North America

All eyes were on California yesterday, as legislation seeking to prohibit sweepstakes progressed to the Golden State’s Senate Appropriations Committee.

Bill AB831 was unanimously passed by the Senate Committee on Public Safety, mounting pressure on the sweepstakes sector.

Making the case against sweepstakes, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson emphasised that he believes there is a threat from sweepstakes towards the younger generation.

“In today’s digital age, increased access to online gambling and virtual betting, coupled with the lack of strong age verification safeguards, puts our youth at serious risk of developing crippling gambling addiction,” testified Anderson.

“Legal gaming operators such as the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation comply with the numerous laws and regulations that are designed to ensure consumer protections and confidence and confidence in the gaming market.”

Anderson also shot down suggestions from ACLU Action California, as the group lobbied against the legislation. The County District Attorney dismissed claims that the legislation is looking to take aim at players, stating that “it is not interested in that.”

He continued: “We’re not seeking to penalise the player. Provisions in this bill are only intended to penalise the companies, often offshore, which are the source of this illegal gambling, who are operating these dual currency model games illegally in the state.”

The ACLU joined the SPGA and SBLA in leading the charge against the bill.

The SPGA said it “is proud to stand alongside the ACLU, the Association of National Advertisers and other partners in voicing concerns about AB 831.

“This diverse coalition, including civil liberties advocates, leading businesses and industry groups, reflects a shared belief that the bill, as written, could have unintended consequences for lawful promotional practices without offering clear consumer protections.”

The SGLA has also underpinned its belief that the consequences of a far-reaching ban would have significant consequences. The group stated it would stifle innovation and undermine lawful business models, and reduce customer access.

Bill sponsor Assemblyman Avelino Valencia also provided further details on where the bill will focus its action. Valencia detailed plans to amend the bill to ensure “things like payment processors, financial institutions, geolocation providers, media affiliates and also individuals” wouldn’t feel the wrath of the bill.

BetMGM has swung big on signing up iconic athletes to represent its brand, and it’s added one of the biggest hitters around.

The online sportsbook and casino brand announced on Monday that New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter has signed a multi-year partnership with BetMGM that spans both Canada and the U.S.

Broadly speaking, the partnership makes the 14-time MLB All-Star and five-time World Series champion a brand ambassador for the renowned operator. But the collaboration will look pretty different depending on whether you live north or south of the border, as evidenced by the way it was presented in each country.

In the U.S., he will be featured prominently across all kinds of advertising and make appearances at exclusive VIP events. Perhaps most notably from the industry perspective, the MGM Resorts International and Entain joint venture announced that it will launch an exclusive Jeter-themed slot game, which will be the first online casino game to feature a current or former MLB player.

BetMGM Chief Marketing Officer Casey Hurbis said that ‘The Captain’ has a “universal appeal and proven track record of excellence, both on and off the field” that will be a big asset to BetMGM’s brand and player engagement. Jeter joins a BetMGM lineup of sporting partners that also includes Wayne Gretzky and former NFL MVP Barry Sanders.

I’ve got two letters for you: R and G
Buried in the U.S. release announcing the Jeter deal was a line that noted that the former Yankee will play “a key role” in promoting BetMGM’s responsible gambling initiatives in both the U.S. and Canada.

In the Canadian press release, that wasn’t so much a secondary mention as it was the entire foundation of the announcement. “The baseball legend will appear in commercials that highlight BetMGM’s industry-leading suite of responsible gambling tools,” stated the Canadian release. The first responsible gambling advertisement will air in Canada and the U.S. later this year.

The reason for the difference in tone between the two releases is that in Canada’s only regulated online gambling market of Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) rules stipulate that active or retired athletes cannot be used in advertising and marketing, “except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices.” Ontario also has a requirement that operators must spend a certain percentage of their annual gross gaming revenue on RG-specific messaging.

Back in August 2023, just over one year into the lifespan of Ontario’s commercial iGaming market, the AGCO announced it would ban the use of athletes in online gaming advertising and marketing in Ontario. The change came into effect on Feb. 28, 2024.

“Following the first year of Ontario’s open, regulated iGaming market, the AGCO identified advertising and marketing approaches that use athletes, as well as celebrities with an appeal to minors, as a potential harm to those under the legal gaming age and is taking this step to reduce the risk,” said the regulator at the time. It banned the use of athletes, with the caveat of the RG carve-out, after consulting with stakeholders including mental health and public health organizations, responsible gambling experts, gaming operators, broadcast and marketing groups and the public.

Since then, operators have continued to partner with sports stars, basing the entire collaboration around responsible gambling measures. BetVictor, for one, recently enlisted former Toronto Raptor Tracy McGrady to serve as its face in Ontario.

The McDavid Effect
BetMGM already has impactful partnerships with former and current Edmonton Oilers heroes Gretzky and Connor McDavid, which give the brand that purports to be Ontario’s online casino market leader significant recognition and visibility not just in Ontario but across Canada.

The company’s Jeter release noted the former Yankee will join McDavid in supporting its ongoing responsible gambling campaign. BetMGM uses RG tools including GameSense, the industry-leading program developed and licensed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC).

At BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling conference last October, BetMGM Director of Responsible Gambling Richard Taylor detailed that the operator saw a general increase of about 10% in the use of tools such as deposit limits which it credited to the use of McDavid to promote the tools in Canada.

“This is another example of Ontario pushing us to innovate and to make our organization better across all of our jurisdictions,” Taylor said at the time. “Big credit to Ontario for that requirement because it’s pushing us to innovate and do fun things with the way we market and promote responsible gambling.”

Now, BetMGM can lean on the profile of not only one Canadian hockey icons, but also one of baseball’s modern greats.

Ontario gambling operators will no longer need to seek the approval of the provincial regulator on their responsible gambling training.

In an update posted on Friday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) noted it has amended its RG training standards for employees in the gaming and lottery sectors. Henceforth, operators will not need to to seek approval from the Registrar for training programs.

RG training itself is still compulsory for all staff in those sectors. But operators now have more freedom to develop and revise their own content without needing AGCO sign-off, as long as the training meets industry best practices and effectively prepares employees to recognize and respond to gambling-related harm.

The AGCO stipulates that RG training must adequately ensure that employees understand their role in promoting responsible gambling and supporting individuals who may show signs of gambling problems.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) PlaySmart program remains valid under the updated standard, confirmed the regulator.

The change is intended not only to reduce red tape but to encourage innovation within responsible gambling, maintain Ontario’s standards for player protection, and bring greater consistency between land-based gaming and iGaming.

AGCO regulator advises operators on how to spot at-risk players
This is the second time in a few weeks that Ontario’s online gambling regulator has tweaked the way it approaches responsible gambling.

In early June, it updated its comprehensive advice on how licensed operators can identify and support players at risk of harm.

While the AGCO noted its regulatory model places accountability on operators to actively shield players from gambling-related harm, its guidance helps clarify its expectations of operators and signposts ways that gambling brands can meet the province’s requirements.

At that time, the commission stressed the importance of rigorous employee training, documentation of such training and continuous assessment in upholding its standards.