AGCO putting final touches on guidance around ad standards
The commission has a January 15th target to release a document to stakeholders. Also, we flag the stories to watch in 2024, with a request or two. And, there are jobs a plenty in the gambling game.
In this issue:
An update to AGCO’s amended ad/marketing standards
Some thoughts on the year ahead of us
Gaming News Canada Show returns today
AGCO close to finalizing amended advertising/marketing standards
We return to our regularly scheduled program this first Thursday of 2024 with an update on the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s planned amendments to the standards around the use of athletes, celebrities and influencers in marketing and advertising, set to launch at the end of February.
The commission, as reported by Gaming News Canada, began meetings in early November with stakeholders in the province’s regulated online sports betting and gaming industry, to answer questions and put the proverbial additional meat on the bone around the new guidelines it first announced last April. A December 21 email from commission execs Dave Phillips, Brent McCurdy and Ben Valido - the AGCO’s interim chief strategy officer, corporate secretary and policy lead with the departure of Liz Yeigh last fall - provided an update on the development of a guidance document.
From the email:
As mentioned in our November 28 “Summary and Next Steps” e-mail, we have been working to develop guidance to support the implementation of amendments to the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming related to restricting the use of athletes and other individuals with likely appeal to minors in igaming advertising and marketing. We developed this guidance based on the input and questions received through consultation sessions held in November. We appreciate your active participation in those sessions to inform this work.
Our primary objective for this exercise is to provide added clarity for registered operators, suppliers, and other key stakeholders to support a successful implementation.
The commission, according to the email, plans to finish the guidance document by January 15th and make it available to operators, suppliers, sports teams/leagues, media companies and other stakeholders by the end of the month.
While none of the almost-50 operators have faced disciplinary action for targeting minors with their advertising and marketing campaigns since the competitive Ontario marketplace opened its doors in April 2022, the AGCO has made it clear since the original announcement that the focus of the new standards is on “further minimizing potential harm to youth and children”. Stakeholders have been seeking clarity on the standards so they’re able to comply with the new rules and regulations around advertising and marketing. It’s a given that when the new standards take effect, active or retired athletes will no longer be able to participate in ads or marketing campaigns, unless they’re advocating for responsible gambling. The industry has been asking for more information on which athletes can and can’t participate in promoting brands, and it’s the same story for social media influencers. We’re told the AGCO wants the focus to be on whether or not an athlete/celeb/influencer is likely to appeal to minors, and for operators to use their judgement.
Hoping to shine a brighter light on this update when we gather on LinkedIn Audio this afternoon.
Thoughts and wishes for 2024
Making predictions is an awful lot like placing a bet. With the exception of a few folks, the wrongs far outnumber the rights.
So, there’ll be no prognosticating in this morning’s chronicles about what will move and shake the Canadian gambling landscape over the next 360-some days. Instead, we present some sundry thoughts on stories to watch along with a few wishes/requests.
The announcement last fall that Kindred Group was pulling its Unibet brand out of Ontario and the U.S. states where it was operating renewed the conversation on what the Ontario landscape will look like on its second anniversary of regulated gaming this April. There will be the usual speculation of who’s next to leave, and potential consolidation. Two years into the market, however, it’s safe to say that 45-plus operators is an overcrowded house.
How much more can the Ontario market grow across the board?
The notion that another province will follow Ontario’s lead and create a regulated, competitive gambling industry in 2024 still appears to be of the far-fetched variety. Optimists point to Alberta, but Danielle Smith’s UCP party inspires little to no confidence when it comes to getting things done. Some words of advice to Dale Nally, the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape deduction: If you’re truly serious about creating a regulated sports betting and gambling regime, bring on board Birgitte Sand or someone with her credentials to do the heavy lifting in creating a licensed industry.
We continue to be more than slightly fixated on British Columbia. The province has an existing robust gambling presence, led by the likes of GeoComply (which has been quite vocal about regulated gambling coming to other provinces), Strive Gaming, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment and FansUnite Entertainment. Business is booming at BCLC, and we anticipate the presence of licensed competition would be healthy for the provincial lottery corporation.
But. . . . the BCLC is a member of the Pan-Canadian Coalition of Provincial Gaming Corporations, which has taken umbrage with regulated operators in Ontario whose ads show up on national television broadcasts. A coalition of those regulated businesses engaged in duelling correspondence between their respective legal beagles last spring, so it’s highly unlikely that the lottery corps - with apologies to Bill Shakespeare - will go quietly into the night.
