Grey filly Luster headlines the 167th running of the King’s Plate
One of Canada’s greatest sporting and gambling events goes to post on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack. The AGCO issues another fine, this one on Betty, and a poll says NHL fans don't bet regularly.
The King’s Plate, one of Canada’s great sporting and gambling events, will go to post Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, and the 167th edition has a favourite that is sure to be popular with the fancy hat crowd.
On Tuesday at the draw for the $1 million race, Luster was installed as the even-money favourite in the 12-horse field to be contested over 1 ¼ miles on the main tapeta tracks. That Luster is both grey and a filly taking on boys should make her a sentimental favourite, too. Those are two soft spots for those that follow the ponies.
Luster is trained by three-time Plate-winning trainer Josie Carroll, a woman who is enshrined in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The filly will be ridden by John Velazquez, the leading jockey in racing history with earnings approaching $527 million.
She also has an everyman’s back story courtesy of her breeder, Ravi Sugrim of Ottawa, who bought Luster’s dam (mother) for just $3,500, bred her to a two-time Breeders’ Cup champ and ended up with a filly that has already won the $750,000 Woodbine Oaks, the top race in the nation for fillies.
As betting handle is the main source of funding for horse racing in Canada, the King’s Plate is especially important in driving wagering. It is the single biggest wagering day on the Canadian horse racing calendar. It also drives the most attendance.
Last year, more than $17 million was wagered on the Plate card, the third-highest total in history. The massive Woodbine grandstand was also sold out to watch Mansetti win for trainer Kevin Attard, the father-son ownership team of Bill and Al Ulwelling and 20-year-old apprentice jockey Pietro Moran. Woodbine Entertainment has released its own “official wagering menu” for Saturday’s race.
(Full disclosure on this next part: I am the communications person for Ontario Racing, which represents the province’s horse racing industry.)
Horse racing, the original gambling game in Canada, is now facing stiff challenges for the wagering dollar in competition with online gambling in Ontario and Alberta.
Yet, in Ontario alone, live horse racing is still conducted at 14 racetracks and supports some 18,000 jobs. Based on Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) numbers, the horse racing industry in Ontario annually injects over $1.9 billion to the Ontario economy and provides approximately $330 million in provincial taxes. Horse racing drives economic activity in dozens of communities across the province, particularly in rural areas where economic opportunities may be limited.
That’s why the industry was pleased recently to receive a $35 million boost in funding in each of the next five years from the Ontario government. That money is strongly aligned with the government’s declared mandate to support jobs in Ontario.
That, in part, helps support terrific, homegrown sporting and gambling events such as the King’s Plate, which is older than the Kentucky Derby.
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Betty responds to $120,000 fine handed down by AGCO
Online gambling operator Betty has responded to a $120,000 fine from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced on Aug. 6.
The AGCO issued the fine, “after failures in its age-verification and player eligibility controls allowed underage individuals to create online gambling accounts and, in several cases, deposit money and gamble on Betty.ca.”
A Betty spokesperson sent Gaming News Canada a statement that reads:
“In November 2025, we identified a vulnerability in our age-verification process that allowed some individuals under 19 to create an account. We reported it to the AGCO upon discovery and immediately closed the accounts. We have since implemented additional safeguards to strengthen our player eligibility controls and prevent such incidents.
“Betty Gaming Canada accepts the AGCO’s findings and the penalty issued. Our team remains committed to working with the AGCO to ensure Ontario’s regulated gaming market stays safe, and we will continue to invest in the systems and oversight needed to meet that responsibility.”
The AGCO reported that the glitch allowed nine individuals under the age of 19 to create accounts, deposit funds, and gamble on the site. An additional 14 underage individuals were able to create accounts but did not deposit funds.
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.
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Taking a wee bit of a break
A heads-up to our loyal subscribers that there will be not a newsletter next week, so the Gaming News Canada editorial team can take a brief breather.
There will be a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming landing in your inbox (or available for your viewing pleasure on the GNC YouTube channel) on August 18.
The Athletic’s hockey fan poll suggests not much betting, but concerns around integrity
The editor-in-chief of this dispatch will always be fond of media outlets that lean into its coverage of the sports world. We’re . . . sigh. . . old enough to remember the glory days of Sports Illustrated and publications such as The National and The Sporting News, and when newspapers sent an army of reporters, columnists, editors and photographers to the Olympics, and pro sports championship series involving their local sides.
