow fans to experience the Play Alberta and GameSense brands through promotions in Rogers Place and ICE District, as well as giveaways throughout the season, including game tickets and memorabilia.
This past year, PlayAlberta.ca generated $235 million in net sales, an increase of more than $42 million from 2022-23. That number contributes to the $1.5 billion in total gaming revenue thatâs sent to Albertaâs General Revenue Fund and supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day.
Canada
British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Future Anthem partner to establish Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Hub in Vancouver
Partnership will create dedicated specialist team to develop and deploy AI to improve player experiences across gaming products and channels.
BCLC has partnered with Future Anthem, a UK-based gambling data science specialist, on the creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Innovation Hub (the âHubâ), to be located at BCLCâs Vancouver office.
The Hub will focus on the development of AI, data capabilities and programs designed to improve the player experience across all BCLC gambling platforms, including lottery, gaming, and sports. It will employ a team of data and product professionals, with access to Future Anthemâs Data Science platform.
âBCLC is excited to be partnering with Future Anthem to create the first AI innovation hub in B.C. focused on the gambling industry,â says Mark Goldberg, BCLCâs Chief Information Officer. âWe know that the key components of the Hub will be its data driven research and software product development to support player engagement and experience, safer play and improved game design â core BCLC business areas.â
Managed in partnership through a joint Steering Committee that includes senior representatives from both BCLC and Future Anthem, the Hub will create and cultivate highly specialized, Vancouver-based AI technology jobs utilising Future Anthemâs strong experience in building teams focused on AI research and development, complemented by a small team of BCLC employees with skills and experience in this area.
âThis dynamic partnership combines our expertise, reach, and technologies and allows us to harness AI for good â to bring true and measurable benefits to players in a responsible, sustainable, and enjoyable manner,â says Leigh Nissim, CEO and Founder of Future Anthem. âWith access to more data across all verticals and channels to build amazing machine learning models and AI applications, I am confident this collaboration will quickly deliver benefits to BCLC and its players to reinforce its lead position within lotteries globally.â
As well as recruiting the team in Vancouver, Future Anthem will deploy its market-leading real time AI platform locally to employ best practices for AI product development and governance within the Hub, which includes protocols to ensure transparency of AI use, data security, and management of AI models and their player impact. These models are designed to use anonymised data that is stored in Canada.
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