Canada
Rivalry Announces All-Time Record Business Performance in October
Rivalry Corp., an internationally-regulated sports betting and media company, is pleased to announce that the Company saw record results in its business across multiple key performance indicators in the month of October 2021. The Company also provided clarification on its regulatory application in Ontario. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.
“In October Rivalry delivered an all-time record performance across nearly all KPIs. I believe this is a testament to the focus and drive of the team in our first month as a public company,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “In addition to going public, we launched Rushlane, an innovation in Casino games that we believe will reinvent the category (MMOGGs), applied to become a fully registered operator for sports betting and internet gaming in our home province of Ontario, and experienced record activity across the business. These milestones help to enhance Rivalry’s global brand equity as a leader in next gen esports betting, our position as innovators in the sector, and increase the number of geographies globally that Rivalry can legally operate in.”
Highlights for October 2021 include the following:
- Betting handle1 of $12.8M was the highest monthly figure ever recorded by the Company, exceeding the previous monthly high by more than 40% and the October 2020 (YoY) figure by more than 350%.
- Monthly active bettors similarly reached a new all-time high, more than 80% above the previous monthly record and up more than 200% from October 2020.
- The Company officially launched Rushlane, a proprietary casino game that marks the creation of a new category for online gaming: Massively Multiplayer Online Gambling Games (MMOGG).
- With the official launch of Rushlane, therefore exiting the soft launch phase, Rivalry saw a more than 150% increase in total Rushlane wagers over the previous month.
- Brand engagement continued to grow, with nearly all Rivalry content channels seeing a 50% increase month-over-month in engagement through October, with some growing by triple digits.
- The Company’s subordinate voting shares commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on October 5, 2021.
“This October saw a great combination of esports events. We had both League of Legends Worlds and Dota 2 The International in October, which marks two of the biggest esports events of the year. Esports like traditional sports does have seasonality, that said, the results we delivered in October demonstrate the significant torque in the business and our ability to attract and convert new customers, and engage existing ones,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO. “We also saw a meaningful increase in traditional sports betting, which will support our product mix, and reduce seasonality as the esports and traditional sports betting calendar generally spike at different times in the year,” Salz continued. “Given the demographic we primarily serve, being on average at least a decade younger than sports bettors on traditional sportsbooks, the volume of bets Rivalry saw to deliver a $12.8 million monthly handle was significant. As our user demographic matures, we believe the corresponding growth in our total addressable market presents a significant value capture opportunity that will continue to differentiate Rivalry from its peer group as we deliver the product and brand of choice to this next generation.”
The Company expects to provide additional details later this month when it reports financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Clarification on Ontario Regulatory Process
On October 28, 2021, the Company announced that it had submitted an application to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the “AGCO“) to become a fully registered operator of internet gaming and sports betting in the province. The Company wishes to provide further details to more fully describe the anticipated regulatory process.
Upon Rivalry’s registration with the AGCO, the Company will seek a commercial agreement with the AGCO’s subsidiary, iGaming Ontario. With this registration and agreement, the Company will be able to offer its esports and sports betting products and one-of-a-kind casino offering, Rushlane, to customers in Ontario. The Company anticipates that the successful completion of this process could result in Rivalry commencing esports, sports betting, and iGaming operations in Ontario within the first half of 2022.
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.
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.
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has released the program for its upcoming annual conference, to be held in Toronto from 20-23 October.
With the theme ‘Resilient regulation: Exploring what works, why and what’s next’, the event brings together global regulators and thought leaders to examine how regulatory frameworks can evolve to meet today’s challenges.
The four-day program explores timely issues, including the rise of AI and behavioural analytics, the impact of converging technologies, cross-border collaboration and the continued push to strengthen responsible gambling policies.
IAGR President Ben Haden said the program offers a strong preview of the content and conversations delegates can expect in Toronto.
‘This year’s program showcases the breadth and complexity of the challenges facing gambling regulators worldwide, from protecting player wellbeing to tackling illegal markets and understanding new technologies,’ Haden said.
‘I encourage regulators, researchers and policy professionals from around the world to join us in Toronto. The conference is a space to learn, share experience, challenge assumptions and shape the future of effective, collaborative regulation.’
Confirmed speakers and panellists include:
- Andrew Rhodes, CEO, Gambling Commission, Great Britain
- Anders Dorph, Director, Danish Gambling Authority, Denmark
- Dr Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Canada
- Mark Vander Linden, Director of Research and Responsible Gaming and Carrie Torrisi, Chief of Sports Wagering Division, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, United States
- Bashir Are, CEO, Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Nigeria
- Teo Chun Ching, Chief Executive, Gambling Regulatory Authority, Singapore
- Ladipo Abiose Akolade, Founder, GamblePause Initiative Africa, Nigeria
- Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO, Mindway AI, Denmark
- Tracy Parker, Senior Vice President, Accreditation, Advisory and Insights, Responsible Gambling Council, Canada
- Pedro Romero, Chief of Safer Gambling Partnerships, BetBlocker, Gibraltar
- Sonia Wasowska, Head of Supervision, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, United Arab Emirates
- Steven Blackburn, Partner, Ashurst Risk Advisory, Australia
The event will be held at The Westin Harbour Castle on Toronto’s waterfront.
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