And then there were 47 Ontario operators . . .
Casumo has announced its exit from the province's online gambling sector. It’s the seventh operator to leave the province since the market opened in April 2022. Also, news in Supreme Court case.
Another online gambling operator is leaving the Ontario market.
Tom Nightingale in an article at Canadian Gaming Business, has reported that Casumo — a company founded in Sweden and based in Malta — has told its customers that it will exit the province’s legal market at the end of April.
Casumo is the seventh operator to leave Ontario since the market opened in April of 2022.
Coolbet was the first to leave the market. It headed for the doors in April of 2023, exactly a year after the market launched.
That was followed by the Ontario exit of:
Kindred Group’s Unibet brand in the second quarter of 2024.
Fitzdares at the end of March of 2025.
Rootz Ltd. (Wildz, Caxino, Wheelz and Spinz) in October of 2025.
Aristocrat Interactive (Betiton and MagicRed brands) in November of 2025.
Toronto-based esports wagering platform Rivalry in February of this year.
That still leaves 47 operators offering 81 total gambling platforms in Ontario. That’s the most legal operators of any jurisdiction in North America. New Jersey currently has 28 online casino operators.
Ontario has definitely proven to be a lucrative market. It has produced projected revenue of more than $13 billion through February (counting iGaming Ontario (iGO) figures, confirmed Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) numbers through March 31, 2025 and projected monthly OLG numbers from that point until the end of February).
But can the Ontario market support 47 operators even with the advantage of being able to offer higher-margin online casinos in a province with a population north of 16 million, which makes it the fourth largest jurisdiction in North America after California (39 million), Texas (32 million), Florida (23.7 million) and New York (20 million)?
Since iGO doesn’t release operator-specific numbers, it’s tough to know the relative health of the operators still in the game. But odds are there will be more operators leaving the market at some point. That’s a shame for them, but it’s also the beauty of it being a completely open sector. It will support what the market will bear.
The same appears to be true for the Alberta open market set to launch on July 13. Though, in that case, given that Alberta’s population of five million is less than one-third that of Ontario’s, look for fewer operators to set up shop in Canada’s second open sector.
Ready for expansion into Alberta? Set a solid foundation for your provincial growth with a SOC 2 compliant full-service iGaming platform partner. Learn more at bedegaming.com.
Alberta’s attorney general granted intervenor status in Supreme Court of Canada case
When news landed last week that Loto-Québec had been granted permission by Justice Sheilah Martin to join the gang involved in the Supreme Court of Canada case around peer-to-peer igaming across borders, we couldn’t help but think about one of the favourite sports voices of our lifetime.
To borrow a piece of pugilistic parlance, in the Appellants corner, you have the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation and Loto-Québec. In the Respondent/Interveners corner you have the Attorney General of Ontario, the Canadian Gaming Association, the proprietors of GGPoker (NSUS Ltd), and the owners of FanDuel Canada and PokerStars (Flutter Entertainment).
And, as of Monday, the Attorney General of Alberta.
If you’re late to the proceedings, we recommend giving a perusal of the Court of Appeal for Ontario decision in favour of the Attorney General of Ontario issued last November. For newcomers to the case, the question being asked and needing a decision is:
Would legal online gaming and sports betting remain lawful under the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, if its users were permitted to participate in games and betting involving individuals outside of Canada . . . . If not, to what extent?
The Attorney General’s office in Alberta last month asked to intervene in the Supreme Court appeal. That happened less than a month before the province announced a July 13 launch date for its open, legal sports betting and gaming market.
From the formal motion to intervene filed in the Supreme Court case by legal beagles on behalf of Attorney General Mickey Amery:
“The iGaming Alberta Act allows for provincial regulation of a lottery scheme similar to the ‘proposed model’ in Ontario, which gave rise to the reference question underlying this appeal. Under the iGaming Alberta Act, individuals outside of Canada are not prohibited from participating in an internet-based gaming site operated by a regulated agent of Alberta, provided that individual is permitted to do so by the laws of their jurisdiction.
“Consequently, this appeal will have a significant impact on determining the legality and operation of the iGaming Alberta Act. . . The issues relate to the legality and operation of validly enacted provincial legislation.”
