CanadianGamingBusiness

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..

The Canlan Sports arena in Oakville, Ont. has removed adverts for theScore Bet sportsbook and online gaming platform after a review by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) found they violated the rule about not targeting minors.

The ads were removed late last month after a complaint was sent to the commission by the advocacy group Ban Ads for Gambling arguing that the ads’ presence at a facility predominantly used by children contravened the AGCO’s regulations. The branding appeared on locker room doors, on boards at the arena, underneath scoreboards and behind benches.

An AGCO review found that they compromised Section 2 of the registrar’s standards for gaming, which notes that advertising and marketing materials and communications “shall not target underage or self-excluded persons to participate in lottery schemes.” It also specifies that ads may not “appear in media and venues directed primarily to minors, or where most of the audience is reasonably expected to be ..

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has announced that CEO Shelley White will retire in December after eight years in the position.

The RGC is actively seeking a replacement for White and has posted a full job listing for the role, which she had occupied since joining the organisation in early 2017. She joined from the United Way of Peel Region, a social services organisation located in the Peel Region of the Greater Toronto Area, where she had been CEO for 14 years.

“Shelley’s commitment to RGC and the people, organizations, and communities we serve globally is unparalleled,” the RGC posted in a statement on LinkedIn. “We will celebrate Shelley and the remarkable contribution she has made to RGC as her retirement date approaches.”

“It has been an honour to serve as CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council,” White said in her own statement. “I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such an outstanding board of directors, staff team, and stakeholders, over the ..

Practicing responsible gambling is not only about getting the message out. It’s about ensuring that message lands in an impactful way and engages players by supplying them with the tools they need.

In a jurisdiction like Ontario that has a multi-cultural and multi-faceted player base, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

At this year’s Player Protection Symposium at the SBC Summit North America, several experts discussed the issue during a session entitled Conscious Commerce: The Interplay of Branding & RG. One of the speakers was Aaron GlynWilliams, Director of Policy, Research and Strategy at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

He noted that appealing to a varied audience like Ontario’s is a delicate act.

“How do we appeal to a very multicultural under-35 audience?” GlynWilliams asked during the panel session. “It’s important to first understand those elements in your player base.”

To that end, OLG conducts a quarterly survey of its users and has done so for the last f..

With the digital age of gambling ushering in an array of cutting-edge technologies, innovative marketing initiatives and gaming experiences, player safety might risk being overlooked.

The upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit will bring the player safety discussion back to the forefront, equipping delegates with the latest safeguarding practices and ethical marketing strategies that promote growth without compromising player well-being.

The 300-person Player Protection Symposium will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, June 18, a day before the core days of the summit. Delegates will delve into crucial player protection issues, including effective strategies for marketing responsible gambling initiatives, methods to safeguard high-stakes players, and discussions on establishing a robust yet reputable brand for operators.

Opening the symposium is the panel titled ‘Safeguarding the Stakes: Strategies for Player Protection at the VIP/High Roller Level,’ w..

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has partnered with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) to design a sports-integrity education program for players and staff in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

The program will touch on the dangers of sports betting-related match-fixing on the integrity of the league and their careers, as well as the potential to defraud operators and customers.

Approximately 300 players and staff will receive education from across the eight teams in Canada’s top-tier soccer competition. Training will be provided both in person and through online resources.

The program started in May and the agreement also stipulates that the program will also be delivered in 2025 to ensure new players joining the league also receive the education.

“IBIA’s members take their role – as responsible regulated betting operators – in protecting the integrity of sporting competition and of betting markets seriously,” said IBIA CEO Khalid A..

The Ontario government has pledged $9 million to bolster responsible gambling measures in the province as part of a three-year investment plan.

The funding for the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund (RIGF) was announced during the Responsible Gambling Council’s annual Discovery Conference. It will support the creation of education and additional resources for Ontario players, improving consumer education campaigns, expanding community outreach programs and building partnerships with community groups all with the aim of ensuring every Ontarian bettor and player has easy access to a range of RG resources.

The RGC called the announcement a “monumental moment” and stated that the additional funding will pave the way for it to “further enhance its consumer education campaigns, expand community outreach programming, and build partnerships with local community groups to deliver its message to more Ontarians.”

“Ontario has long been a champion for responsible gambling and this investment in..