But we digress.
The Athletic last week released the results of an NHL fan poll, having surveyed some close-to-21,000 lovers of pro puck in North America. The questions included whether it’s time for Gary Bettman to step away as league commissioner, if the fans are excited by today’s product and what the league can do to better promote its best players.
Not surprisingly, there were a couple of questions with sports betting bents:
The overwhelming “No” response by hockey fans asked if they wager regularly on NHL games is interesting given the commonly held belief these days that betting runs rampant through professional sports. We suggest the 58 per cent with concerns about the integrity of NHL games is on the same footing as other professional sports leagues, with the NHL, MLB, NBA and NFL all facing gambling-related messes involving players since 2021.
It also suggests there’s still work to be done by the leagues and the player associations when it comes to education on integrity for fans, athletes and other stakeholders in their respective sports.
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People on the Move
Bede Gaming Chair Michael Brady is hired by Brothers & Sisters as President of Gaming.
Lou Kelly is calling it a career after 45 years in the gaming industry including his most recent gig as Senior Vice President, Sales, Casino & Gaming for TransAct Technologies.
After 35 years at Atlantic Lottery, including the past five as Regional Director, New Brunswick-Prince Edward Island, Scott Grant is calling it a career.
U.S. restaurant business Wingstop announced last week that Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden is joining its Board of Directors. The announcement caught the attention of theScore’s founder and former boss John Levy.
Kristi Hanney is promoted to Vice President, Deputy General Counsel at Mohegan.
Gabi Star is appointed Vice President, Commercial Execution at Light & Wonder.
Denys Koshel is named Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Playson.
Jordan He is named Director of Strategic Growth & Operations at Esports Canada.
Gustav Alm leaves FDJ United/Kindred Group as Head of Strategic Planning and joins Stockholm company Mentimeter as Director of Strategy and Business Development.
Sofia Bon is appointed Head of Account Management at GR8_Tech.
Legend promotes Thomas Morrish to Global Head of FP & A.
Stephen Orchard is leaving EveryMatrix and his position as Head of Commercial Operations (Slotmatrix).
Chris Sieroty, ex of Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, is joining CDC Gaming as Managing Editor.
Mike Smith is Light & Wonder’s new Managing Director, Asia.
Kevin Corti is departing RAW iGaming and his role as Head of Game Design/Studio Manager.
Tim Duckworth is out as Director of Live Events & Content at PokerGO.
Frank Rinaldi, ex of Riot Games, is appointed Director & Chief of Staff at Netflix Games.
Richard Fieldsend is joining Aristocrat Interactive as Senior Commercial Manager.
Mircea-Alexandru Burcu leaves Betsson Group to become Senior Sportsbook Integrity & Control Analyst at LeoVegas Group.
Red Bull UK appoints Courtney Raine as Esports & Gaming Manager.
Gia Reece leaves Playtech and her role as a Site Manager.
Alyson Pinkham has a new gig at DraftKings as a Communications Associate.
Andrew Baker, ex of the Canadian Olympic Committee, is Alpine Canada’s new President and Chief Executive Officer.
Sumit Arora has left MLSE and his position as Vice President, Strategy & Analytics after 11-plus years with the organization.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
PointsBet Canada requires a Human Resources Manager.
Bet99 is on the hunt for a Compliance Associate and an Affiliate Associate.
Pinnacle has a hybrid opening in North York, ON for a Senior Python Developer and a Financial Reporting Analyst.
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority is searching for a Manager of Marketing Operations.
Atlantic Lottery is seeking a Manager, Development Services.
The Responsible Gambling Council is looking for a Program Analyst.
Kaizen Gaming is hiring a Key Account Manager in Toronto for its Betano business in Ontario.
OLG has an opportunity for a Risk Monitoring and Intervention, Safer Gambling Student.
PWHL HQ is looking for a Senior Director, Growth Marketing & Commercial Revenue.
In Vancouver, there’s a hybrid opening for a Managing Editor, Daily Hive & City Lead.
The PWHL Toronto Sceptres are in the market for a Media and Community Relations Manager.