As Tom Nightingale mentioned in his reporting last week for Canadian Gaming Business, the ALC, BCLC and MBLL - members of the Canadian Lottery Coalition - were all intervenors in the Ontario court case. It should come as no surprise that Loto-Québec is joining this legal tug-of-war game, given its stance that the corporation is the only legal operator in La Belle Province and, from a February statement sent in response to the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, “The goal of the Coalition is clear: to legalize what’s illegal and further develop a market that only benefits foreign companies – not players.”
Of courts course, we will continue to follow this story.
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.
The puck officially drops on Discovery 2026
The Responsible Gambling Council’s annual Discovery conference officially gets going this morning in the city below Unionville.
Among the topics and speakers catching our peepers for the two-day rendezvous:
Artificial intelligence “optimist” Ramy Nassar has a keynote address this morning on how AI can be used to prevent gambling harm.
iGaming Ontario head honcho Joseph Hillier is scheduled to give an update on the long awaited/overdue centralized self-exclusion program for the province’s legal operators.
A panel on the “growing concern of youth gambling” that includes Parents Standing Together president Kim Freudenberg. (FYI, the organization has released a four-part series on youth and gambling.)
A Thursday morning panel of Nerin Kaur (Connex Ontario), Rahul Sethi (Cultural Intel, Ethnicity Matters) and Michael Fish (Canadian Mental Health Association, Simcoe County) on “Converging Paths: Mental Health, Digital Spaces, Gambling and Young People.
For the complete agenda, click here. If you’re looking to attend in person, or virtually, there’s registration information here.
Cherniak joins the latest Gaming News Canada Show
Speaking of Alberta, it was a main topic during Benjie Cherniak’s conversation with host Steve McAllister on the latest edition of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming.
Cherniak is the principal of Avenue H Capital. He also spoke about the current landscape around gambling startup companies, gave a take on Ontario’s regulated market and opined on both U.S. prediction markets and how the use of data and technology has evolved.
You can listen to the show here on your favourite podcasting app or watch it here:
People on the Move
Octoplay founder Carl Ejlertsson will also be handling Chief Marketing Officer duties.
Tony Marlow, most recently of LG Ad Solutions, is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Genius Sports. Harry Lennard is named Director of Officiating Operations.
Continent 8 Technologies names Cristopher Kuehl as Chief Data, Information & AI Officer.
David Schollenberger is promoted to Chief Risk Officer at Star Entertainment Group.
Eeze promotes Kurt Vella to Chief Legal Officer.
Gabby Naftali is out as Senior Vice President of Product at Aristocrat Interactive.
Marisol Martin departs Light & Wonder to join Avanti Studios as Head of Compliance.
After more than 13 years, most recently as Senior VP, Global Studios, Dubravka Burda bids adieu to come Senior Vice President, Global Studios as Merkur Group.
Joe Soper is the new Vice President of Sports & Entertainment at Mohegan.
Etienne Azzopardi has the interim tag removed from his Managing Director title at Swintt.
FairPlay Sports Media promotes Toby Loveridge to Head of Partnership Development (UK, IE & Northern Europe).
Former Kaizen Gaming marketeer Roxana Dinescu is the new Head of Marketing Strategy at Super.
LeoVegas Group names Jens Beckemeier as Head of Core Experience Business Development. Jaime Rodriguez Romera is now a Lead Supervisor – In-Play Trading and Elisa Calleja departs as Customer Insights & Improvement Specialist.
Alexandra Popescu, ex of IGT, is named Chief Product Officer at Digicode.
Mike Sepso joins Griffin Gaming Partners as a Venture Partner.
Manish Agarwal is named to the Board of Directors at NODWIN Gaming as a Non-Executive Director.
Phill Taylor is appointed Head of Region – Europe at Yggdrasil Gaming Ltd.
After more than 15 years, most recently as Deputy Head of Software Development, Daniel Gwynne says adios to bet365. After six-plus years, most recently as a Compliance Analyst, Periklis Detsikas bids adieu. Oliver Heaton is promoted to Senior Software Developer.
Former PlayStar and Internet Vikings CEO Peter Ekmark has been nominated to be the new Chair of Raketech.
Richard Schonfeld joins the Nevada Gaming Commission as a member.
Kim Hestbak is named Senior Marketing Officer at AGLC.
John Paraschos says farewell from Novibet and his role as Head of Sportsbook Product.
