Canada
BCLC Receives Highest Rating in First-Ever Social Purpose Report

BCLC has earned a platinum rating in an assessment of its social purpose statement and implementation. Corporate Knights revealed these results in its inaugural social purpose report: The Social Purpose Transition Pathway: Helping companies move from “say” to “do”.
BCLC received an overall score of 82 per cent in the first report of its kind globally, which evaluated 34 public and private businesses in Canada that met the requirement for having a stated social purpose; companies were evaluated against nine criteria related to business operations, governance and social purpose adoption.
Social purpose is an emerging field of corporate practice, defined by the United Way Social Purpose Institute as a “business whose enduring reason for being is to create a better world.” Social-purpose companies exist to create a better world through their core business operations. Their business growth propels, powers and contributes positively in perpetuity to society and the environment.
“BCLC’s social purpose is to generate win-wins for the greater good – not only in how our products and operations focus on creating more positive social impacts, but also by how we share learnings with other businesses so that these can also be catalysts for change,” said Peter ter Weeme, Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President, Player Experience, BCLC. “We know that our journey to lead with purpose will better serve our players and our communities as we connect the growth of our business to the wellbeing of our society and environment.”
BCLC adopted its social purpose in March 2021 in alignment with the organization’s player health and responsible-growth goals, including that no one is harmed from gambling offered by BCLC. BCLC is working across all areas of business to implement its social purpose, including through business growth, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and environmental sustainability efforts. As BCLC embeds its social purpose throughout the organization, it will also align with leading international environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.
“This social purpose report captures an important sentiment at the heart of Corporate Knights’ mission,” said Toby Heaps, CEO and Co-founder of Corporate Knights. “We believe that to address society’s challenges, business needs a new operating system. Businesses that adopt a social purpose as the reason they exist get part way there but need to go the second step to implement their purpose. This operating system is in its infancy, and that is where this report comes in. We hope the best practices and recommendations we’ve outlined in this report provide the guidance companies and their boards need to fulfill the potential of their purpose and put society on a sustainable path.”
Canada
High Roller and Playtech Announce Strategic Partnership

High Roller Technologies and Playtech announced a strategic partnership for Ontario, Canada, that will see Playtech provide its industry-leading technology to power High Roller’s platform and premium brand, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for players in the region.
Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller, said: “Collaborating with Playtech in Ontario is an exciting step for High Roller as we continue to grow and evolve. Playtech’s well-established technology will be instrumental to our mission of providing a world-class entertainment experience for our players.”
Sergey Harutyunyan, Chief Revenue Officer at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to partner with High Roller as they expand into Ontario. Playtech’s technology is designed to support operators in regulated markets, and we look forward to working together to provide High Roller’s players with safe, innovative, and engaging gaming experiences.”
Ontario represents a key market for both companies, featuring a robust regulatory framework and fast-growing player base. Recently, High Roller announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application for Ontario, and subject to licensing and regulatory approval, High Roller anticipates launching live operations in H2 2025.
Canada
OLG Advances Inclusion with First-of-its-kind Accessible iCasino Game

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.
Canada
High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario

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.
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