Latest News
Blask adds new Latin American and African markets in major update

AI-driven market analytics ecosystem Blask has unveiled a major new update which extends its coverage across large parts of Latin America and Africa.
Blask users can now access real-time data – including estimated FTD and GGR figures – for six key Latin American markets: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile and Ecuador.
Additionally, Blask now covers 18 African markets, including South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana.
The new markets bring Blaskâs total coverage to more than 30 global iGaming jurisdictions, including many across Europe and Asia, with more in those regions to be added over the coming months.
âBoth Latin America and Africa have historically been underserved with accurate, real-time market intelligence. On our journey towards total global coverage, we wanted to prioritise changing that,â said Blask CEO and co-founder Max Tesla. âThis data is a game-changer for any iGaming business looking for a competitive edge, particularly in fast-growing, emerging markets. Our commitment is to continue building the product out so it becomes the essential tool for anyone looking to let the data drive their decision-making process.â
The major update is part of Blaskâs comprehensive roadmap which will see the platform live with real-time data from more than 100 countries by the end of the year. As well as the new Latin American and Africa markets, Blask also features major European and Asian markets including India, the Philippines, Poland and the Netherlands.
In addition to the expanded market coverage, Blask is also set to introduce a more user-friendly navigation system for countries and regions, that will provide users with a clearer understanding of market changes and regional dynamics.
This is alongside a host of new features and functionality set to be rolled out over the coming months, including game performance and provider metrics; a sports calendar; information on competitor bonuses and promotions; and an affiliate database.
Blask publicly launched in May, with the mission to revolutionise iGaming analytics via a first-of-its-kind AI-driven ecosystem.
To find out more, please visit: https://blask.com/
Latest News
More bang for your buck

Troy Paul of SGG Media, on why streamers and influencer amplification are fast becoming the cornerstone of media activation for sportsbook and casino brands
Amplification is crucial to getting the most out of marketing activity and spend, but itâs something that very few online sportsbook brands are doing, let alone getting right.
Amplification means taking marketing campaigns and materials and âamplifyingâ them through targeted influencers that get the messaging in front of even more people.
Let me explain by way of example.
An operator will pay an athlete millions of dollars a year to create social posts about its sportsbook and offering, including new bonuses and Sunday Football Picks.
Letâs say the athlete is making a post on Monday that says he loves the Kansas City Chiefs in that weekâs game and that DraftKings is offering a boost to all players who tail his bet slip.
This post will generate a decent number of impressions and clicks, but this can be âamplifiedâ by having the top Kansas City Chiefs fan accounts retweet it on X or create an Insta story around it.
These influencers will then say things like âI love this playâ or âKC fans, donât miss out!â, boosting the message to more people and ultimately driving engagement and interaction.
In many cases, we have taken posts that will generate around 50,000 impressions and through our network of influencers, make that post go viral with 10x-20x engagement and reach.
Sportsbooks spend millions on their celebrity partnerships and brand ambassadors, but for a few thousand dollars, amplification can turbo-charge engagement with that content and transform KPIs.
And itâs not just sportsbooks that can benefit from this â so too can online casinos, casinos, racetracks and tribal casinos and sportsbooks.
Mastering the art of amplification
The channels through which amplification is the most effective are evolving with live streaming very much king these days.
The audiences behind popular sports and casino live streams are extremely loyal, and those who can lead an audience through an entertaining stream are becoming instrumental to operator growth.
Streamers are the new celebrities and the space as a whole has tons of latent potential to explore and growth to unlock, especially in terms of a media play.
In terms of how it works relating to amplification, letâs take a Tuesday NBA team in a mid-level market as an example. Most NBA fans donât even know the game is on, let alone where to watch it.
If a popular streamer had the necessary media access to live stream the game, his loyal audience would tune in to watch the stream regardless and then in turn be introduced to the NBA.
Streamers ultimately create a community around the content they are watching, and this can directly translate to a growing audience around a sport, team, player or, of course, a betting brand.
Sportsbook and casino brands need to get in on the amplification action
This is why sportsbook and casino brands need to sign with streamers early and use them to support marketing campaigns and growth initiatives.
For me, developing a product around a streamerâs audience will prove to be an immensely important aspect for growing brand equity and boosting engagement in the months and years ahead.
