NFL bettors continue to be bullish on the Buffalo Bills, especially in our home and native land.
Professional three-down football’s regular season opens tonight with a Super Bowl rematch between the league-champion Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. For this edition, Gaming News Canada canvassed several operators offering wagering activity in Ontario and Alberta’s regulated markets and the betting patterns heading into the regular season were quite similar from the online sportsbooks responding to our inquiries.
Information provided by BetMGM, OLG’s Proline+ product and DraftKings, along with watching last night TSN’s NFL Season Preview Show powered by the network’ss official sports betting partner FanDuel paint a similar picture when it comes to Josh Allen and Co., who’ll play in the brand spanking new Highmark Stadium this season. (By the by, we raised a Spockian eyebrow when watching a Bills-centric segment on the TSN website only to see a Hard Rock Bet pre-roll ad appear before the FanDuel-sponsored segment.)
BetMGM media insights guru John Ewing emailed GNC to let us know that while the Los Angeles Rams are the most bet-on team to win the NFL championship in all markets including Canada, “we see more interest on the Bills to win the Super Bowl in Ontario/Alberta than in the U.S. In all markets, 8.1 percent of bets and 9.7 per cent of money is on the Bills to win it all. In Canada, 15.8 per cent of bets and 20.4% of money is on the Bills. Ewing also passed along that 37 per cent of bets and 61 per cent of money is on Buffalo to capture the AFC title while other markets lean towards the Denver Broncos.
OLG communications boss Tony Bitonti put on our radar a preseason odds boost being offered on Proline+ for the Bills to win the Super Bowl, although the Rams are listed as the favourites.
From Johnny Avello, the long-time dean of trading at DraftKings: “The NFL season always draws significant betting interest, and we expect to see robust engagement across Ontario and Alberta throughout the year. With high expectations for Canadian fan favorites such as the Bills, Lions and Seahawks, along with an action-packed schedule, there will be no shortage of compelling matchups for customers to follow and engage with on our platform.”
TSN sports betting expert Domenic Padula posted yesterday about the popularity of the Rams and Bills with FanDuel bettors in Ontario and Alberta.
Also from Proline’s trading team, courtesy of Bitonti:
Sunday’s Jaguars-Browns game is a popular Week 1 game with 97 per cent of Proline+ customers taking Jacksonville.
“Ontario’s other team”, the Detroit Lions, are a heavy favourite with Proline players in their season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Tonight’s Seahawks-Patriots tilt has attracted the most wagering on the over-under.
BetMGM is also touting more than 500 betting markets for each NFL game and expanded “cash out” options.
A dearth of information from operators and regulators makes it difficult to analyze the popularity of the NFL with sports bettors in Canada, the American Gaming Association announced last week that wagering on football is expected to be flat this season. Also, Eric Ramsey, has a terrific piece in The Closing Line that points to regulated football betting being “likely to contract this season for the first time in the post-PASPA era”. Ramsey points to tax increases in some states with regulated betting, and decrease in promotional spend by sportsbooks and, of course, the presence of prediction markets for the expected decline in wagering on football.
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FINTRAC’s latest monetary penalties come under criticism from Kinectify exec
On Sept. 3, just before breaking for the Labour Day Weekend, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) announced it had issued two monetary penalties to provincial gambling outfits in Atlantic Canada.
FINTRAC reported it had hit the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) with a $231,826 penalty on July 23 for three violations. FINTRAC said the NSGC:
Failed to report suspicious transactions where there were reasonable grounds to suspect they were related to money laundering.
Failed to develop and implement written anti-money laundering (AML) policies and procedures.
Failed to assess and document the risk on the above.
NSGC spokesperson Rachel Boomer told the Canadian Press, as reported by Devin Stevens, “there were two cases where reports were not issued to FINTRAC. She said the transactions were valued at $750 and $465 and there was no evidence of money laundering.”
In the other case, FINTRAC issued a monetary penalty of $399,712.50 on July 24 to the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) for failing to “submit suspicious transaction reports where there were reasonable grounds to suspect that transactions were related to a money laundering or terrorist activity financing offence.”
Both the NSGC and NBLGC have paid their penalties in full.
GNC editor Steve McAllister reached out to Derek Ramm, the global head of advisory services at Kinectify Advisors for comment, and Ramm replied as follows:
“If the news reports are to be believed – the article you linked says the transactions in question were valued at $750 and $465 – then it seems to me that FINTRAC again is losing sight of the bigger picture,” Ramm wrote. “The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), of which Canada is a member, sets the minimum suspicious activity threshold at $3,000. Canada has not established a threshold but expending significant federal resources on a few hundred dollars seems a bit ridiculous.
“These latest fines continue to demonstrate the fact that provincial lottery and gaming corporations are not the appropriate organization to be held responsible for anti-money laundering compliance and reporting. By my count, five Crown or First Nations agencies have received a penalty in the past year, and more will be coming. A quirk of Canada’s Criminal Code has created the ‘conduct and manage’ model, which translates poorly into the AML compliance world since most of these agencies have no interaction with customers and do not process the financial transactions. In addition, most Crown agencies have demonstrated that they simply aren’t up to the task and don’t prioritize financial crime prevention.”
