Going forth and fast into July
The NFL stays in-house to hire a dedicated sports betting executive, the Ontario gaming industry will be well-represented at SBC North America next week, and DraftKings is in trouble with the AGCO.
In this issue:
NFL stays in-house to hire betting exec
Gaming industry going back to Secaucus
DraftKings runs afoul with AGCO
The Company Line - Sports Info Solutions
Please join us today at 2 p.m. ET as we’re back on Twitter Spaces for our weekly 60-minute conversation on sports betting, gaming and other topics in the business of sports.
NFL stays in-house for sports betting executive hire
At first blush, given its decades-long relationship with the betting public, the NFL appeared to be late to the party in announcing last week that David Highill would be the league’s first executive dedicated to the business of sports betting.
Dig a little deeper (with the help of Bill King’s sports betting newsletter which we highly recommend contacting Sports Business Journal and ponying up for a subscription) and it makes sense for the league to be more tortoise than hare. From King’s conversation with chief revenue officer Renie Anderson:
While Anderson said she was “rooting” for Highhill from the time he expressed interest in the job, she concedes that she at first thought it unlikely that the league would fill the position from within. The initial job description, first posted early in 2020, read like an invitation to someone already working on betting matters for another league or, better yet, at a sportsbook; someone well-versed and well-connected.
That position went unfilled, frozen after COVID hit, and scuttled soon after. When Anderson finally was able to post the position again three months ago, she began to re-think her expectations. She realized the league no longer needed someone with gambling industry connections to shepherd it to the right sportsbook pairing. It now has three of those, all of which happily share their expertise and insights.
Highill spoke with King about the complexities of the betting space, something that came up in a conversation we had back in May with Sara Slane. The sports betting strategist and advisor left the American Gaming Association almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the ban on sports betting across the country in 2018.
“(Sports betting) touches so many things outside of the commercial opportunities,” said Slane, whose clients across leagues, teams, sports organizations and media companies include the NHL, PGA Tour and NASCAR. “You have player education, compliance, integrity, data, and more. It’s a big area of focus and opportunities, and the leagues have been smart in how they manage that.”
In May, MLS grabbed Phil Valente from Kindred Group to become its Director, Sports Betting. Scott Warfield left NASCAR as its managing director of gaming at the end of 2020 to become the VP of gaming at the PGA Tour. Casey Brett has led MLB’s strategy around gaming since 2019. Keith Wachtel, the NHL’s chief business officer and executive VP in charge of global partnerships, has guided the league’s shifting sports betting strategy, and speaks frequently with his counterparts in other sports about the space.
“It’s always helpful for the leagues to share best practices, and they’re all striving to do the same thing, especially when you talk about integrity,” Slane said. “Whether you’re the PGA Tour, the NHL, NASCAR, you’re all in alignment around the core principles as it relates to sports betting.”
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Ontario’s gaming industry goes to Secaucus (OK, not everyone)
So much for absence making the heart grow fonder. . . .
Although, after two-plus years of being sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re going to give the North American gaming industry a mulligan for getting together next week for some gabbing and gastronomy some five weeks after the SiGMA Americas and Canadian Gaming summits in Toronto.