Melissa Wood, ex of Scuf Gaming, is named Director, Product Marketing Console & Mobile at Razer Inc.
Stan Bashmashnikov departs his Senior Director, Marketing Technology & Operations post at FanDuel to become Vice President of Software at Full Swing Simulators. Krista Filingeri Alwell is leaving her Internal Communications Senior Manager position at FanDuel’s New York offices. Charles Gibson says goodbye to join Checkout.com’s Account Management team and Matthew Menard is named VIP Account Manager. Also, Michael Illiano is promoted to Promotion Operations Manager.
Speaking of the aforementioned reference to Checkout.com, Max Totilo is the company’s new Global Head of Regulatory Compliance & Americas CCO.
Cameron Wathey joins the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming as Senior Policy Advisor and Project Manager.
Abigail Beecher says goodbye to BetMGM and her Senior Manager, Product Management role.
The same BetMGM promotes Justin Young to Ontario Team Lead – VIP Sports.
Andrew Goodale joins Inspired Gaming as Studio Director.
Stephanie Luchin has a new business card as OLG’s Digital Portfolio & Planning Manager. Tara Myles has a new gig as Campaign Delivery Manager.
Julie Higgins has a new role at Atlantic Lottery as a Project Manager.
Justin Fears is leaving Kinectify and his Sales Manager position.
Antonio Abdilla Zerafa rejoins the International Betting Integrity Association as Regulatory Affairs Manager.
Former Entain guy Jan Rutar is named Customer Engagement Propositions Executive at Boyle Sports.
After almost eight years, most recently as Hotel Strategy Marketing Manager, Tiffany Maiorano is taking her leave from Caesars Entertainment.
Tsholofelo Ngubeni is named Senior Copywriter at Apollo Gaming.
SBC Media promotes Charlie Horner to Key Media Account Manager.
NEXT.io hires Iris Den Boer as Event Partnership Manager.
Entain names Raul Cue as Product Manager – Casino Integrations.
Billy Lumsden has a new title at Sky Betting & Gaming: Marketing & Propositions Manager, Play.
Ben Goldie joins G2 Esports as Manager, G2 Sim Racing.
Camilo Velasquez comes on board Bet99 as a Digital Marketing Coordinator.
Elise Hache is joining FanDuel’s Canadian business as a Marketing Intern.
Growe brings on board Maksym Mazur as a Gamification Content Manager.
Colette Watson is retiring as President of Rogers Sports & Media.
Josh Oshinsky, ex of Business Insider and PepsiCo, is named Head of Creative Development, Scripted & Unscripted at ESPN. Betting/fantasy sports guy Andy Kaufman joins the Worldwide Leader as a Radio Host.
FloSports promotes Chief Operating Officer Jayar Donlon to President. Michael Pagani comes aboard as a Social Media Contractor.
Shazmah Hakim joins Oak View Group as Chief Legal Officer and Mark Shulman is promoted to Executive VP, Programming and Content for OVG East.
William DiBlasi is adding Chief Operating Officer to his Chief Financial Officer role at Elevate.
Michelle Marciniak is named the Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
FIFA names Daniel Haddad as Head of Commercial Planning & Strategy.
From the Dept. of Better Late Than Never, Bri Bijman joins the WNBA Toronto Tempo as its first Director, Communications.
Benjamin Wainwright departs DAZN and his Head of Finance (Commercial) role.
George Breare is saying farewell to SportsPro and his role as Head of Client Services.
Joining the Edmonton Oilers analytics team are Hassaan Inayatali (Senior Data Scientist), Jordan Vani (Hockey Data Engineer) and CJ Gilroy (Full Stack Developer).
Madison Ditullio is named Manager, Lifecycle Marketing & Acquisition at the Canadian Football League.
Michele Warner, formerly of Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group, joins Canada Soccer as Manager, Partnership Servicing.
Sydney Lloyd departs MLSE to become Creative Operations Manager at Frontline Creative.
There’s a shuffling of the deck happening at the top level of Ringier Sports Media Group.
Jomboy Media promotes Matthew Massina to Director of YouTube & Content Strategy.
Mostafa El Kholy has a new gig at Stats Perform: Sales Executive MEA.
Jade Aylward joins the Sports & Entertainment division at Publicis Canada.
Maggie McColl joins Hockey Canada as a Partnerships Coordinator.
