A call for new and improved responsible gambling messaging and who oversees it
'Everyone has dropped the ball on this' and another industry veteran says little has been learned from other 'sin' industries. Also, John Levy talks about PENN's latest financials, and new iGO data.
“Everybody has dropped the ball on this.”
Those are the words of a former gambling industry executive, one of several sports betting and gaming experts Gaming News Canada spoke with over the past couple of weeks about advertising and messaging for playing responsibly. Our raison d’etre for reaching out to leading voices includes the journey of Bill S-211 in the House of Commons, the introduction of a private member’s bill by an Ontario Liberal MPP calling for a ban on online gambling advertising, a recent Substack post by American gaming industry journalist Steve Ruddock raising the idea of a tobacco-like ban on gaming ads. . . and last month an opinion piece for SBC News by long-time gaming industry executive and advocate Sue Schneider.
From Schneider’s op-ed:
Ubiquitous advertising has also not been positive for the industry in the long term. It’s everywhere … especially in jurisdictions new to offering iGaming and/or sports betting services. A study in Ontario recently said that 21 per cent of the advertising during sporting events featured sports betting operators. New restrictions on using celebrities and athletes in gambling ads have cropped up in Australia and Canada. Gambling sponsorships on team jerseys and in stadiums are also restricted in the UK and other jurisdictions. Add in the unregulated sweepstakes ads (which fall between the regulatory cracks), and it’s just too much for many.
Several panels on the opening day of the SBC Summit Canada two weeks from today will include a conversation around advertising. For now, however, we’ve taken our conversations over the past fortnight to help provide some friendly – and . . . we hope, credible - suggestions for various stakeholders.
The federal government
This bill is going to pass, but we tend to agree with many industry folks who believe the regulation of gambling markets belongs with the provinces and should stay there. With regard to advertising, the volume has been turned down since the Ontario market launched in 2022, Alberta is taking some lessons learned from their eastern neighbours in advance of July 13 (speaking of which, Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business reported on an update from Google Ads at the beginning of the week). The Canadian Gaming Association has put in place a code for responsible gaming advertising. Also, given the current financial challenges faced by media companies across the Great White North, the revenue delivered by legal private gaming operators and the provincial lottery and gaming corporations is much needed.
Acting on the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act will be a collaboration between the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Marc Miller, Adam van Koeverden and the other folks responsible for the Heritage file have much bigger fish to fry at this juncture, with taking concrete steps on the Future of Sport Commission’s final report at the top of the To Do list.
In a recent interview with Mark Keast for Casino.org, CGA boss Paul Burns called once again for updating the Criminal Code of Canada to deal with illegal gaming operators advertising on social media platforms.
From Burns:
“Why has this problem of the grey, unregulated market in Canada lingered for 25 years? Because there’s no clear-cut language in the Criminal Code to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and maybe it’s time we get that.
“The regulatory regimes can’t stand still anymore, the laws can’t either, and they need to be modernized. Ottawa would be better to look at what other tools the provinces need rather than deal with television advertising.”
The provincial governments and regulators
Calling for a complete ban on online gambling advertising is pure folly. Our recommendation is for the provinces to work with the feds to eliminate advertising by black-market operators (if I had a loonie for every phony online casino ad that comes across my Instagram/Facebook feeds, I could buy one of the Thousand Islands in eastern Ontario). Also, collaborate with your regulators to identify ways to toughen the rules around responsible gaming messaging and gambling advertising during broadcasts of live sports events, to name a couple.
To the elected officials in charge of the gambling file and to the regulators, lend your voices to the conversation. More than $2 billion in tax revenue has been collected by the Province of Ontario since April 2022, yet there’s almost nary a word from the province, the AGCO and iGaming Ontario about how/where that money has been allocated. We’ve been told time and again about frustration within the industry about the deafening silence from the people in charge of creating and enforcing the rules for the legal market.
We also call on the provincial lottery and gaming corporations to follow suit.