For example, a client of ours recently created a 1SC promo link for the first 5,000 users to log into their account through the link. The stream reached the 5,000-user cap in 24 hours.
This means 5,000 unique accounts logged into and/or wagered through the social casino account in the 24-hour period, which is an insane metric.
This stands as a perfect example of how an operator can build out a campaign targeted at streaming, and how amplification through streaming resulted in success.
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There are tons of opportunities to explore
Of course, this is just one example and there are loads of opportunities for both operators and content creators to get into.
Streamers that can leverage platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok to create a loyal audience that shows up daily for their content will be in an excellent position to monetise through partnerships.
The operators that recognise this trend early, and we are still in the early days of streaming and amplification, will get ahead of the curve in the ever-changing landscape of media activation.
But where there are opportunities there are also challenges and streaming is no different. The big one here is that no post-editing can be done as everything is broadcast in real-time.
This makes it imperative that streaming hosts are well versed in the sportsbook/casinoâs brand guidelines and the compliance and responsible gambling elements that come along with it.
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Influencer amplification is the cornerstone of media activation
With influencer amplification, brands donât need to spend millions of dollars with Google AdSense or Meta ads to target fans â even though this is whatâs been done up until this point.
With streaming and general influencer amplification, campaigns can be delivered directly to fans that genuinely care about the content.
Whatâs more, this can be done for pennies on the dollar of what traditional media would cost, and with a much better return.
In short, online and land-based gambling brands can get more bang for their buck.
Canada
AGCO issues $110,000 in penalties to BetMGM Canada for offering cash to induce new gambling customers

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has served BetMGM Canada Inc. with an Order of Monetary Penalty (OMP) of $110,000 for violations of the Registrarâs Standards for Internet Gaming.
In two separate incidents in 2024, BetMGM engaged marketing companies who offered cash to members of the public in return for opening new BetMGM accounts. The marketing activities occurred in public forums, such as a major national trade conference. Under AGCOâs Standards, operators are responsible for the conduct of their third-party suppliers who are contracted to support the operator’s Ontario gaming business, and must require their third-parties to meet Ontario laws, regulations and standards (Standard 1.19).
Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to establish and enforce rules that strictly limit high-risk inducement advertising and marketing in the online gambling industry. Registered iGaming operators are prohibited from offering gambling inducements, bonuses and credits as part of their broad public advertising and marketing activities (Standard 2.05). These Standards exist to protect Ontarians from predatory advertising and promotional marketing practices in order to limit the risk of gambling-related harm.
A registered operator served with an OMP by the AGCO has the right to appeal the Registrarâs decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), which is an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.
QUOTE
âResponsible gambling safeguards and the protection of Ontarians on registered gaming sites is among our key priorities. The AGCO monitors the activities of all registered operators and their third-party suppliers to ensure they are meeting our high standards and we continue to take strong action to ensure they operate within the public interest.â
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar â AGCO
ADDITIONALÂ INFORMATION
BetMGM Canada Inc. failed to comply with the Registrarâs Standards for Internet Gaming. Specifically, the licensee failed to comply with the following provisions of the Standards:
- 1.19 Operators are responsible for the actions of third parties with whom they contract for the provision of any aspect of the Operatorâs business related to gaming in Ontario and must require the third party to conduct themselves in so far as they carry out activities on behalf of the operator as if they were bound by the same laws, regulations, and standards.
- 2.05 Advertising and marketing materials that communicate gambling inducements, bonuses and credits are prohibited, except on an operator’s gaming site and through direct advertising and marketing, after receiving active player consent.
Contrary to the Standards, BetMGM Canada Inc. and/or their affiliates allegedly engaged in the following activities:
a) | On or about January 13 and 14, 2024, BetMGM representatives were alleged to have attended the National Franchise Show and were offering $100 in cash to new players for opening a new account and depositing $15. |
b) | On or about March 11, 2024, BetMGM acknowledged that its marketing affiliate âAbove the Streetâ had engaged in prohibited inducement marketing. The conduct resulted in 377 player sign-ups and $127,180.00 in commissions to “Above the Streetâ. |
c) | On or about April 13, 2024, another BetMGM marketing affiliate âMaple Leaf Marketingâ engaged in prohibited inducements and marketing to induce on-site activations and acquire new players. The conduct resulted in 94 player sign-ups and about $34,000.00 in commissions paid to âMaple Leaf Marketingâ. |
Latest News
Casino Stocks Are Crashing – Is This the First Domino to Fall?

