Canada
2021 Federal Budget Assistance for Canadian Gaming Industry

The 2021 federal budget released yesterday outlines a $12 billion plan to extend key COVID-19 business programs and commits to continue other income support measures while planning for the reopening of society and international borders.
The government is also planning to extend the federal wage and rent subsidies and lockdown supports. Originally set to expire in June, the supports will now be available through September, as well the Canada Recovery Benefit aimed at people who arenât covered by employment insurance (EI), though the $500-a-week support will drop to $300 per week after July 17.
Billions more is being earmarked to support affected workers though a range of steps, including a series of changes to the EI program, which includes extending the EI sickness benefit from 15 to 26 weeks and continuing to offer COVID-19-prompted caregiving supports in the short-term.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) & Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)
The 2021 Federal budget proposes the extension of the wage and rent subsidies until September 25, 2021, with potential until November 20, 2021. It also proposes to gradually decrease the subsidy rate, beginning July 4, 2021, in order to ensure an orderly phase out in tandem with vaccinations.
The general consensus in the entertainment, tourism and hospitality industries is that while we welcome this news, the extension doesn’t go far enough to support industries that have barely reopened and may not be fully open by November. The CGA has been advocating for an extension to at least end of 2021, and we will continue to work to ensure our industry receives continued support.
Regional Relief and Recovery Fund
$500 million Tourism Relief Fund, administered by the regional development agencies to support investments by local tourism businesses in adapting to the pandemic.
$200 million through the regional development agencies to support major festivals and $200 million through Canadian Heritage to support local festivals, community cultural events, outdoor theatre performances, heritage celebrations, local museums, amateur sport events, and more.
Extension of the application deadline for similar support under the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund and the Indigenous Business Initiative until June 30, 2021. Budget 2021 proposes to provide up to $80 million in 2021-22 on a cash basis, for the regional development agencies, and to shift remaining funds under the Indigenous Business Initiative into 2021-22, to support an extended application deadline for the RRRF and Indigenous Business Initiative until June 30, 2021. This would support small businesses in rural communities so that they can continue to serve local populations.
Canada
NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform

NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.
As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.
This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.
Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: âWe are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.â
Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: âWe are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.â
This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.
Canada
User-Centric Redesign for Casinosfiables.ca

Casinosfiables announced that they have redesigned their existing site – https://casinosfiables.ca/ to better address current user demands.
Although the siteâs functionality aligns with modern industry standards, the redesign is a step in the right direction and could very well give a competitive edge.
The changes addressed certain functionality concerns and aligned with ever-changing user preferences and behavior.
⢠Seamless page transition – The overall performance of the site improved, so pages loaded faster, despite the addition of new elements.
⢠Integrated social media buttons – Buttons that lead to social media pages became more visible, so it is easier for readers to complete engagement incentives that granted them affiliate-exclusive rewards or promo codes.
⢠More valuable insights – Previously, charts and ratings were only explained in separate reviews. The new roundup charts and ratings had a dropdown feature that provided more insights or clarity behind the rating.
⢠Relevant search filters – Some trends or categories that targeted user intent werenât visible in the previous version. The updated version introduced new categories that better reflected player preferences, or included roundups based on casino features (e.g., cashback, no wager promos, game providers) that werenât at the forefront previously.
⢠Author pages – Readers who had similar opinions and game preferences to the siteâs authors gained the ability to find other texts from those authors. Each casino expert received a dedicated page listing all of their publications.
The changes were finalized over the past few months. The team pushed these updates in batches rather than a single big update.
Canada
Vancouver Resident Purchased Winning $40 Million Lotto Max Ticket While Quenching Sparkling Water Craving

Phuc Duc (Daniel) Chau loves the Bubly brand of sparkling water and stopped in a convenience store to purchase a can. Chau likes to buy lottery tickets based on a gut feeling, and due to the employeeâs bubbly nature while he purchased his Bubly, Chau also purchased a Lotto Max ticket for the May 23, 2025 draw. Â
It was this ticket that ended up scoring Chau a whopping $40-million jackpot. Â
âI was at work when I found out,â recalled Chau of the moment he realized he won. âI was going through my bag to find a cough drop, but I saw that I had two lottery tickets in my bag and decided to scan the tickets, but I needed to update the [BCLC Lotto!] app first. The first ticket I didnât win anything, but the second said $40 million. I have never seen that many zeroes in my life, ever. I dropped my phone and then called BCLC right away!âÂ
At the time of the prize claim, the Vancouver resident hadnât yet shared the news of his win. Â
âMy partner doesnât know yet! I want to share the news with them in a special way.â Â
Chau shared that his dream has always been to travel the world. âThere are so many places I want to go to, so I havenât fully decided!âÂ
When asked if he will quit his job, he said, âI havenât decided, but I want to continue to support my community in a different way.âÂ
On how it feels to be a multimillionaire? Â
âIt means a lot to me. It opens up an opportunity for me to give back to my family, community and the world all around me. Itâs not meaningful unless you can share this with those who need it.â Â
Chau purchased the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Imperial Street and Boundary Road in Burnaby. Â
So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $146 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST). Â
Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices.Â
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits.
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