Media companies/sports leagues
There’s a case to be made that media companies and sports leagues need to invest some of the money they’re receiving from sportsbook/igaming operators – and in the NHL’s case from prediction markets, too – into supporting the fight for responsible gaming. So . . . TSN and Sportsnet personalities doing PSAs and sports leagues limiting the amount of exposure to operators during live broadcasts and putting some guardrails around prop/in-game wagers.
Sports leagues, bodies and other groups (i.e. player associations) need to keep upping their respective games on educating participants on gambling and putting strong measures in place when said participants ignore the rules and regulations.
The operators/suppliers/other stakeholders/others
There are a takeaway or two from this Schneider quote in her aforementioned op-ed:
Those of you who know me are aware of my decades-long concern about how the industry advocates for itself. One of my favourite terms is “coopetition” … the ability of competitors to come together for the greater good. But, in spite of a plethora of associations in the industry now representing every vertical, we’ve never really been that great at it, especially when the chips are down. There’s advocacy, alright, but for the industry itself, not for how it’s viewed by the public. And given all of the fractures in the industry, I don’t see that leadership emerging. We’re going down the route of other ‘sin’ industries like alcohol and tobacco without, apparently, learning from their examples.
Our thoughts:
We’ve beaten the drums until our fingers and thumbs hurt on the need for more voices speaking on behalf of the industry beyond the trade publications such as this one. Yes, the coverage by mainstream journalists at times reflects a lack of understanding about the industry, but reporters aren’t getting much help from the industry itself.
We need more from operators when it comes to responsible gaming messaging, as too often it feels like “we’re doing this only because we’re obligated to.” It was suggested in one of our conversations that a little humour can help in getting a message across, and we don’t disagree. We believe there’s also value in messaging of the sober thought sort. Operators should exploit their sponsorship deals with sports leagues and teams by having athletes, coaches, etc., making the case to play responsibly. FanDuel just announced a partnership deal with the WNBA expansion Toronto Tempo; we believe there’d be some goodwill from Kiki Rice and/or Kia Nurse talking RG with fans. The same on theScore’s partnership with your Toronto Blue Jays.
There’s more research being done on the industry in Ontario and other parts of the country, something that the industry has said it welcomes. So, we call on stakeholders to act on the research when it can, support more research by helping to fund it and contribute their voices to doing research that is without bias and agendas.
Finally, there’s an onus on moms and dads to do the parenting thing when it comes to online gambling. Yes, betting on sports has been around forever and ever, and accessing a casino through a phone is a piece of cake compared to using fake ID to get into the door of a bricks-and-mortar operation. Simply put, gambling in Ontario is illegal for young folks under the age of 19. As parents are apt to do when discussing driving under the influence, practising safe sex and putting gas in the car before coming home from a night out with your friends, they need to speak with them about the dangers of gambling. And. . . . not allow them to use their names and credit card/banking information to register for an online gambling account.
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Former Score boss Levy disputes PENN’s rosy report
John Levy is calling BS on Jay Snowden for the PENN Entertainment’s recent comments on the performance of theScore Bet in Ontario.
In case you were gone fishing last week, we reported in the newsletter comments from PENN boss Jay Snowden on the company’s latest earnings call that included “Canada for us is market number one from a margin and profitability perspective” on the strength of theScore Bet. Coverage of PENN’s latest financials also pointed to optimism from some investment types who pointed to PENN’s presence in Ontario and U.S. states which offer both legal sports betting and online gaming.
Levy, who sold theScore to PENN in the fall of 2021 and then left PENN in early 2024, isn’t buying it.
“The performance has been pathetic,” Levy told Gaming News Canada during an interview. “This is Jay saying what he has to say. They’ve had two failed partnerships with Barstool (Sports) and ESPN. . . what makes you think the results are any different (in Ontario)?
“They’re talking proudly about the performance in Ontario. What is your market share and what you do expect it to be?”
Count Levy as skeptical about PENN’s “full scale marketing plan” in anticipation of the launch of Alberta’s new open sports betting and gaming market on July 13.