Casino stocks are taking a beating, and investors are paying attention. Over the past three months, shares of major gaming companies have plunged, with some losing nearly a third of their value.
Itâs a sharp reversal from the post-pandemic boom, raising questions about whatâs happening. Are consumers pulling back? Is Las Vegas losing its luster? Or is this an early warning sign of something bigger, like a possible U.S. recession?
The Numbers: Casino Stocks Down Double Digits
If youâve been following the markets, youâve seen the red ink spreading across the gaming sector. Since the start of the year, stocks of Americaâs biggest casino operators have fallen across the board:
Caesars Entertainment (-33.46%) and Las Vegas Sands (-23.35%) are leading the decline, but itâs not just them. MGM is down nearly 18%, and even Wynn Resorts, which fared the best, lost 4.44%.
Whatâs Behind the Drop?
Itâs not one thing – itâs a cocktail of economic pressures, policy shifts, and changing consumer habits that are hitting casinos where it hurts.
1. Americans Are Watching Their Wallets
When the economy tightens, luxury spending is often the first thing to go. Casino visits arenât a necessity, and early signs suggest that discretionary spending is starting to slow. Inflation has been eating into real wages, interest rates remain high, and household debt levels are creeping up. If consumers are feeling the squeeze, gambling revenues are one of the first places youâll see it reflected.
2. Las Vegas Tourism Isnât Bouncing Back Like Before
Las Vegas thrived in the post-pandemic reopening boom, but that momentum might be fading. Canadian tourists, who are a key demographic for Vegas, are visiting less due to the strong U.S. dollar and a weaker Canadian economy. Meanwhile, high-end Chinese tourism, which casinos rely on for their biggest spenders, is still struggling. Economic uncertainty and stricter money transfer rules in China have kept many of those gamblers at home.
3. Trade Policies and Global Uncertainty
The Trump administrationâs renewed trade disputes with China and Canada arenât helping either. Retaliatory tariffs could slow economic activity and dampen consumer confidence. If the broader economy starts to weaken, luxury sectors like casinos could take a bigger hit.
âDonât blame it all on Trumpâs erratic trade policies. They play a role, but thereâs a bigger picture at play. Chinaâs slowing down, the post-pandemic boom is receding, and the market is beginning to wrangle with serious questions about debt, the deficit, and a slowdown in government spendingâ – James from Nowagercasinos.com
4. Why Caesars and Las Vegas Sands Are Taking the Worst Hits
Not all casino stocks are created equal. Caesars Entertainmentâs heavy reliance on the U.S. market, especially Las Vegas, makes it more vulnerable to domestic slowdowns. Add in its $12 billion debt load, and you have a recipe for investor nervousness. Rising interest rates make refinancing more expensive, and if revenue slows, Caesars could be in a tough spot.
Las Vegas Sands, on the other hand, has no U.S. casino presence anymore – it bet everything on Asia. That means its stock is almost entirely tied to Macao and Singapore. If Chinaâs economy slows or travel restrictions tighten, it feels the pain immediately. Thatâs likely why its shares have been hit so much harder than Wynnâs, which still has a mix of U.S. and international operations.
Recession Warning or Just an Industry Correction?
So, what does this all mean? Is the casino sector flashing a warning sign for the broader economy? Maybe, but itâs not a slam-dunk case for a full-blown recession.
Gaming stocks are highly sensitive to sentiment. Investors could simply be rotating out of high-risk, consumer discretionary stocks due to interest rate worries. Thatâs happened before, without an actual recession following.
That said, if casino revenues start declining sharply in upcoming earnings reports, that could indicate a real consumer pullback. And if thatâs happening at the same time as weak retail sales, rising unemployment, and slowing GDP growth, then weâve got a bigger problem on our hands.
For now, the sharp drop in casino stocks is worth watching, but itâs not necessarily time to hit the panic button. At least, not yet!
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