Canada
Exclusive Canada 2023 interview with Altenar
As one of the most dynamic new markets to enter the scene in recent years, Canada holds a wealth of potential for sports betting and casino alike.
We sat down with Altenar’s legendary Co-founder and CCO, Dinos Stranomitis, to talk through Canada’s 2023 outlook, popularity of the World Cup and soccer-based betting, and most importantly the latest on Ontario. This one’s not to be missed! Read on to find out more …
First up, talk us through your position on the Canadian market – what’s your take on the Ontario sports betting scene almost one year in?
It’s a market we’re taking very seriously – we were one of the first (if not the first!) suppliers in the sports betting space to get a licence for the market. We have made already an agreement with two operators in Ontario, and we are now live.
I think that our position as a provider has been well established for this first year, and we’re seeing interesting trends in the market, as well as a lot of potential, which will become very clear soon enough!
With Canada’s first debut in the World Cup since 1986 – how much are we seeing soccer-based betting on the rise in Canada and how much do you see this driving interest long-term?
Canada has a very interesting football team – they’re very ambitious. Unfortunately, we’ve saw them knocked out of the group stage, despite making a valiant effort. I would like to comment that I did see the team as a little bit naïve in that they played with a lot of risk in deploying an attacking game. Which of course is visually spectacular, but as we’ve seen, has not been the best for delivering good results.
On interest – we have not seen too much from Canada’s betting audience so far in terms of soccer. The demographics that are driving interest in soccer are the younger generation only, rather than mature bettors, who take up more of the market.
However, I see in the future that Canada is investing in soccer and considering that the 2026 World Cup will be organised by the US, Mexico and Canada (with Toronto and Vancouver hosting matches), that can change. I definitely think it will be a more popular sport in comparison to what it is now – and we can expect to see more growth in years to come.
Looking to the other major North American sports – which takes the crown, can we assume NHL and NBA taking second place?
US sports are no doubt the big thing in Canada, and I would say the NFL is the most popular sport in the region from a betting perspective.
NBA would be second as there are many games being played throughout the season and then the NHL. Of course, in the mind of Canadians, hockey would be the most popular sport. However, the NFL and the NBA attracts more betting money than hockey does. After that, baseball is the fourth most popular sport in the region.
Prediction time – with 2023 already started, how do you see the market developing in the next 12 months?
I do believe that in the next 12 months we will see if the next batch of operators who applied for a licence will be awarded one or not. From what we have experienced, the KYC process is quite strict. As a consequence, this does not reward the operators in Ontario, and this will no doubt prove to be a learning process as time goes on.
However, I do believe that a regulated market is the way forward. So, no matter what, this is a positive development. The next 12 months might be a little bit too short to expect something bigger, but I do believe the market will reward the regulated operators at some point, which is the fairest outcome.
The Ottawa Black Bears announced an extensive partnership agreement with PowerPlay Online Sportsbook and Casino that will see the company’s logo featured on the club’s home and away jerseys.
In addition to the jersey partnership, PowerPlay will also have branding elements inside the goal crease, behind the bench, on the LED display ring, and along the rinkboards for Black Bears home games at Canadian Tire Centre. As part of the deal, PowerPlay also becomes the exclusive sportsbook and online casino partner for the Ottawa Black Bears.
“We are thrilled to have PowerPlay on board for our inaugural season with such a comprehensive partnership agreement. Their investment with the Black Bears represents a foundational agreement for our lacrosse club. And we’re proud to wear their logo alongside ours as we launch our franchise,” said Chelsea McDermott, Vice President of Business Operations for the Ottawa Black Bears.
“We are excited to bring PowerPlay’s bold, community-driven spirit to Ottawa-Gatineau, partnering with the Black Bears as they establish themselves as a force in lacrosse. This partnership celebrates a sport deeply tied to Canada’s heritage and competitive energy. Together, we’ll ignite passion, energize fans, and deliver excitement all season long,” said Thomas Vermeulen, Marketing Director for PowerPlay.
Rising iGaming brand Titanplay is entering the mobile market powered by Delasport’s turnkey solution. The solution includes the possibility of quickly launching iOS and Android apps, in this case – for the Ontario player base.
Mobile users will get the full sportsbook and casino experience of Delasport’s product, and even more: features like the proprietary Booster Panel for Casino games and ‘Combo of the Day’ for sports are also available for them.
Titanplay’s app is already available for iOS, and it will soon arrive on Google’s Play Store for Android devices.
The Ontario-focused brand is taking full advantage of what Delasport has to offer, thus providing the best player betting experience possible. Their platform has been live for a few months now and it has been thriving the whole time.
Aside from the mobile-only cutting-edge features, gamblers enjoy Player Engagement missions and tournaments, unmatched personalization capabilities with My Sportsbook, My Casino, My Combo, and My Event Builder, and much more.
“Having a mobile-first approach when developing products is a must in today’s iGaming industry”, Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz comments. “Data shows that mobile users are now more than 70% of the whole player base, so we make sure to be prepared to bring our partners to this thriving market at any point. This is the case with Titanplay who’ve had an incredibly successful launch in Ontario last year and are now ready to win even more players.”
In addition to a comprehensive sportsbook and casino experience, the Delasport mobile app includes innovative customization, and gamification features to boost user engagement and differentiate the company from its competitors. Cross-product Tournaments, Missions, Badges, Spin & Win, and other gamification elements are also available to Titanplay’s players.
As soon as the app is downloaded and installed on a device, it provides convenient and quick access. Titanplay’s team may communicate with their players in real-time using the built-in push notifications feature on their devices. The software also addresses current security demands by providing biometric login and facial recognition on supported devices.
More about this key step can be learned from Delasport during ICE 2025 – Barcelona. Visit Stand 5M20 and draw insight directly from the source
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