“Show me the marketing plan,” said Levy, who rebranded his media network from Headline Sports to theScore in the 1990s before later selling the TV business to Rogers in 2012. “They never had a marketing plan for Ontario.”
And, contends Levy, that includes exploiting theScore’s multi-year partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays during the MLB team’s amazing postseason run last fall.
“Did they do anything with the Blue Jays (deal)? We lost a World Series because the ball got stuck under theScore banner. I was crying and laughing at the same time when it happened. (The brand) could have had so much fun.”
PENN unveiled a new commercial at the beginning of this Blue Jays season to promote its Bet Mode product and has also been using its real estate at Rogers Centre to promote its plans to enter the Alberta market.
When Levy was our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show last November – not long after PENN and ESPN walked away from their 10-year deal and PENN replaced ESPN Bet with theScore Bet in the U.S. – he was critical of the company’s strategy in Ontario. Later that month, and five months after letting go about 75 employees from its Toronto offices, most of the company’s Canadian-based esports team lost their jobs.
“They’ve cut, cut and cut because they promised profitability,” said Levy. “If you’re cutting everything, what’s your future?
“They’ve let go a vast percentage people at theScore. The people still there are walking around (and) they’re lost. When we launched our sports betting business we knew we should be able to compete with the BetMGM, Bet365 and the other big players because everyone had passion and everyone had ideas for making it better. And management listened.
“That’s gone.”
One thing that finds Levy and PENN singing from the same hymn book is the familiarity of theScore with sports fans in western Canada.
“People still love theScore brand and it’s popular in Alberta for sure,” he said. “(Having success) depends on how (theScore Bet) is launched and how it’s operated.”
PokerStars Ontario is being folded into FanDuel
The Ontario operator consolidation continues.
PokerStars has announced it is folding its online poker, casino and sports betting operations in the province into FanDuel as of this Thursday (May 7). Both are operated by Flutter.
That means Ontario will be down to 45 operators (46 counting the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) offering 79 separate platforms.
PokerStars notified customers that, after May 7, there will be a “short transition period before poker returns on FanDuel.”
No idea, yet, what that might mean for PokerStars’ Ontario employees, whom we believe consisted of some 500 at the beginning of this decade. We’ve reached out to FanDuel Canada and asked if any employees are being affected by this week’s news.
Alberta’s move to a regulated iGaming model on the 13th July of this year represents a significant step forward for Canada’s digital gaming market, setting clear expectations for robust identity verification, fraud prevention and compliance from day one.
As the market takes shape, you can be confident you’re working with a proven partner. We already support more than 65% of licensed operators in Ontario, helping them meet FINTRAC‑compliant KYC requirements at scale, without compromising speed or player experience.
For more on GBG Plc, visit our website.
Second-best online casino month drives March Ontario numbers
Ontario numbers for March have been released by iGaming Ontario (iGO) and online casinos were again the main story.
Gross revenue for Ontario online casinos hit $318.5 million in March. It was the second highest total in the province’s history behind only the $320.5 reach in December of 2025. It was the fourth time online casino revenue has exceeded $300 million in a month with all four times coming in the last six months.
The March total for online casinos was up 16 per cent compared to the $275.7 million in February of 2026 and up 32 per cent year-over-year when compared to March of 2025 ($241.7 million).
Total March online gross gambling revenue of $387 million was the fourth highest monthly total after December of 2025 ($425.4 million), November of 2025 ($406.2 million) and January of 2026 ($401.5 million).
Despite the March Madness NCAA tournaments and the start of the NHL playoffs, sports betting revenue was only up a marginal one per cent from $61.3 million in February to $61.6 million in March. Though, the amount wagered was up 14 per cent month-over-month.
Since launch in April of 2022, the total online gambling revenue – not counting the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) numbers – is now more than $11.33 billion – 75 per cent of that - $8.52 billion – coming from online casinos.
Global TV Experts talk gambling ads on latest GNC Show
The latest Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming features a conversation between host Steve McAllister and Global TV Experts executives Nick Wood and Jenny Croswell on gambling ads and the ever-present power of television.