And speaking of coalitions, we will continue to monitor the ongoing efforts by the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition to bring regulated gaming to La Belle Province, and the ongoing efforts by Loto-Québec to see that doesn’t happen.
Responsible gambling will continue to be a hot-button topic, so a few things to watch, including: With the AGCO’s new ad/marketing restrictions, will athletes, celebrities and influencers still under contract with operators be engaged in RG messaging? Does the industry and the Douglas Ford government come up with some funding for independent research on problem gambling to get a true sense of the issue in one of North America’s largest regulated gambling jurisdictions?
Speaking of the Ford government, will it seize the opportunity to tell a good story about how the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue being generated by the Ontario gaming industry is being spent?
On the theme of storytelling, the industry needs to be better at telling its story to mainstream media. Canadian Gaming Association boss Paul Burns is a smart, calm voice of reason, but is too often alone on an island when it comes to representing the industry. The CGA, operators, suppliers and other ancillary businesses would be best served to have other industry leaders, and the leadership of the AGCO and iGaming Ontario inform and educate reporters, editors and producers of leading Canadian media entities.
Regarding iGO, the AGCO’s lottery subsidiary corporation has hired market research/analytics company Leger to conduct a survey of industry stakeholders on the organization’s performance almost two years into the regulated marketplace. While Martha Otton, Mitch Davidson and the staff performed yeoperson’s duties in opening the market and bringing almost 50 operators into the fold, there’s frustration within the CGA and amongst operators there’s still not a central self-exclusion registry in Ontario, and also no province-wide anti-money laundering system. In an email sent to CGA members just before the holidays, Paul Burns suggested operators reach out directly to Kinectify - an AML technology company that’s been operating in the province for two year.
There was an obvious pulling back of advertising last fall that should continue in 2024, and that could well turn the AGCO’s amended standards into a sidebar (secondary story).
To paraphrase Rod Tidwell:
Umm, what we really mean is show us the data, and more of it. A tap of the CCM Super Tacks 2.0 to the iGO staff last year for breaking out the money spent on sports wagering and online gaming, and a tip of the beret to OLG communications guru Tony Bitonti for his weekly nuggets on ProLine activity. So, a call to the comms folks at sportsbooks to follow suit.
Last, but most certainly not least, we await the latest innovation when it comes to product, other technology, content, advertising/marketing and sponsorship (speaking of which, who comes on board as the first official betting partner of the Professional Women’s Hockey League?).
Gaming News Canada Show returns today
After a two-week hiatus, we’re bringing the gang back together again for the inaugural Gaming News Canada Show of 2024 on LinkedIn Audio.
We’ll do our very best to rouse Amanda Brewer, Kris Abbott and Phill Gray from their respective turkey comas, and get their thoughts and perspectives on the next 12 months. As always, there’s an open invitation to lend your expertise and insights to the discussion. The first cliche will drop shortly after 1 p.m. ET.
Also, the search is on for a company/brand to take over presenting sponsorship of our popular weekly LinkedIn Audio rendezvous/podcast. If you’re interested, please send an email to steve@theparleh.com.
On the Home Front
A tap of the Northland’s Wayne Gretzky Signature Series twig to Dave Briggs for keyboarding about Friend of GNC Nic Sulsky’s ongoing battle with cancer, and running to raise $69,000 for cancer research in November.
As Mark Keast chronicled for CDC Gaming Reports, it’s steady as she goes for Loto-Québec in the first six months of its latest fiscal year.
Speaking of Keast, he put together his own Canadian igaming industry year in review.
Quarter4 co-founder/CEO Kelly Brooks and your humble correspondent were asked to contribute to Rege Behe’s compilation of looking back and looking ahead for CDC Gaming Reports.
Matthew Lomon of Play Canada cobbled together a two-part series on the top-10 stories last year in the Canadian gambling industry.
The same Lomon spent a December weekend on the couch watching NFL games and diligently tracking gambling ads. The results included:
Online casino game developer Octoplay has acquired its licence to thrill as a supplier in the Ontario market.
Global Gaming Women’s recruiting drive in 2024 will include a focus on the growing Canadian market.