SBC is bringing back the gang for the SBC Summit North America, which begins Tuesday in Secaucus, NJ, and runs through Thursday. With Ontario’s sports betting and igaming industry in high gear, many folks around the province’s new regulated industry will be making the trek to New Jersey (memo to the airlines: please be kind, and on time). And several of them are slated to participate on panels, including (and if I’ve omitted anyone, espresso and croissants on me next week):
Kelly Brooks (Quarter4)
Paul Burns (Canadian Gaming Association)
Chanta Cipriano, Scott Vanderwel, Nic Sulsky (PointsBet Canada)
Omer Dor (Sports IQ)
Andrew Garven (Covers)
Dan Hannigan-Daley (Sports Info Solutions)
Tyjondah Kerr (OLG)
Greg Kirstein (Paysafe)
David Phillips (AGCO)
Scott Secord (Cardinal Capital Sports)
Allan Stone (Intelitics)
Shelley White (Responsible Gambling Council)
Brent Winston (Betswap)
Parleh Media Group founder and CEO Mark Silver will join Daniel Graetzer of Carousel Group and MaximBet, Shaun Koiner of The Sporting News, Jed Corenthal from Phenix, and moderator Danielle Cranin of NBC Sports Group for a Thursday afternoon discussion on “The changing landscape of media and entertainment - the battle for screen time”. In advance of the summit, Silver spoke with Erin-Marie Gallagher from SBC about the emerging opportunities for sportsbooks to engage with sports fans.
A snippet from Silver in Gallagher’s piece:
Compared to other line items in an operator’s customer acquisition marketing mix, social media holds the most potential. While operators are all experts in their return on ad spend and affiliate programs, these acquisition channels don’t permit the operator to truly engage with customers.
The ability to easily reach existing and new audiences in an instant is an enticing proposition for operators who are prepared to make the investment in their brand’s organic reach. With many operators in most of these markets, social can be a valuable way to establish a brand voice, build brand affinity and ultimately bring customers to your product.
Five companies, including Toronto-based Betswap, have been selected to compete for $60,000 in the First Pitch startups competition. Parleh Media Group co-won the inaugural competition with SharpRank last year.
Your congenial correspondent will also be inside the Meadowlands Exposition Center, and will put the Thursday newsletter on hold for a week to focus our attention on live tweeting from the summit on @GamingNewsCA.
DraftKings runs afoul of the AGCO
In case you got an early start on Canada Day and missed this, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario announced a week ago today that DraftKings was being fined $100,000 (Canuck bucks) for allegedly crossing the line when it comes to advertising and inducements. It’s the largest fine to date from the AGCO in the province’s new regulated igaming industry, which marked its fourth month of operation on Monday.
From the AGCO’s news release:
Contrary to Standard 2.05, between May 19, 2022, and May 31, 2022, Crown DK CAN Ltd posted or aired multiple broad gambling inducements that included inducements of boosted 2:1 odds. The promotion was distributed widely via television and social media channels. DraftKings Inc. (DE) is the parent company of Crown DK CAN Ltd.
The Standards were put in place to protect Ontarians. They include clear restrictions on the advertising of inducements, bonuses or credits, except when they are on an operator’s site, or through direct advertising and marketing issued after receiving active player consent (Standard 2.05).
DraftKings put out a statement over the weekend:
“We are committed to complying with all applicable regulations in every jurisdiction in which we operate. Upon being informed of the potential issue shortly after our launch, we took immediate action to remove the assets in question.”
DraftKings joins PointsBet Canada and BetMGM in running afoul of the AGCO’s standards for online gaming. We expect there will be others as operators do their version of an NHL shift disturber when it comes to walking the fine line in the customer acquisition game.
The Company Line
On this first Thursday of July 2022, we put Sports Info Solutions under the Parleh spotlight.
Birthdate: 2003
Home Base: Coplay, PA
Founders: John Dewan (the company’s current chairman)
Raison D’Etre: Sports Info Solutions collect, analyze and distribute data and insights to teams across Major League Baseball, the NBA, and the National Football League while partnering with the leagues and sportsbooks.
If you’d like to have your company featured in this section to profile the players in the Canadian gaming space, please drop us a note at steve@theparleh.com.
On the Home Front
As we await release of the initial numbers from Ontario’s regulated igaming business, some savvy sleuthing by Geoff Zochodne reveals that illegal sportsbooks were at one time believed to be “clearing more than $100 million a year in revenue in Ontario”.
Meanwhile, Jeff Lagerquist reports that the AGCO is looking into reports that some bettors may be self-excluding from sportsbooks to back out of losing bets.