Wood, the Global Director of Client Strategy and Growth, and Croswell, the Managing Director of Canadian Operations, talked about the advice they give clients in the gambling industry about media buys. Both guests addressed the ongoing influence of television around advertising campaigns and the evolution of those campaigns in the changing regulated sports betting and gaming landscape.
You can listen to the show here or watch it here:
The annual gathering of the Canadian gaming industry in our home and native land has a new name, but is bringing back the best and the brightest minds for the SBC Summit Canada.
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is once again the site for the 2026 summit, to take place May 19-21. Register today using the PARLEHPARTNERVIP code and receive a 40% discount on your VIP pass.
People on the Move
After four-plus years, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Playmaker, Matt Schwimmer is saying adios to Better Collective.
Gaming industry mainstay Jeffrey Haas is named Chair of the Board at LOW6.
Ana Vrabic Verdir is appointed interim CEO at Hacksaw Gaming while the company searches for Christoffer Kallberg’s replacement.
Jarrod Schwarz leaves his Chief Operating Officer gig at BetMGM to become General Manager of Yahoo Sports. Speaking of Yahoo, it has also hired Dylan Dittrich and Shlomo Sprung to be the authors of a new sports business newsletter.
After 18 months, Casey Hurbis is out as Chief Marketing Officer at BetMGM.
New Tipico owners Banjay Group appoint Mate Bacic as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the operator.
Christopher Dougan is changing his business card at Genius Sports from Chief Communications Officer to Chief Government Affairs Officer.
Bruce Fekrat joins ProphetX as Chief Legal Officer and Gabriel Wong comes on board as Chief Compliance and Risk Officer.
Ex Soft2Bet executive Martin Collins has a contract position with B2Tech as Chief Commercial Officer.
Former absolutebet legal/compliance head Krisztina Kalla joins NorthStar Gaming as Vice President of Compliance.
Xtremepush promotes Ayca Ataer to Head of Product.
Hard Rock International promotes Morgan Lexis to Senior Vice President of Global Sales.
Goran Markus has a new gig at Flutter Entertainment: Head of Content Operations & Localization.
Ishwara Glassman Chrein is appointed Managing Director at Scientific Games.
John Custode is calling it a career after tenures with the Ontario Provincial Police, the AGCO and, for the past seven-plus years as Vice-President, Anti-Money Laundering and Corporate Security at Great Canadian Entertainment. We wish John the very best in retirement.
Ivo Dimitrov, ex of Pragmatic Play, is named Vice President of Strategy and Operations at SCCG Management.
MGM Resorts International promotes Ashley Farkas to Vice President of Public Relations, Hospitality.
After more than 15 years, most recently as Global Operations Director, Steve Kodama bids adieu to Paysafe.
Coolbet promotes Joonan Hartikainen to Head of Product Marketing.
BetStarters appoint Omar Algenii as Chief Marketing Officer and Art Director.
Chris Wester is leaving Hard Rock Digital and his role as Director – Casino Operations.
Evaristo Joe Ramirez, formerly of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, is appointed Executive Director of Revenue Management at Westgate Las Vegas.
Wildz Group appoints David Stensson as interim Head of Sportsbook.
Former Better Collective dude Lennart Sandahl is named Head of Editorial at Raketech.
Legal beagle Helene do Couto is out at Eeze. Yvette Cachia is promoted to Head of Casino strategy with the Malta-based company.
NEXT.io brings on board Nick Giangreco, who leaves SCCG Management, as Head of Relationships, USA.
Rolanda London is named Director, Risk Director & Mitigation.
Former FanDuel Sports Network director Madeline Higgins Keller joins Genius Sports as Product Marketing & Commercialization Lead.
PointsBet Canada promotes James Wilson to Assistant Growth Marketing Manager and Sierra Babb comes aboard as an AML Coordinator.
Kenneth Tse leaves PointsBet Canada to join FanDuel as Marketing Technology and Operations Analyst. Divya Luthra departs American Express to become Senior Associate, Growth Strategy at FDC.