In Toronto, the Hockey Hall of Fame is hiring an Interactive Experiences Lead.
Ontario Soccer is seeking a Manager, Video Content & Production.
South of the Border
Bet365 is on a hiring spree for its offices in Denver.
BetMGM has a partially hybrid gig available in the northeastern part of the U.S. of A. for a Director, AI Platform and Portfolio Delivery.
Wanted by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: a Director, Corporate Gaming Operations.
Caesars is looking for a Lead Game Server Developer, iGaming.
Games Global has need of a Senior Partnership Manager.
In Los Angeles, Puma is hiring a Senior Director, Global Entertainment and Influencer Marketing.
Across the Ponds
Bet365 is on the lookout for a Data Engineer and a Regulatory Data Team Leader.
Kinectify is seeking a Client Success & Support Specialist for its offices in New South Wales, Australia.
Light & Wonder has a whole lotta openings with intermediate and senior positions available.
Kaizen Gaming has a hybrid opportunity in Sliema for a Senior Compliance Officer.
Reading and Reflecting
After Wealthsimple published a white paper last week with its thoughts for a “principled regulatory framework” for prediction markets in the true north strong and free, we asked Canadian Gaming Association president/CEO Paul Burns for his take on the latest Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming.
With Bally’s and Pure Casino both live now, there are 27 gaming websites up and running in Alberta’s regulated gaming industry, which turns one month old tomorrow (Thursday). A LinkedIn post yesterday from Delta Casino veep Jason Karklins also let it be known that its IGT PlayDigital and Evolution products are now available in the western Canada province.
A bit of scoopage from Tom Nightingale yesterday that Fanatics has received a licence to thrill from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
According to Penn Entertainment boss Jay Snowden from the company’s Q2 results last week, theScore Bet’s Canadian business and Penn’s casino business are the key revenue drivers.
From DraftKings’ Q2 report last week: “Following the launch of our Sportsbook and iGaming offerings in Alberta, Canada, DraftKings is now live with its Sportsbook and iGaming offerings in provinces representing approximately 51% of the Canadian population”.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Nightingale reported for Canadian Gaming Business that Super Group won’t rush to launch its Betway sports betting product in Alberta.
Also from Nightingale: Century Casinos not only doesn’t have plans to engage in Alberta’s regulated market, it’s selling off some of its assets.
Bet99 boss Jared Beber spoke with iGaming Expert reporter Joe Streeter about. . . you guessed it. . . Ontario and Alberta.
If you’re looking for a thorough summary of the legal gambling landscape in La Belle Province, we steer you to this piece on estrieplus.com.
Globe and Mail sportswriter Rachel Brady spoke with WTA players in Toronto for the National Bank Open about ongoing online harassment and the efforts by the women’s professional tennis tour to protect their athletes.
Gambling Insider journalist Robyn McNeil reported on questions around the relationship between the National Council on Problem Gambling in the U.S. and Kalshi, which includes a $2 million contribution to the NCPG.
As Dustin Gouker quoted DraftKings boss Jason Robins in The Closing Line, it’s full steam ahead for DK’s prediction markets business.
Genius Sports has added Kalshi and Polymarket to its partnerships portfolio.
In his Straight to the Point newsletter, Steve Ruddock had some thoughts about the “disruptor” comment from Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour during a CNBC interview.
According to some digging by NEXT.io investigative reporter Zak Thomas-Akoo, Amy Howe’s severance package from Flutter Entertainment was a golden parachute and then some.
Speaking of Flutter, in case you missed it last week, there was a changing of the guard at the top of the executive suite.
And speaking again of Flutter, its FanDuel business is a little lighter in the digital wallet after Iowa’s gambling regulator issued a sports betting-related fine.
And, one more time with feeling. . . in this morning’s edition of Earnings + More, Scott Longley reports that Flutter is all in on PMs.
There was another round of layoffs at Catena Media last week. We wish the people affected by the job cuts the very best with finding their next position ASAP.
There was also a reduction in head count at Better Collective with its Latin American operations largely affected.
After taking a kick in the proverbial shins from the early weeks of the men’s World Cup back in June, New York sportsbooks recovered (more than) quite nicely in July.
Oddin.gg, which has been synonymous with esports, last week launched an online casino product.
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