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 handle1Â 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.
Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.
Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.
Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.
As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.
Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.â€
Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.â€
With the Ottawa Senators securing a playoff spot in the NHL, ToonieBet will be there every step of the way, engaging fans with exclusive giveaways, premium entertainment, and a casino experience that mirrors the team’s energy and excitement.
The Ottawa Senators and Tooniebet, an online casino for players across Ontario, announced a partnership that will make Tooniebet the NHL team’s Official Online Casino Partner.
Tooniebet, which launched in 2024 is part of Soft2Bet – one of the world’s fastest growing iGaming turnkey solutions providers with iGaming brands around the world with a portfolio of 19 global licenses, including Ontario.
Additional highlights of the Ottawa Senators and TonnieBet partnership will include:
- In-Arena & Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced dashboards for home and away games
- In-rink board signage for home games
- Virtual slot signage for various games
- Digital inventory throughout the Ottawa Senators site on NHL.com
- Direct Fan Engagement: Social contests and promotions hosted on Senators’ digital platforms
- Television Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced rink boards for home and away games
- In-arena rink board signage for home games
Martin Ballard, VP Corporate Partnerships, Ottawa Senators stated: “We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner of the Ottawa Senators. Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional and trusted experience is incredibly exciting. Together, we look forward to delivering memorable moments and engaging our passionate fanbase in new and innovative ways.â€
Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet, commented: “Partnering Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet brand with the Ottawa Senators is a significant milestone that reinforces our strong brand presence in Ontario. In a short period, we have achieved impressive performance and retention results, with a primary focus on localised, engaging experiences for Canadian players, which makes ToonieBet truly set itself apart.”
By tapping into the Senators’ digital platforms and in-arena presence, ToonieBet will stay close to the action and connect with fans in real, engaging ways while continuing to offer a top-quality online casino experience.
ToonieBet offers a fast, localised online casino experience for players in Ottawa and across Ontario. Through this partnership, fans will have the chance to win Senators merchandise and tickets while ToonieBet grows its presence in a competitive Ontario market. With in-arena branding, regional broadcast coverage, and digital promotions, ToonieBet will be highly visible to the team’s loyal supporters.
PENN Entertainment announced that it has launched theScore Casino, a new stand-alone iCasino app in Ontario. The dedicated online casino experience leverages the popular theScore brand, which has been a mainstay in the Ontario market for decades. Now available on Android, iOS, and desktop, customers can login using their existing theScore Bet credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across online gaming platforms.
theScore Casino operates on the same cutting-edge proprietary technology platform as PENN’s online Hollywood Casino, which launched as a standalone product in the US in December. The product was recently ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US.
theScore Casino, also available within theScore Bet app, offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house game development studio. theScore Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title leveraging theScore Bet’s partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand. We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app. Our customer-friendly platform features more than 1200 games, dozens of original titles and intuitive game play that distinguishes our product and positions us for even greater success,†said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment.
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