Joel Antolijao joins FanDuel’s New York office as Product Manager for Sportsbook.
Olivier Neven bids adieu to GiveMe Sports and joins Bet99 as a Digital Content Specialist.
Hard Rock Games promote Oliva Pellizzari to Senior Marketing Specialist.
Mike Kyle comes on board at OLG as a Senior Digital Quality Control Specialist and Saminda Jayasinghe is starting a secondment as a Senior Business Systems Specialist.
Taylor Cox joins Electronic Arts as a Senior Technical Game Designer and Siddh Chandarana is named Associate Producer, Electronic Arts FC.
Former Bet99 guy Bobby Atwal is joining BetMGM’s Alberta team as Manager of Relationship Marketing.
Steve Betts comes on board at Allwyn UK as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner.
Kyle Florio has a new title at BetMGM: Customer Journey Manager.
Emily Sharkey has a new role at Paysafe as a Marketing Campaign Manager.
Jordan Glaze is named Staff Engagement Business Partner with bet365, which promotes Josh Norcliffe to CRM Country Lead.
Simon Holm has a new gig at Soft2Bet as a CRM Manager.
Mike Epifani returns to Catena Media as a Content Editor.
Canadian sport industry veteran Eva Havaris is appointed Chief Executive Officer at Football Canada, replacing Kevin McDonald. Emma McCamus joins the organization as Manager, Marketing, Content & Brand.
Tiffany Gordon is the first female President of the PGA of Canada.
After 13 years, most recently as Vice President, Digital Media, Wyatt Hicks departs NASCAR.
Jake Damiani joins sports consulting agency Elevate as Vice President of Strategy & Analytics.
Andrew Foscarin, ex of Cobra Puma Golf, is appointed Head of Content Strategy at Golf Canada and Emile Zitney is named Partnerships Coordinator. Jon Westover is promoted to Senior Manager, Premium Experiences & Tickets.
Georgia Lemaire is named Digital Marketing Manager at Canada Soccer.
The NFL Players Association promotes Brandon Putnam to Senior Manager.
Bridget Babcock joins NHL HQ as an Account Executive, Partnership Marketing.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
Good gig alert in the city below Caledon East: ALT Sports Data has need of a Vice President of Finance.
In North York, ON., Boyd Interactive is searching for a Director of Internal Control.
Hard Rock Digital has an opening in Toronto for a Supervisor – Verifications.
Among the plethora of positions available at DAZN these days is a remote opportunity in Canada for a CRM Manager for DAZN Bet.
SIGA is in hiring mode for an iGaming Operations Manager.
Ottawa Sports & Entertainment is seeking a Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration.
Great gig alert in the Canadian media industry: The Globe and Mail is looking for a new Ottawa Bureau Chief.
The folks at Red Bull’s offices in Toronto want to add a Financial Analyst.
Among the current openings at the Canadian Olympic Committee is one for Manager, Integrated Partnerships Activation.
New Balance is hiring a Brand Ambassador in Ontari-ari-ari-o.
True Sports has a contract position available for a SR Financial Analyst.
Sport BC is seeking folks to join the Board of Directors.
The same for Canada Snowboard.
South of the Border
BetMGM has a remote opening for a Director, Risk and Payments Operations and requires a Legal Counsel, Commercial (Partnerships, iGaming & Promotions).
In Boston, DraftKings is seeking a Sportsbook Operations Senior Associate.
FanDuel has an opportunity in New York for a Privacy Compliance Manager.
Hard Rock Digital is seeking a Trading Player Profiling Analyst and a Senior Manager – Sports Ops, Content Optimization.
Paysafe is looking for a Business Development Director, Wallets.
PENN Interactive has an opportunity in New York for an Account Executive.
Also in the Big Apple, Novig is seeking a Chief of Staff.
Fanatics has a part-time opening for an Associate Trader in Denver.
In Orlando, Fla., Electronic Arts is hiring a Senior Software Engineer – DevOps & Perforce.