A ProLine customer who does things the old-fashioned way - filling out a ticket- converted a $30 wager on an 11-pick NFL parlay into a $13,261 payout last weekend. Also, 62 per cent of ProLine players hit the over total (228.5 points) in the Toronto Raptors’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on New Year’s Day in RJ Barrett’s debut with the local hoopsters.
Three days before Christmas, casino workers in Manitoba ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the province’s liquor and lotteries corporation.
Rivalry CEO Steven Salz was a guest on The Huddle.
Vancouver-based FansUnite Entertainment passed along a year-end update just before. . . . er. . . . the end of the year.
Hacksaw Gaming is getting together with Caesars Digital in Ontari-ari-ari-o.
A post of positivity from Props.cash founder and CEO Pete Smaluck with his thoughts on the past year for the Hamilton betting business.
The Responsible Gambling Council survey on RG Check: Standards and Criteria Consultation remains open for your input.
GameSquare Holdings announced Tuesday it completed the sale of its non-radio business assets to Toronto company SoCast Inc.
Finally, FOGNC Greg McIsaac passed along some nuggets from DraftKings’ Ontario business in 2023:
Also:
Most bet on team to win the Stanley Cup –
Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Most bet on team to win the Super Bowl
Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills
San Francisco 49ers
Most bet on team to win the World Series
Toronto Blue Jays
LA Dodgers
Philadelphia Phillies
Most bet on team to win the NBA Finals
Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
Classified (Jobs) Information
FanDuel has an opening at its Toronto office for a Commercial Strategy Analyst, Sportsbook. The company has another opportunity in the city below Acton for a Commercial Strategy Senior Associate, Casino.
Everi Holdings is hiring for its Las Vegas location a Director and Corporate Legal Counsel. The company is also seeking a Field Service Technician - Casino Gaming/ATMs for its Green Bay, Wisc., location.
Pinnacle’s office in North York has an opportunity for a Technical Lead.
Fallsview Casino Resort has an opening for a Human Resources Advisor.
Rivalry is on a seek-and-employ mission for a Senior Marketing Manager (Canada).
OLG is in the market for a Senior Digital Analytics Analyst.
BCLC is in hiring mode for an Advisor, GameSense.
Hard Rock Digital’s Toronto business is seeking a VIP Account Manager, and is also searching for an HTML5 Games Developer.
Blazesoft is looking to hire a Recruiter - Gaming Company for its office in Concord, ON (north end of Toronto).
TheScore is seeking a Sports Trader for its Gibraltar location. And in Toronto, there’s an opening for a Product Manager - Bet Platform, Wagering.
Fanatics Betting & Gaming has several job positions available at this juncture.
Atlantic Lottery is hiring a User Experience Lead.
Penn Interactive is on the lookout for a Machine Learning Engineer to lend their wisdom with ESPN Bet.
Bally’s is in hiring mode for a Director - HR Services at its Chicago location.
Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has an opening for an English Website Manager.
Sharp Gaming is on the lookout for a PMO Analyst to work at its offices in Manchester.
LeoVegas Group is searching for an Italian-speaking Social Media Specialist.
BV Group has a vacancy for a Safer Gambling Officer.
SBC has an opportunity for an Operator Relationship Manager.
White Hat Gaming is in the market for Platform Developers.
Prague-based Mancala Gaming is seeking a Marketing Manager.
Oddschecker is on the hunt for a plethora of people to work in both the U.S. and UK.
DAZN Bet has an opportunity for a Sportsbook Content Executive - Germany.
PrizePicks has a plethora of employment possibilities.
Poker Org has an opening for a Business Operations Manager.
The Canadian Football League is in seek-and-employ mode for a Chief Marketing & Communications Officer.
Front Office Sports has an opening in New York for a Head of Brand Partnerships, and is also looking for a Breaking News Writer.
U.S. business of sports online publication Sportico is hiring a Reporter.
The organizing committee for the 2025 Invictus Games has an opening for a Director of Partnerships.
MKTG’s Toronto office is seeking a Manager, Brand Activations.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is in the market for a Manager, Human Resources.
There’s a contract position open for a Head of Host City Rights Management & Delivery - Toronto, FIFA World Cup 2026.
The NHL team that employs Connor McDavid is hiring a Manager, Hockey Communications.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League has an opening for a Media Coordinator at league HQ.
ATP Media is searching for a Media & Fan Data Services: Insights Analyst.
The Canadian Olympic Committee is also hiring a Media Coordinator for its Montreal office.
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