Canada
SBC Unveiled Finalists for Inaugural Canadian Gaming Summit First Pitch Startup Competition

SBC has revealed the three industry start-up finalists of the inaugural edition of the Canadian Gaming Summit First Pitch competition.
In a remarkable demonstration of innovation and potential, these contenders have emerged from a pool of talent, embodying the promise of reshaping the sports betting and iGaming landscape with their forward-thinking solutions.
The highly successful startup competition for sports betting and iGaming companies has been held with great acclaim at the SBC Summit North America in New Jersey and the prestigious global flagship event, SBC Summit Barcelona.
As SBC takes charge of managing the Canadian Gaming Summit, the First Pitch competition will play a crucial role as part of the Growth and Leadership track on the event’s second full day, scheduled for June 15th.
The three (3) finalists of the SBC Summit North America First Pitch are:
- Flex Fantasy: enables users to synchronize their season-long fantasy lineups and utilize them to compete against individuals across different platforms in diverse game formats for real-money rewards
- Turnover Global: generates virtual sports betting content through sports simulation, which accurately reflects current and past game results. It ensures that the required Return to Player (RTP) percentage
- tolerances are consistently maintained for each bet line, as mandated by compliance labs
- Linemate: aims to revolutionize research insights for novice sports bettors and establish itself as a lifestyle brand catering to these users by addressing the obstacles that hinder consumers from easily embracing and adopting new behavioral patterns
The chosen companies will have the chance to showcase their innovative products to industry leaders and investors. They will also compete for an exclusive prize package valued at over CA$ 70,000, specifically designed to assist in their future development and growth endeavors. The prize package includes:
- A six-month subscription to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s Sports & Emerging Verticals, a boutique research firm that specializes in providing comprehensive services to the gaming equipment, sports, and interactive gaming sectors within the global gaming industry. This subscription alone is worth CA$ 33,000.
- An exclusive brand or web design package, valued at CA$ 3,700, from Vegas Kings, the premier iGaming design and development agency that has been trusted by leading brands such as Ladbrokes, Betfred, Spinomenal, BetConstruct, and more.
- A comprehensive promotional package from SBC Media, including six months of advertising on either SBC Americas or Canadian Gaming Business, newsletter advertising, as well as two featured editorials promoting the winning business (valued at CA$ 16,000).
- Two (2) drafted press releases at any time during 2023 with any news/product updates that the winner would like to share with the industry, distributed to all iGaming B2B media and the US via Business Wire (ensuring coverage on Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, etc.), a video interview produced and shared by GameOn, and two (2) additional thought leadership articles that would be placed within a media partner of SBC (valued at £2,950.00 or CA$ 4,900)
- A Receptional Prize Pack – Valued at CA$ 13,000 (The Receptional team will collaborate with the winning company to provide a tailored digital marketing package).
The competition will be moderated by Jesse Learmonth, (Host of the Betting Startups Podcast) and judged by Benjie Cherniak (Principal at Avenue H Capital, LLC), Dani Lipkin (Managing Director of Global Innovation Sector TMX Group), Scott Secord (Partner, Cardinal Capital Sports), Emily McIlquham (Investment Analyst, Relay Ventures) and Mohit Kansal (Managing Director, Clarivest) who will work together to decide the winner after all finalists pitch their products.
Canada
High Roller and Playtech Announce Strategic Partnership

High Roller Technologies and Playtech announced a strategic partnership for Ontario, Canada, that will see Playtech provide its industry-leading technology to power High Roller’s platform and premium brand, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for players in the region.
Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller, said: “Collaborating with Playtech in Ontario is an exciting step for High Roller as we continue to grow and evolve. Playtech’s well-established technology will be instrumental to our mission of providing a world-class entertainment experience for our players.”
Sergey Harutyunyan, Chief Revenue Officer at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to partner with High Roller as they expand into Ontario. Playtech’s technology is designed to support operators in regulated markets, and we look forward to working together to provide High Roller’s players with safe, innovative, and engaging gaming experiences.”
Ontario represents a key market for both companies, featuring a robust regulatory framework and fast-growing player base. Recently, High Roller announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application for Ontario, and subject to licensing and regulatory approval, High Roller anticipates launching live operations in H2 2025.
Canada
OLG Advances Inclusion with First-of-its-kind Accessible iCasino Game

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is supporting accessibility in the iGaming industry with the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth – the first digital slot game designed with built-in accessible features to support players with disabilities.
In the popular digital casino landscape, people with disabilities often face barriers to participation. Instead of waiting for change, OLG is driving it by introducing the industry’s first inclusive gaming experience that provides the same fun and excitement to all players.
“We are excited to launch Red Panda Tails of Wealth on olg.ca, which is the result of a focused effort to put accessibility at the forefront of game design. The game is a proof of concept that shows how removing barriers to play can move us towards a more inclusive future in the gaming industry,” said Dave Pridmore, OLG’s Chief Gaming Officer.
With nearly one-third (28%; StatCan 2022) of Ontarians reporting a disability, the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth breaks barriers and provides more equitable access to play for an often-overlooked audience.
While Red Panda Tails of Wealth mirrors the appearance and gameplay of other iCasino slot games in market, it is built with universal design principles to deliver a fun, inclusive and user-friendly experience for all players.
Key accessibility features include:
• Compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation
• A high-contrast colour palette for enhanced visibility
• An accessible heads-up display engineered to integrate seamlessly into future games.
To develop this first-of-its-kind game, OLG collaborated with Pixiu Gaming and Light & Wonder Spark. To ensure the game was accessible and inclusive OLG partnered with Fable – a Toronto-based company that connects organizations with people with disabilities for digital accessibility insights.
The insights from people with disabilities collected via remote user testing sessions played a key role in helping OLG create a game that meets real-world accessibility needs.
“Our mission at Fable is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society – and this is how true accessibility is achieved. We’re thrilled to partner with OLG, who recognize the importance of embedding the voices and experiences of people with disabilities throughout the development of their new game,” said Kate Kalcevich, Head of Innovation at Fable.
Canada
High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario

High Roller Technologies, operator of the premium online casino brands High Roller and Fruta, announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application in Ontario, Canada, targeting the launch of its flagship brand HighRoller.com in the second half of 2025.
“The submission of our licensing application to access Ontario’s regulated online gambling market is an important milestone in our Company’s journey. Once our application is approved, we anticipate that we will have the opportunity to launch our online casino product into the market later this year,” said Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller.
Ontario is one of the largest regulated online gambling markets in the world as measured by gross gaming revenue. In 2024, regulated online gambling operators within the province generated approximately $2.3B in gross gaming revenue, and growth continues to be recorded in the first half of 2025. Recently, the province of Alberta passed enabling legislation to establish a regulatory framework for online gambling. Once available, the Company also intends to pursue licensure in Alberta to expand its regulated market footprint in Canada.
“Ontario is missing an elegant brand like High Roller. We’re excited to roll out the red carpet for our new customers, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our tremendous product,” said Clemes.
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