Red Bull North America has a need of a Specialist, Product Marketing.
The NHL offices in New York are adding a Senior Manager, Analytics.
Across the Ponds
In Sofia, Bulgaria, Betty is seeking a Head of Finance.
In London, SIS Ltd. is looking for a Head of Competitive Gaming.
Trustly is looking for a Director of Sales and a Senior Account Manager.
In Chiswick, England, Light & Wonder is hiring a Release Manager.
Paysafe is in the market for a Senior Sales Manager, Games and Entertainment. In Lima, the company is hiring an Enterprise Onboarding Project Manager. And in Sofia there’s an opportunity for a Senior Compliance Expert, Audits and Questionnaires. In Berlin, the company is looking for a Senior Sales Manager, Banks.
IGT PlayDigital has a quartet of job openings.
FDJ has a plethora of positions available right now.
It’s a similar story at Playson.
Relax Gaming is also in active hiring mode these days.
There’s an opening for a Project Manager with the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
UK-based Incentive Games is looking for an Account Manager.
EYE MOTION is . . . ahem. . . on the lookout for a Risk Management Specialist.
The folks organizing the 2027 Women’s World Cup are hiring a Senior Digital Marketing Manager.
Red Bull has an opening in Madrid for a Procurement Specialist.
Reading and Reflecting
According to Tom Nightingale’s reporting for Canadian Gaming Business, some 30 operators are now lined up at the door to get into the Alberta market come July 13.
There’s new research, via Science Direct, on spending by gamblers in six countries – including our home and native land.
Last week was a busy one for FanDuel on the partnership front. Not only did it do a deal with the WNBA expansion Toronto Tempo, but it announced a North American partnership with the vroom vroom types at Formula One.
Betty is touting another very strong quarter in its latest financial results.
A very fortunate soul parlayed a $1.10 spin on theScore Casino into a payout of almost $2 million last week.
Toronto-based Overactive Media released its latest financial results at the end of last week.
Vancouver-based Strive Gaming is getting together with Genting’s Resorts World to support its business in New Jersey.
Peter Robison and Vernon Silver did double-byline journalism for Bloomberg about the money Apple and Google are making from social casinos.
The latest edition of The EKG Line newsletter has Kalshi, Crypto.com and Polymarket U.S. among the top 10 sports betting operators south of the border. Jeff Edelstein also reported on the breakdown on betting activity of the prediction markets.
Declan Hill had some thoughts and layers on the Sportradar/short sellers story.
Players unions across the board in North American professional sports are calling for restrictions on prediction markets.
There’s a study out from AKJournals examining gambling advertising in Ireland.
And there’s research from two Spanish institutions linking betting tipsters on social media with higher gambling risks among adolescents,
Isaac Rose-Berman has an easy-to-understand take on how prediction markets make their money from betting.
Gaming industry vet – and founder/CEO of 365prediction.com - Dr. Laila Mintas is calling for the gambling industry to be regulated by the federal government in the U.S. of A.
A new bill could open the door to legal online gaming in D.C.
The Brazilian government is saying No Way, Jose to prediction markets.
From the Dept. of Getting Together, the Major League Baseball Players Association has a new partner in Hard Rock Bet.
Nigel Eccles, FanDuel founder and BetHog CEO, did the Q and A thing with Chavdar Vasilev of Gambling Insider.
Fanatics founder/CEO Michael Rubin sat down for an interview with the Boardroom.
ESPN’s Tom Schad reported on the decision by prediction markets to pass doing business on the Kentucky Derby.
Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews joins FanDuel as its latest responsible gaming ambassador.
By the by, Genius Sports last week finished crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s on its acquisition of Legend.
The Wall Street Journal examined the (lack of) success rate of prediction markets customers.
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Please send your news releases and other announcements to steve@gamingnewscanada.ca. Also, if you’re interested in learning about our sponsorship and advertising opportunities in the newsletter and on our podcast, please email Steve McAllister at the aforementioned address.