Ontario, we have a failure to communicate
For the past month or so, your waffling editor-in-chief has been going back and forth so much on whether to pound the keyboard on this issue that we had to deal with a case of recurring vertigo.
Okay, the vertigo thing isn’t true. But we are going ahead with some thoughts on the shortcomings of leadership in Ontario’s regulated gaming industry when it comes to communications. That catalyst for our rant du jour? This X post – and this one - when the premier of the province expressed his gratitude for reporters not being present at a public announcement.
It also prompted us to go through the GNC archives and find an edition of the newsletter from 12 months ago when we offered some advice that leadership at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) should take on an expanded role in the conversation around regulated sports betting and online gaming.
Nothing has really changed and for now, we’ll put the blame on the people at the top – which would be the elected officials in the Douglas Ford government with a not-so-flattering silence-is-golden mandate. The premier suggesting there’s never been a more transparent government is hypocrisy of Mt. Kilimanjaro heights.
We place the blame at the feet of Ford and Co. because our experience with both senior executives and the communications staffs at the AGCO and iGO have been professional and cordial. When we have a question for our coverage of the industry, the communications teams respond in a timely manner and we’ve had respectful conversations over the past five years with Dr. Karin Schnarr, Dave Phillips, Brent McCurdy and Doug Hood at the AGCO, and with (former AGCO chaps) Joseph Hillier and Ben Valido at iGO.
That’s the good. The bad:
• Schnarr was hired in August 2023 as the commission’s CEO and registrar. Despite repeated requests, we’ve yet to have her join us on the Gaming News Canada Show. Meanwhile, Dan Keene has been our guest on the podcast twice since being placed in charge of the Alberta iGaming Corporation and named CEO in mid-May.
• When we were reporting on prediction markets in Canada last month, we reached out to the AGCO and iGO with a few questions. The AGCO’s communications person directed us to the Minister of Finance’s office and iGO steered us towards the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming office. The office in charge of gaming got back to us quickly. In Alberta, however, both AGLC and AiGC provided GNC with statements instead of directing us to the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction’s office.
• The monthly market performance reports issued by iGO continue to be a source of frustration for media and industry stakeholders seeking more transparency around the numbers. Also, it’s a guessing game for reporters when the monthly reports become available since iGO stopped putting out news releases in the fall of 2024. (One member of the fourth estate told us this summer they put a reminder in their calendar every month to search for the market performance report.
• There’s a disappointing lack of activity on iGO’s communications vehicles. Five news releases since January 2025, not one X post since then, not one Instagram post since May 2025 although the organization does post in a somewhat-regular cadence on LinkedIn.
The regulating and conduct-and-manage organizations in charge of Ontario’s gaming industry are led by people with experience and expertise around the business of betting. At a time when there’s increasing scrutiny/criticism around problem gambling, advertising and marketing (including the promotion of fake online casinos on Instragram) and youth gambling, the voices advocating for a regulated industry are minimal. Also, it’s perplexing that with so many voices here in Canada and internationally lauding the Ontario model, the folks largely responsible for creating said model are kept under wraps.
Perhaps when a replacement is found for Stan Cho as the new gaming minister, a commitment to better communication will be made by way of removing the handcuffs from the people operating the industry on behalf of the provincial government.
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People on the Move
Mira Mircheva is leaving Bally’s Corporation and her Chief Financial Officer position. Current president George Papanier will also serve as interim CFO.
Jonas Ericson is named Chief Financial Officer at Avanti Studios.
Michael Waterfield is appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Booming Games.
Ruth Evans is the new Chair of the UK Gambling Commission, effective Sept. 30.
The Western Canada Lottery Corporation promotes Adam Janssens to Vice President, Information Technology.
Betty names Yulian Maslarski as Vice President of Live Ops for its UK business.
Dror Damchinsky is appointed Vice President, Operational Excellence at Aristocrat Interactive.
Midnite names Willie Lok as Vice President of Casino and Loyalty Products.
Robert Christopher is appointed Vice President, Marketing at Fairmount Park Casino & Racing.
Stuart Banks is departing Light & Wonder and his role as Managing Director, Global Partnerships.
David Coletti is named Head of Global Research & Measurement at DAZN.
North Star Network appoints Viviane Wirthmann as Head of Content.
Louise Colclough, ex of bet365, joins Betfred as Head of Retail Compliance.
Tamsin Suarez is named Legal Counsel at Relax Gaming.
BetMGM appoints Darren Lynch as Senior Director, Commercial Revenue.
Lauren Orwoll joins Sportradar as Senior Director, People Partnering, Corporate Functions & Talent Acquisition.
Simone Gambardella, ex of PG Esports, GGTech Entertainment and Dentsu Creative Italy, joins SportFive as Senior Director, Global Brand Partnerships, Gaming & Esports.
Mitch Bloch has a new gig at DraftKings as Director, Analytics. Jordan Moore is promoted to Social Marketing Specialist and Madison Hentosh is promoted to Senior Social Marketing Associate. Cole Koeppel is now Senior Associate, Busines Development (Teams & Leagues).