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.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
Pete Smaluck and the gang at Props.Cash are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer.
Vancouver-based PokerLab is in the market for a Senior DevOps Engineer/Site Reliability Engineer.
DraftKings has a remote opportunity for a Senior Manager, Learning Engineer, Personalization and a Manager, Integrated Marketing.
Atlantic Lottery is looking for a Payroll Officer and a Financial Gaming Integration Specialist.
OLG has an opening at its offices in the Soo for a Retail Sports Operations Student.
The good folks at BettingJobs.com are trying to fill a number of positions, including a Corporate Affairs and Governance Manager post in Toronto.
Bet99 is in hiring mode for a Bilingual Customer Engagement Associate.
Electronic Arts has an opportunity for a Producer at its Vancouver location and is also looking for a Senior Creative, UFC/NHL person.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is on the lookout for a Director, Marketing & Communications.
The Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada has two positions open on its Board of Directors.
The Canadian Press, aka the people’s wire service, has a remote opening for a Business Reporter-Editor in the city below Thornhill.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has a contract position available for a Digital Strategist, Global Partnerships.
The Canadian division of Oak View Group is looking for a Manager, Partnership Development at TD Coliseum in Hamilton.
Teamworks has an opportunity for someone in Canada or the U.S. for a Product Scientist, Baseball.
Molson Coors Beverage Company is on the lookout for a Senior Marketing Manager – Brands/Innovation.
Your Toronto Blue Jays are seeking a Graphic Designer.
Golf Canada is hiring a Manager, Premium Experiences.
Canada Soccer is searching for a Manager, National Amateur Competitions.
Mastercard is seeking for its Toronto offices a Manager, Consumer Marketing & Sponsorship.
YETI has a spot available in Toronto for a Bilingual Marketing Events Specialist.
Wanted at CFL HQ: a Coordinator, Digital Marketing & Product.
The University of Guelph is searching for an Athletics Relations & External Events Officer.
The University of Windsor is looking for the next Head Coach of its women’s hockey program.
South of the Border
Vegas-based PokerAtlas is accepting applications for Chief Financial Officer.
Hot Paper Lantern has flagged on behalf of its clients a quartet of employment opportunities, including one for a Vice President of Marketing.
DraftKings has a remote opportunity for a Senior Director of Product, Trust Platform and another one for a Senior Lead Trading Strategist. It’s also seeking a Director, Compensation, a Manager, PDO and a Director, Predictions Compliance.
FanDuel is searching for a Senior Director, AI Platforms & Ops.
Hard Rock Digital has an opening in Hollywood, Fla., for a Senior Director – U.S. Marketing Compliance, a Manager – Trading Hypercare and an Analyst – Regulatory Risk.Caesars Sportsbook & Casino has a fiver of job openings.
GBG Plc has an opportunity in Atlanta for a Sales Manager, Gaming.
BetMGM is searching for a Senior Product Manager.
PrizePicks is in hiring mode for a Senior Manager, Paid Social User Acquisition.
Fanatics Betting & Game has its eyes and ears open for a Marketing Manager, Digital Brand Media.
Kalshi has an opportunity for a Regulatory Counsel.
Rush Street Interactive has a temporary opening for a Product Marketing Manager.
Sports Info Solutions has need of a Football Data Scout.
Sporting Kansas City are hiring a Vice President of Data and Analytics.
Global sports and entertainment agency Elevate has a seven-pack of openings at the moment.
The NHL Florida Panthers are in the market for a Director, Group Sales.
The organizing committee for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games is looking for an Associate Project Manager, Brand Guidelines & Governance.
CBS Sports Digital is hiring a Technical Director.
The Stanley Cup playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres want to add to their Sales and Service team.
The East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) HQ is hiring a Manager of Social and Digital Media.
Across the Ponds
Betsson Group has an opening in Malta for a Head of PPC and is also seeking a Product & AI Operations Specialist.
In Stockholm, ComeOn Group has an opportunity for a People and Culture Partner.
Kaizen Gaming is hiring a Senior Compliance Officer for its Sliema operation.
Paysafe has an opening in Sofia, Bulgaria, for a Senior AI Experience Developer.
Pinnacle is on the lookout for a Senior Systems Specialist – M365 & Identity Services.
Relax Gaming has a whole host of employment opportunities.