While the Hamilton Tiger-Cats try to figure out how to win a game, officials at the league office in Toronto are updating the CFL’s policies around match-fixing and corruption.
In case you got an early start to the Canada Day weekend last week, the NFL and FanDuel announced they are expanding their North American partnership into Canada.
NorthStar Gaming announced last week that it now has an agreement with Baden Resources to complete a reverse takeover transaction of the publicly traded company.
Dave Briggs wrote about the challenges sportsbooks operating in Ontario are facing with making sure that bets are placed within provincial lines
New Penn Interactive head honcho Aubrey Levy spoke with Chris Gerlacher at Gaming Today about landing customers without being able to promote bonuses.
Bally’s has received its licence from the AGCO and is awaiting the go-ahead from iGaming Ontario to open its (virtual) doors for business.
Charges have been laid against five individuals for allegedly using Ontario casinos to launder more than $3 million from the sale of illegal cannabis.
Once again, with feeling, the case being made for bricks-and-mortar casinos to get onboard the digital train.
Viktor Kayed at PaymentExpert.com covered a discussion on alternative payments during last month’s Canadian Gaming Summit.
(Only slightly) belated greetings and salutations (thank you, Bob McCown) to iGaming Ontario on its first birthday yesterday.
Finally, the folks at FansUnite rang the bell in a virtual way to open the Toronto Stock Exchange yesterday:
Let’s Get Together
This morning’s announcement that IMG Arena will be the official data distribution partner for MLS has a sports betting twist.
Parleh Media Group partners Quarter4 and SharpRank announced Tuesday its own plans to collaborate.
OLG has named The IGaming Collective to lend the corp a hand with its affiliate marketing program.
Tiidal Gaming’s Sportsflare division has a new licensing agreement with Bayes Esports.
As Fitzdares moves ahead with its plans to open a sportsbook in Ontario, it is bringing on board igaming solutions provider FSB.
Genius Sports has put their John Hancock on a multi-faceted agreement with Czechian sportsbook Tipsport.
RBC has teamed up with Enthusiast Gaming to establish a grant program for prospective gamers.
Paysafe is taking its Skrill digital wallet platform to Arkansas, courtesy of its partnership with BetSaracen.
Kalamba Games and Bragg Gaming have extended their partnership agreement with an eye on the growing igaming market in North America.
AFC Bournemouth of the Premier League has a new two-year agreement with Dafabet as a sponsor.
SCCG and J2M are getting together to pool their resources and knowledge in the gaming and esports biz.
Betfred and Long Shot’s will collaborate on bringing retail and online sports betting to Maryland.
Broadcast solutions provider StreamCard will become the official fan engagement partner for the Champion of Champions Tour.
Retired Portuguese soccer star Luis Figo is joining Digitain as a brand ambassador.
BetMakers will be supplying Penn National Gaming with horse racing content and other odds and sods.
Matters of M&A
Caesar’s announced on Canada Day that it had crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s on the sale of its William Hill non-U.S. assets to 888 Holdings.
Light and Wonder has agreed to trim the asking price of its OpenBet business by 33.3 per cent in the purchase agreement it has with Endeavor.
Toronto-based Playmaker Capital has made its latest foray into the footy world, acquiring the digital assets of World Soccer Talk.
Quarter(s) Pole
From the always excellent Wagers.com Earnings + More newsletter this morning, Entain reports in its H1 financials that it expects to “reach positive EBITDA during 2023”. There’s more on Entain’s results here.
The six-month period ending March 31 for Guild Esports showed an increase in losses for the British esports company.
Similar news for Betfred, which reported a drop in pre-tax profits for its 2021 financial report and cited COVID-19 as the cause.
States Side Stories
In its latest look at the sports betting and igaming industry in the U.S., Morgan Stanley predicts the business will grow to $12.8 billion by 2025.