Former SIS head of competitive gaming product Peter Camden is named Director of Fast Betting Content at Oddin.gg.
Lance Xuereb joins Play’n GO as a Global Account Director.
David Bearman joins the United Football League as a Sports Betting Strategist.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
In the city below Terra Cotta, Legend is hiring a Vice President, Product – Sports.
There’s an opportunity at Pinnacle for a Senior Software Engineer.
In Victoria, Blastworks is searching for a Senior Product Manager (Games/Live Ops).
Bet99 is looking for an IT Systems & Security Administrator.
The folks in charge of finance at Loto-Québec are seeking a Financial Operations Administration Technician.
Canucks Sports & Entertainment is hiring a Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service.
The OHL Brampton Steelheads are on the lookout for a Manager, Brand Partnerships & School Programs.
On the South Side of Lake Ontario
Wanted at MGM Resorts International: an Executive Director, Tech Gaming Compliance.
Caesars Entertainment is searching for a Lead Game Server Developer, iGaming.
In New York, DAZN is hiring a Senior Paid Media Manager.
There’s an opening at IGT for a Manager, Business Unit Finance.
In Jacksonville, Fla., Paysafe is seeking a Product Manager.
Wanted by the NFL Players Association: a Senior Director, Strategy and Operations.
Among the current job postings at Bauer Hockey/Cascade Maverik are several marketing positions around social media and content creation.
In Los Angeles, Lululemon is looking for a Senior Manager – Influencer Marketing.
Across the Ponds
DraftKings has an opening in London for a Sportsbook Operations Senior Associate.
Rhino Entertainment is on the lookout for a Treasury & Finance Specialist.
EPIC Global Solutions is in the market for a Senior Finance Manager.
Fanatics has an opening in the UK for an Editor.
Reading and Reflecting
Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business sets the table for next month’s scheduled Supreme Court of Canada hearing into cross-border online gaming between Alberta and Ontario.
While we continue our efforts to have Richard Rawlinson join us on the Gaming News Canada Show, the managing director of DAZN Bet Canada did the Q and A thing with Yogonet.
Royal Vegas Casino joined the roster of regulated gaming websites in Alberta last week, bringing the number to 30.
The North American expansion of Games Global’s business includes Alberta.
A whole lot of free gas was pumped into cars at gas stations in five cities across Ontario and Alberta last week, courtesy of DraftKings’ Gameday campaign.
Speaking of DK, it has expanded its partnership with IC360.
Data released by the Bank of America Institute shows a sharp hike in online betting users this summer with Gen Z and Millennials responsible for 88 per cent of online betting activity in July.
Regulus Partners guy Dan Waugh pointed out the “elementary problems” with data released by the UK Gambling Commission.
American sports media personality Bill Simmons has learned his lesson from proxy betting.
Stefan Velikov of Gambling News examined the increase in American women dealing with problem gambling.
Paddy Power, reported the Racing Post, is closing up to 100 betting shops in the UK.
A case of premature compensation delivered by Kalshi from the Michigan-Western Michigan gridiron thriller on Saturday.
Politico’s Declan Harty delivered a thorough catch-all on the “nationwide brawl” between U.S. states and prediction markets.
The USTA’s new partnership with Kalshi incurred the wrath of long-time tennis scribe Ben Rothenberg.
The U.S. Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has suspended a trainer after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance while an investigation into unusual betting is ongoing.
ESPN’s Doug Greenberg went deep in reporting on NFL survivor pools.
Last week, Polymarket brought aboard Maria Sharapova and LeBron James as brand ambassadors.
Circa director Jeffrey Benson took the blunt route in an X post about prediction markets.
Continent 8 Technologies and Nutanix have expanded their technology partnership.
Dan Bernstein of Sportico has the details on Kalshi removing injury-related wagers from its sports offerings, at the request of the CFTC.
News Monday morning that Genius Sports is a partner in a new athlete-led sports media company.
Just before layoffs were reported on the UK side of the business, bet365 continues to grow its American footprint, announcing Monday a partnership with the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics.
Erik Gibbs of NEXT.io reported that Star Entertainment is being closely watched by Australian gambling operators for below-average standards around responsible gaming.
Speaking of NEXT.io, Rory Calland reported on a . . . umm. . . report that suggests prediction markets are going to give regulators challenges when it comes to staying on top of things.
In a Labour Day edition of his Straight to the Point newsletter, Steve Ruddock called for stronger oversight of prediction markets south of Lake Ontario.
Bill Speros, tapping the letters on the keyboard for RotoWire, spent an hour interviewing Kalshi boss Tarek Mansour.
There’s another player joining the prediction markets. . . er. . . . market.
The University of Cincinnati has been cleared of wrongdoing in the Brendan Sorsby affair.
High Roller Technologies will begin next week testing of its prediction market product.
The union that represents New York Times journalists has a beef with a potential partnership between Kalshi and The Athletic.
Comedian/actor Kevin Hart has another endorsement deal in the gaming industry, with Pragmatic Play.
There’s a legal cage match going on between gaming influencers in the U.S. of A.
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