CanadianGamingBusiness

In an online betting market like Ontario’s, with billions of dollars wagered across more than 30 licensed sports betting platforms, how does the gaming regulator work to prevent match-fixing and protect sporting integrity?

Amid a backdrop of high-profile match-fixing cases in Canada and the U.S., not least then-Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter’s NBA ban for affecting his own performances to ensure bets cashed, the topic was discussed at the annual Council of Europe Macolin Community Conference last week.

Held in Gatineau, Queb., this year’s event had a distinctly Canadian flavour, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) was front and centre.

Several mechanics work on one engine
The AGCO spent great time consulting with various stakeholders before establishing its Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming, which came into effect when Ontario’s commercial online gaming market opened on April 4, 2022.

Doug Hood, the agency’s director of operational planning, priorities and p..

Alberta has taken its most decisive step in months towards launching commercial online casino and sports betting by introducing the legislation that outlines how the province would regulate the market.

Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally introduced the anticipated Bill 48 on Wednesday. The iGaming Alberta Act would create the new Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee the proposed private-sector market, which would see commercial operators compete with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’ (AGLC) Play Alberta platform.

Nally had been tasked with providing a plan to offer regulated commercial online gambling by Premier Danielle Smith. He already confirmed last year that a new conduct-and-manage entity would be established separately from the AGLC to run the industry.

The iGaming Alberta Act would “designate AGLC as the regulator to ensure market integrity and compliance,” stated a government release. So, the crown corporation would be both Play Alberta’s oper..

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined BetMGM Canada $110,000 for offering cash to new customers who signed up and placed a deposit.

The AGCO’s regulations expressly forbid gambling operators who are licensed in Ontario from publicly advertising sign-up bonuses or any other inducements designed to attract new players (Standard 2.05). The regulator also makes operators responsible for the conduct of their third-party partners such as marketing affiliates (Standard 1.19).

The commission said in a news release that BetMGM violated its Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming in separate incidents.

The AGCO asserts that in January 2024, BetMGM representatives allegedly attended the National Franchise Show and were offering $100 in cash to new players who opened a new account and deposited $15. Two months later, said the AGCO, BetMGM acknowledged that its marketing affiliate Above the Street had engaged in prohibited inducement marketing.

BetMGM signed up 377 new..

The Canadian Gaming Summit is set to make its return to Toronto June 17-19, bringing together industry leaders, regulators, and innovators for the largest Canadian gaming and betting event.

With a renewed focus on driving critical conversations on regulatory shifts, emerging technologies, and market expansion, this year’s summit will ensure that voices from coast to coast, including provincial regulators and First Nations gaming leaders, help shape the industry’s future.

The 28th edition of this legacy event, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, will bring together 3,000 industry professionals, including 1,000 operators, 200 affiliates, 150 expert speakers and 75 exhibitors. With a dynamic conference agenda and plenty of networking opportunities, the event will be the key meeting point for the who’s who of Canada’s gaming and betting industry.

“The Canadian Gaming Summit continues to evolve as the premier gathering for industry leaders across the country. With dynamics shift..

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) in the U.S. and BetMGM is boosting the responsible gaming messaging they offer via the GameSense program.

Developed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and first licensed to MGM Resorts in 2017, the GameSense program offers a range of responsible gambling resources and player supports for gamblers in person and online.

As part of the PGAM expansion, BetMGM will integrate responsible gaming reminders into its online sportsbook and casino as well as its retail sportsbooks. QR codes will allow users easy access to resources.

GameSense Advisors are present at BetMGM Sportsbooks and MGM Rewards desks for player support.

GameSense is used by a range of gaming operators and stakeholders including several Canadian provinces and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

MGM extends Kindbridge program
The GameSense augmentation isn’t the only step MGM Resorts International is taking for PGAM.

BetMGM is expanding its Kindbridge Beha..

It’s Super Bowl season again, and almost half of Ontarians who plan to watch Sunday’s Big Game will be betting on it too.

A survey conducted by Leger for the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) suggested that 63% of Ontarians plan to watch the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, less than half of the viewers (48%) intend to place at least one bet on it. That is up from 41% last year but is down from a high of 54% in 2023, which marked the first Super Bowl since Ontario opened up its saturated commercial online gambling market.

The propensity to bet on the Super Bowl skews towards older generations. The report found that Ontario sports bettors over 45 are more likely to bet on the game (52%) than those aged 18-44 (45%). White viewers are significantly more likely to bet on Super Bowl LIX (54%) than Ontarians who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour (42%).

Betting increases excitement for many
The online survey of 1,147 Ontario adults, conducte..