Push Gaming has a contract position available for a Data Scientist, AI and MLOps.
MediaTroopers is on the hunt for a Media Team Lead.
BBC Sports has need of an Editorial Executive, Short-Form Video.
Sky Sports is seeking an addition to its Social Media team.
Reading and Reflection
There was a mention or two of Alberta in BetMGM’s Q1 2026 financials update yesterday.
InGame scribe Brant James reported yesterday the NHL has responded to a request from a Connecticut senator seeking information on league protocols around integrity.
The winners of an $80 million LOTTO MAX prize took their sweet time to claim their windfall. OLG comms guru Tony Bitonti says that’s not uncommon.
Speaking of OLG, LOTTO MAX has received a makeover.
Tonybet boss Jurjis Rapoports made reference to the operator’s Ontario business in a Q and A with NEXT.io.
Elvis has entered BetMGM’s business in Ontari-ari-ari-o. Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business has the deets.
High Roller Technologies, which is expected to launch its online casino product in Ontario before the end of June, announced a U.S. partnership yesterday with Crypto.com which will include entering the prediction markets sector.
Steve Ruddock didn’t mince any words in calling for tobacco-style restrictions on some components of regulated gambling.
NEXT.io investigative journalist Zak Thomas-Akoo dug into the impact prediction markets are having on sportsbooks’ revenues.
Thanks to Robert Linnehan for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission-aggregated data around sports betting activity at the Winter Olympics
Geoff Zochodne reported on the tax revenue opportunity for U.S. states from prediction markets.
Dustin Gouker received a rather robust response from prediction market startups interested in promoting their products in his Event Horizon newsletter.
Among the results from a new survey on the U.S. sports betting landscape is more than half of the respondents saying online sportsbooks shouldn’t be allowed to advertise during sporting events.
Legal online sports wagering is coming to Wisconsin.
ICYMI last week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board fired off cease-and-desist correspondence to 45 unlicensed operators.
Speaking of Michigan, Corey Sharp keyboarded the facts and figures for Detroit’s commercial casinos’ worst revenue month since 2021.
Sports betting handle in New York also dipped in March.
Ohio lawmakers are asking for a mulligan of sorts on its legal sports betting industry.
Kentucky’s governor has vetoed a bill that would have delivered a makeover to laws around sports betting and horse racing in the state.
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has a similar thought although the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gambling believes regulation remains the way to go.
At the request of bet365, the Massaschusetts Gaming Commission is reopening its licensing process for sports betting operators.
In a LinkedIn post, Kalshi exec Sara Slane had some thoughts about the benefits of federally regulated exchanges.
Seven members of U.S. Congress appear not to share Slane’s take.
Minnesota lawmakers have tabled a bill to ban prediction markets.
A look last week at the largest gambling companies by market cap.
CBS Mornings devoted a segment in Monday’s show to gambling by male youths.
For reasons yet to be revealed, Donald Trump appeared on a poster with UFC boss Dana White and a Stake logo. We mention this because Stake is unlicensed in the country where Trump currently serves as Commander-in-Chief.
The Las Vegas Strip continues to be negatively impacted by a decrease in travel to Nevada.
A SkillOnNet ad created to garner a chuckle or two has run afoul of the UK advertising regulator.
BetMGM is partnering with Inspired Entertainment to launch virtual sports content.
Declan Harty reported for Politico that CFTC chair Michael Selig wants to be the chief betting market regulator for the U.S. of A.
Margaret Fleming and Ben Horney reported for Front Office Sports on the unknown Abu Dhabi blockchain venture that’s the official sports prediction market for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Speaking of the World Cup, Entain CEO has his prediction for a winner. . . gambling industry style.
The Conversation published an op-ed on what helped grease the wheels for the rise of prediction markets.
LIV Golf did a deal of the short-term type with a prediction markets company for Masters week.
Martin Bjoerck of iGaming Business examined the impact of a proposed ban on gambling ads in Australia on broadcasters and sports organizations.
The former director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has some thoughts for U.S. state and tribal gaming regulators in today’s brave new world.
Alisson Toro-Lagos of the Akron Beacon Journal spoke with a sports fans-turned bettor about the transition.
Here is one man’s thoughts on the growth of online gambling in South Africa.
Finally, the folks at Deloitte made public its research into the continued growth of sports, female style.
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