Canada
Legacy jurisdictions set to take a hit when Ontario regulates online casino
OnlineCasinoList.com research shows older dot com licences will not be as profitable in Canada’s biggest market following regulation
The impact of regulation in Ontario, Canada, will lead to a decline in the take-up of legacy online licenses, according to new research by Canadian casino list portal, Online Casino List.
Once it becomes regulated in Q1 2022, Ontario will offer operators the opportunity to legally serve a province that currently makes up 43% of revenues of the whole Canadian online casino market. The costs of obtaining a licence will be around CA$100,000 and taxation rates are set at 20%.
Opting for the existing tribal Kahnawake licence, which costs $118,725 with a 0% tax rate, will still give operators who do not opt for to take an Ontario licence the chance to serve the remaining 57% of Canada’s online gaming market, with fewer restrictions on marketing and gameplay.
However, Online Casino List’s findings are that increased channelisation away from grey market offerings in Canada is an inevitable consequence of Ontario’s impending regulation. That potentially spells bad news for licences such as that offered by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, as well as those supplied by regulators in Curaçao and Malta.
Other Canadian provinces, including British-Columbia, are expected to follow Ontario and regulate in the coming years, resulting in further problems for legacy online jurisdictions in Canada.
“This risk/reward analysis means Kahnawake will take a hit when Ontario introduces its licence,” said David Overmars of Online Casino List. “Even though it doesn’t serve Canadian casinos as much as Curacao and Malta do, the rise of local licences in general should worry Kahnawake. It doesn’t have the population to provide its own local licence, and lacks the reputation that Malta has.”
Online Casino List’s extensive research strongly indicates that major operators will not be content to fly under the radar to attract grey market players and will instead opt to take up the Ontario licence.
Canada
NorthStar Gaming Enhances the Customer Experience with Strategic Product Innovations
NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. announced a series of enhancements to its NorthStar Bets online betting platform. The latest product innovations are crafted to elevate and consistently surpass the expectations of NorthStar Bets customers, reinforcing the Company’s position as the definitive premium choice in the gaming industry.
“We are excited to roll out a broad range of product enhancements to our customers. Innovation has always been a core value for NorthStar as we seek to maintain a best-of-breed platform that evolves alongside changing preferences and emerging technologies. We focus on upgrades that will differentiate us in the marketplace, simplify the customer experience, and reinforce our premium positioning,” said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar.
NorthStar’s product innovation strategy can be summarized by two complementary propositions. “Incrementally Better” refers to ongoing, often small-scale improvements aimed at optimizing such attributes as reliability, trust, speed, simplicity, and performance. “Fundamentally Different” means targeting efforts on features or offerings that are highly valued, drive customer loyalty, and set NorthStar apart from competitors.
Product enhancements recently introduced by NorthStar include the following:
• Strengthened Casino section. A new streamlined navigation simplifies the user experience, while NorthStar’s selection of games and titles has doubled since the start of 2024.
• NorthStar Elite Blackjack. A bespoke branded table crafted to exceed the exacting standards of VIP players, embodying the premium experience that defines NorthStar Bets.
• Sports Insights 2.0. Overhaul of industry-leading sports content vertical with new features, statistics, design, and user experience, launched on NorthStarBets.ca.
• Enhanced Sportsbook.
a. Dynamic Navigation: The latest innovation introduces a feature that streamlines navigation, quickly guiding users to top sports and events, minimizing the steps required to place a bet.
b. Personalized Prop Bets: An advanced AI-driven algorithm analyzes individual betting patterns to generate customized prop bets that are tailored to each customer’s betting history.
c. Intelligent Parlay Suggestions: This intuitive functionality also appears on the bet slip, where companion bets are offered to enhance single bets, enabling customers to effortlessly create logical parlays at the point of the bet decision.