FanDuel will host a grand opening of its new retail sportsbook at Audi Field - home of the D.C. United MLS franchise - on Friday.
Good reading, as always, from the flying fingers of ESPN’s David Purdum on how sportsbooks south of the border are dealing with the new LIV Golf tour.
New(ish) Wynn CEO Craig Billings waxed about the company’s UAE venture, competing in the digital gambling space, and more.
There’s a push on the Department of Justice to crack down on illegal sportsbooks.
The springtime wasn’t great for the Carolina Hurricanes, who saw their Stanley Cup hopes come to a premature end and then watched North Carolina lawmakers fall short of legalizing online sports wagering.
One financial analyst is predicting better days ahead for DraftKings and Penn National Gaming.
A tale of weed, wagering and Colorado.
A Penn National Gaming employee has been charged with insider trading.
Retired NFLer Amani Toomer and former Toronto Raptor Charles Oakley are doing their part to spread the word about betting responsibly.
Katie Kohler at PlayPennsylvania.com reports that retail sportsbooks are driving customers to the tables (and we don’t mean the buffet variety).
Our condolences to the family and friends of Hank Goldberg, the former ESPN reporter and long-time handicapping expert, who died Monday on his 82nd birthday. And a tap of the Sherwood to Matt Rybalowski for his obituary on Hammering Hank.
There’s a movement afoot to give New Yorkers more betting options, especially when it comes to futures.
What’s next for getting legal sports betting in Minnesota?
Gaming America presents some thoughts on the future of esports betting.
Meanwhile, weekly legal betting in the Empire State two weeks ago was at its lowest since market launch back in January.
Betfred is up and running again in the Hawkeye State, this time on a new technology platform.
Arizona saw its handle drop in April from the previous month, but was still north of $500 million once again.
In Virginia, the books beat the bettors in the month of May.
Nevada casinos raked in a record $1.3 billion (U.S.) in the same month.
The owners of Barstool Sportsbook are among the companies seeking licences to operate in Ohio’s new legal online betting industry, which is scheduled to launch in January.
Americans are betting on the ponies this summer and doing so in a very big way.
White Hat Gaming has hit the GO button on its deal with BetMGM in the state of Michigan.
The crawl towards legal online sports betting in Maryland is taking us back to our high school days, listening to Supertramp on the stereo.
Across the Pond
Before Boris Johnson resigned as British Prime Minister this morning, more than 50 ministers had quit including the man in charge of reviewing the 2005 Gambling Act.
Families whose lives have been turned upside down by gambling addiction continue to push for the UK government to implement reforms for the gaming industry.
The country’s gambling commission is also being criticized for its handling of suicides linked to betting.
The Premier League is requesting its clubs to drop its betting sponsors, albeit gradually.
Meanwhile, Manchester City has a new betting partner in Asia although there’s some controversy around it.
A new study highlights the differences in how regulators in European countries monitor and report problem gambling.
Land-based casinos in Denmark saw a staggering rise of almost 200 per cent in GGR for the month of May.
A quartet of heavy hitters in the UK gambling industry got together to share their thoughts on the future of gambling.
PointsBet cut the ribbon last week to open its new European headquarters in Dublin.
Bet365 was going to need a U-Haul to bring home the hardware from Better Collective’s Bookmaker Awards.
The CCO at Inventive Games talked about his company’s recent partnership with EBET, and other matters of interest.
Quick Hits
FanDuel’s removal of “risk-free” language from its promotional offerings is receiving cautious approval.
A report by a California-based research company estimates that the global online gaming industry will reach $153.6 billion (U.S.) by the end of the decade.
Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuk that sportsbooks shouldn’t hold their breaths waiting for the NHL to be transparent when it comes to injuries.
More than worthwhile reading from Jack Tadman on the roles and responsibilities of gaming lawyers.
Ashley Rodriguez of Business Insider writes about the challenges sports betting startups are facing with the recent economic downturn.
