CanadianGamingBusiness

Canadian Premier League (CPL) soccer teams have undertaken an International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) sports betting integrity program designed to educate players in the league on the intersection of sports and gambling.

Created by the IBIA using its 3Rs training model, the program utilized a combination of dedicated in-person training and online resources. Sessions were delivered by the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) through its Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshops.

In total, nearly 200 players have been trained through the IBIA/PFA Canada partnership at all eight CPL teams. The program started in Ontario and finished in Alberta, also covering teams in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and British Colombia.

It concluded the first part of a two-year player education agreement between IBIA and PFA Canada. The program, first announced in May, was the first to be delivered from a $300,000 three-year fund invested by IBIA and its members bet365, Betwa..

In a Canadian Senate Transport and Communications Committee meeting on Oct. 2 discussing Bill S-269, the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act, witnesses testified that Canada’s gaming and broadcast regulators are doing all within their power to ensure due diligence is taken around gambling ads.

However, while the need for a national framework was contested, there was a consensus that more work is required to equip all parties with the knowledge needed.

“There’s value in coordinated research across the country,” said Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President and CEO Paul Burns. “There’s a gap, especially around advertising. We as an industry would love to see more. What we learn from evidence-based research gives us tools to better protect players.” Burns suggested that such research could be achieved without legislation.

Burns had argued in his opening statement that he doesn’t believe S-269 is necessary, as most of what the bill aims to do is already being don..

After more than three months of dormancy, the Canadian Senate debate on gambling advertising picked up again this week with four hours of sessions discussing betting ads.

The Transport and Communications Committee held a pair of meetings on Sept. 24-25 regarding Bill S-269, the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act.

These were the first hearings on S-269 since June, wherein senators discussed the legislation that would develop a national framework for sports betting advertising, identify measures to regulate ads, and focus on finding ways to prevent and help both minors and problem gamblers from being impacted.

During those June sessions, several senators expressed regret over not considering deeply enough the ramifications of the decision to expand online gaming and betting in 2021. This time around, numerous witnesses from various working backgrounds had their say. A core focus was the complex concern around the role social media plays in disseminating widesprea..

New research from the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) suggests that regulatory policies around gambling advertising are evolving at a faster rate than relevant evidence and warns the misalignment could lead to regulations that are wide of the mark.

The CGA, along with leaders from GP Consulting and Eilers & Krejcik, published a comprehensive research paper evaluating gambling advertising and regulatory intervention.

The idea was to undertake what the CGA called a “rapid review” of available academic literature on the responsible gambling-related impacts of sports betting and online gaming advertising. The CGA notes that “rapid reviews” are recognized by the World Health Organization and governments worldwide as efficient tools for informing health policy and communicating information to stakeholders.

The paper drew upon dozens of academic, peer-reviewed publications from the last 10 years that researched exposure to gambling advertising and its impact on consumers’ gambling behavi..

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is working with other leading responsible gambling organizations to develop a new national college responsible gambling education campaign.

In partnership with EPIC Global Solutions, Kindbridge Behavioral Health and the operator-led Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), the Toronto-based RGC will create and implement a comprehensive, evidence-based program specifically tailored to the unique needs of university-aged students.

The initiative will leverage digital delivery tools to provide responsible gambling and financial literacy education to students across diverse campuses and demographics throughout the U.S.

“For over 20 years, RGC has worked with young adults, post-secondary institutions, and leaders to understand the unique needs of this priority population,” said RGC CEO Shelley White, who is retiring at the end of this year. “All RGC prevention programs are evidence-based and customized to resonate with this hard-to-reach audien..

Ontario’s new centralized self-exclusion tool is designed to be an “intuitive” way for both operators and players to regulate users’ gambling habits, said Integrity Compliance 360’s (IC360) President Eric Frank.

iGaming Ontario (iGO) announced at the start of August that it had selected a joint bid from IC360 and fellow technology specialist IXUP to develop the new province-wide system for Ontario’s gaming market.

iGO says the self-exclusion tool will be the first of its kind in a North American market. Ontario players over the age of 19 will be able to sign up for the program, which will then block them from using all of their online gaming accounts with regulated operators in the province.

Speaking on the Gaming News Canada show, hosted by Steve McAllister, after the announcement of the multi-year contract, Frank gave some more details on what the tool will look to accomplish.

“We had three fundamental factors we wanted to meet in our system and what we built and the first was to..

Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) has expanded its responsible gambling support network with a new GameSense Info Line phone service.

Launched on Aug. 19, the phone line extends the reach of its GameSense responsible gambling program by complementing in-person and online offerings. GameSense aims to connect, inform and support gamblers with the aim of protecting players.

GameSense advisors are already located in casinos and racing entertainment centres across the province, providing information on games and odds as well as tools, resources and tips on how to manage gambling and keep players safe. AGLC also offers a self-exclusion program.

“AGLC places a tremendous amount of importance on responsible gambling,” stressed CEO Kandice Machado. “This past year, GameSense has grown exponentially around the province, with the brand being added at the homes of the Oilers, Flames, Elks, Stampeders and both Edmonton and Calgary CEBL teams.

“In adding the GameSense Info Line, AGLC is p..

The gambling and sports betting industry is experiencing significant transformations in the digital realm, striving to leverage all available innovations. However, one thing remains unchanged: the importance of dedicating time and effort to understanding how to keep player safety at the forefront.

To support this, the upcoming SBC Summit will feature a dedicated Player Protection Zone, providing a framework for a robust gambling harm prevention ecosystem. This event, welcoming 25,000 industry professionals, will take place from September 24-26 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa.

The dedicated show floor will provide delegates with the opportunity to explore the next generation of safeguarding systems and products, as well as meet leading safer gambling service providers and associations. Brands already confirmed include BetBlocker, Crucial Compliance, EPIC, GamCare, Gamble Alert, Gordon Moody, Mindway AI, Neccton, Recover Me, Safer Gambling Training, Verifeye Online and W2 by FullC..

Is Alberta the new gold rush for Canadian gaming?

In light of the Alberta government’s review of potential paths towards a commercial gaming industry, and Minister Dale Nally’s declaration that the province will follow an Ontario-style open model, that question was posed to numerous experts at the 2024 Canadian Gaming Summit.

The consensus was that the size of the opportunity is huge and the potential “tremendous.”

According to figures cited by moderator Alon Segev, managing partner of Segev LLP, on a panel fittingly titled Alberta: The New Gold Rush?, Alberta gaming generated over $2.9 billion last year with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis and its Play Alberta platform as the only regulated operator. That number, said Segev, is expected to soar by $1.5 billion in 2024 with commercial gaming potentially on the horizon.

Segev called Alberta “one of the most penetrated gaming jurisdictions in North America.” Even though Play Alberta holds a monopoly over licensed gaming, the pro..

As the issue of advertising continues to feature heavily in the conversation around sports betting, Canadian Football League (CFL) Commissioner Randy Ambrosie leader has dismissed the idea that a national framework would be helpful.

Bill S-269, the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act, was heard last month at two Standing Committee on Transport and Communications sessions. While it draws the line at advocating for a blanket ban, it proposes that a national framework for sports betting advertising be developed and implemented across the country, including limiting the frequency of gambling adverts.

However, Ambrosie doesn’t agree that’s the way forward.

“While Bill S-269 may be well-intentioned, we do not agree a national framework is required to regulate the advertising of sports betting in Canada,” Ambrosie wrote in a letter to the committee.

Ambrosie noted that the CFL regulates betting ads on league-controlled channels, “such as broadcast-visible signage on t..