“Today’s announcement offers a preview of the innovation fueling our 2024 strategy. Our product team is executing an ambitious roadmap that balances incremental advancements with groundbreaking features, all meticulously crafted to elevate the attributes our customers value most-reliability, performance, and simplicity,” said Dean MacNeil, VP of Product & Managed Services at NorthStar.
“As a premium brand, we strategically harness innovation to amplify our appeal to high-value customers, solidifying our distinct advantage in the industry. By consistently enhancing the customer experience, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering a premium service that drives strong customer satisfaction and earns their loyalty.”
Canada
IGT Launches its Second Omnichannel Wide Area Progressive Game in Canada, Money Mania Slots
International Game Technology PLC announced that it recently launched its second omnichannel Wide Area Progressive (WAP) game for Canada, Money Mania slots. The game is currently available on British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) PlayNow.com site and at 22 BCLC-governed casinos throughout British Columbia. IGT is the only supplier in the world to offer omnichannel jackpot games with shared jackpot liquidity across the land-based, online and mobile versions of the games.
“We know our players love the excitement that the Powerbucks games offer, so BCLC is thrilled to launch IGT’s Money Mania – another title that draws upon the same opportunity for cross-channel jackpots. Both BCLC and IGT are passionate about bringing innovative games to players and fueling responsible growth in the industry. We also recognize that BCLC is in a unique position with our ability to offer cross-channel experiences for players. Whether players choose to play Money Mania at the casino or online, we’re confident this is another game they’ll love,” said Dan Beebe, BCLC Chief Operating Officer.
IGT’s Money Mania is a proven multi-level progressive (MLP) game that features player-favorite game mechanics and multiple base-game themes. The game includes a $100,000 top-level “Money Jackpot” and a fast-growing, fast-hitting second-level WAP jackpot – “Mania Jackpot”. With a jackpot-reset value of $4000, the game’s “Mania Jackpot” is designed to hit frequently, especially with land-based, online and mobile gameplay all simultaneously feeding the jackpot meter.
“IGT’s Money Mania omnichannel WAP game is designed to frequently deliver mid-to-large-size jackpots, drive cross-channel gameplay and engage BCLC players online and in casinos. Like Powerbucks, IGT’s Money Mania is at the forefront of jackpot innovation and supports IGT’s commitment to and leadership in omnichannel content and innovation,” said David Flinn, IGT SVP Sales, Canada, South and Central America.
BCLC was the first gaming operator in the world to offer an omnichannel jackpot game when it partnered with IGT for the 2016 launch of Powerbucks slots. Since then, IGT’s Powerbucks has remained one of the top-performing games in Canada and has minted more than 50 millionaires across the country.
Canada
BCLC Launches PROLINE Sportsbook at B.C. Retail Locations
BCLC has launched PROLINE – a first-of-its-kind digital retail sportsbook – across all B.C. lottery terminals.
PROLINE offers the most popular sports-betting options previously available on BCLC’s Sports Action, as well as other new offerings. In addition to Toto, Oddset 2-outcome, Oddset 3-outcome, money line, point spread, totals and props, single-event betting and dynamic odds will be offered for the first time at retail locations.
“This is an exciting evolution for BCLC and for sports bettors across the province. PROLINE offers an updated and innovative sports betting experience and is the pivotal next step for BCLC in offering exciting new sports products to our valued players,” Dan Beebe, Chief Operating Officer at BCLC, said.
To play, players will have to download the new BCLC PROLINE app on their phone, create their digital bet slips in the app and receive an app-generated QR code, which they can bring to any lottery retail location to scan and receive a printed ticket. As added flexibility, players can also create their PROLINE bets on their laptops or tablets through the PROLINE website.
BCLC is also planning for other new sports-betting experiences in the months ahead, which will include enhanced betting experiences at B.C. bars and pubs and exciting new offerings at B.C. casinos around the province.
BCLC is the official sports betting partner of the Vancouver Canucks, Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver Warriors, BC Lions and the 11th Grey Cup, which takes place at Vancouver’s BC Place on November 17.
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