Kambi’s senior executive in charge of risk and compliance weighed in on protecting integrity around esports.
The latest edition of Martin Lycka’s Safe Bet Show included some conversation around responsible gambling, the Dallas Cowboys. . . and prison.
The co-founder of UltimateOdds believes sportsbook marketing has gone over the cliff.
Caroline Ponseti of The Herald Group has some advice for gaming industry types speaking about their business with mainstream media . . . . ixnay on the omnichannel, offshore, PASPA lingo.
Google is removing gambling-related products and services from its rich results.
Xpoint head honcho Marvin Sanderson did the Q and A thing about his company’s recent launch into North America.
DraftKings has stepped up in a couple of ways over the past week. First, the company announced it would provide assistance to employees seeking an abortion. And north of the border, it’s launching a Give Ontario Props program to help veterans.
From the recent Kambi Festival of Sportsbook, the summary of a discussion about sports betting integrity.
An op-ed by the Association of Distance Gambling Organizers warns about the perils of imposing a 40 per cent withdrawal tax.
James Whatley is down on the metaverse, but down with gaming.
Similar to our newsletter, Envy Gaming is undergoing a rebranding in the esports space.
Kiron Interactive has released a new virtual sports betting game called IGoal.
BroThrow’s Brady Sharp is Jesse Learmonth’s latest guest on the Sports Betting Startups Podcast.
ICYMI last week, U.S. Open tournament director Stacey Allaster, women’s hockey trailblazer Angela James and Olympic champion Donovan Bailey are among the latest appointees to the Order of Canada.
People on the Move
Josee Turcotte is the AGCO’s new Chief Legal Officer.
Kris Abbott is moving on as National Manager of Coolbet Canada to a NGTBNL (new gig to be named later).
Steve Beason is coming back to Scientific Games as President, Digital and Sports Betting for its global operations.
Relax Gaming has promoted Simon Hammon to CEO from his previous post as Chief Product Officer.
FOTP Lloyd Danzig has been added to the advisory board of auto racing fantasy business GridRival.
Ray Koch has left DraftKings to join NASCAR as Senior Manager, Sports Betting.
Tess Gullis is the new Gaming Director at PHD.
Daniel Lee is Sportradar’s new Senior People Partner.
Real Luck Group introduced Daniel Sanders as the new Director of Marketing at Luckbox.
Bobby Longhurst has been named Managing Director at Sportingtech while Dan Stone has been named the company’s new Director of Marketing.
Miranda Sallis is the CFL’s new Director, Global Partnerships.
SBC has promoted Kellie Weaver to VP, Relationships - Americas.
It’s been an historic week for the National Hockey League with the naming of the first black general manager (Mike Grier) in San Jose while Hayley Wickenheiser and Kate Madigan were named assistant GMs in Toronto and New Jersey respectively.
Sean Duvall has a new gig at OLG: Director, Horse Racing.
Bettor and broadcaster Dawn Lupul has joined America’s Best Racing as an on-air personality.
Ryan Butler has left Wagers.com and is taking his reporting chops to iGamingNext.
Steve Ruddock has been appointed Senior Gaming Analyst at Props.com.
Classified (Jobs) Information
OLG has a contract position available for a Senior Manager, Digital Sports Betting Retention.
Coolbet is seeking a Partnerships Manager for its Canadian business.
Boom Entertainment is on the lookout for a Senior Product Designer.
MLSE is searching for a Senior Manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
The San Jose Sharks are in the market for a Senior Manager, Digital.
The NWSL is hiring a Chief Sporting Director to work out of its New York headquarters.
FOTP STN Video have an opening for a Manager of Publisher Onboarding.
Speaking of onboarding, Sportsdigita is hiring an Onboarding Manager.
About the Numbers
With the NHL Draft taking place in Montreal this evening, Celine Trimarchi perused the expected top picks.
Follow us @GamingNewsCA for the latest news on the industry.
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