Québec coalition briefs province’s Ministry of Finance on the merits of regulated sector
The Québec Online Gaming Coalition says the province is currently putting vulnerable people at risk and losing out on more than $300 million in tax dollars.
As part of pre-budget consultations in Québec, the Québec Online Gaming Coalition has filed a brief to the province’s Ministry of Finance warning that the unregulated market is putting vulnerable people at risk and depriving the province of more than $300 million in tax revenue annually.
On Monday, the coalition — whose members are Bet99, DraftKings, Flutter, Entain, Apricot Investments, betway, Games Global and Rush Street — sent out a press release again making the pitch for Québec to move to an open, regulated online gambling market.
Currently, the only legal online gambling options in La Belle Province are operated by Loto-Québec. Therein lies one of the coalition’s main arguments, that Quebecers are routinely gambling on illegal, unregulated sites without any protection. Then, there is the lost tax revenue.
“Why limit the regulation of online gaming to Loto-Québec sites alone,” said Ariane Gauthier, spokesperson for the coalition, in the release, “when the offering available on the Internet is much broader? Quebec could very well apply the same rules to private online gaming platforms, whether for advertising, age verification, or accountability, for example. This would channel the vast majority of online gaming into a stable and regulated environment, which is desirable for everyone.”
The coalition gave the Ministry of Finance four recommendations:
Entrust an independent regulatory body with the supervision of all online gaming operators, whether private or public (Loto-Québec).
Develop Québec-specific government standards to regulate both private and public online gaming, in collaboration with stakeholders.
Define the criteria for obtaining an operating license and sign a revenue-sharing agreement with the Québec government.
Allocate a portion of the revenue generated by private online gaming to support communities and increase funding for prevention activities.
If you parlez en francais, the entire brief is available here.
Meanwhile, Alberta continues to chug along toward the opening of its regulated online market and, unlike Québec, where Loto-Québec has fought an open market, Play Alberta, the province-run operator that is the only legal option there currently, says it’s ready to meet the challenge of direct competition.
Last week, Geoff Zochodne at Covers interviewed Carly Curran, the acting vice-president of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) that runs Play Alberta. Curran told Zochodne that the AGLC is “eager to take on the challenges ahead of us.”
Curran was also referring to Super Bowl betting, which was expected to be brisk at Play Alberta, which was offering double the betting markets on the big game than it was a year ago.
“Regardless of the market opening, we’re always striving to be more innovative with our offerings,” Curran said.
As Zochodne wrote, Play Alberta “generated $275 million in net sales in the 2024-25 fiscal year, up $35 million from the previous year,” and all of the proceeds go back to the province.
Speaking of the open market, Zochodne and others have also reported on the fact that PointsBet has announced it has officially applied for an online sports betting and online casino license in Alberta. That means customers in Alberta can now pre-register with PointsBet and any other operator that applies for a license in the province.
Canadian Gaming Business chronicler Tom Nightingale reported last week comments from BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt that Alberta will be its first online casino endeavour since 2022 when that province gives the green light to its open and competitive market. Also, we noticed on the LinkedIn this week a post from BetMGM looking to fill three positions with an eye towards Alberta.
That means customer acquisition season has officially opened in Alberta, which is predicted to launch later this year – in all likelihood before the start of the lucrative NFL season (although recent GNCS guest Adam Chernoff thought there could be a push to have the open market up and running in time for the Calgary Stampede).
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A recap of Super Bowl 60, betting style
The industrious GNC editorial team spent some time over the past couple of days aggregating post-Super Bowl coverage of gambling activity that took place around the Seattle Seahawks’ blowout of the New England Patriots.
Erik Gibbs with a wagering roundup of the big game for NEXT.io.
Nevada sportsbooks saw its lowest handle post-PASPA on Super Bowl betting. But, as Ben Fawkes wrote for Yahoo Sports, don’t shed a tear for the books.
Buck Wargo of CDC Gaming provided some reasons for that decline.
According to Citizens Bank, as reported by Sam McQuillan of Legal Sports Report, player prop markets accounted for 50-60% of SB betting.
NBA put out a news release last night that this Super Bowl was the second-most watched in the game’s history and there was an unprecedented amount of engagement around the halftime show (mucho gracias, Senor Bad Bunny).
And, according to Bell Media, almost 16 million Canadians took in the game and the Bad Bunny halftime show.
The NFL title game proved to be very, very good for the prediction markets business.
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box and did some tap dancing around questions on potential insider trading.
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.
That one time we fete Friday the 13th
We’re feeling lucky on a work week that ends with Friday the 13th.
And feeling some gratitude to boot.
Friday marks the fifth anniversary of launching this destination for coverage of the Canadian – and beyond – gaming industry. Since announcing the arrival of The Parleh (now known as Gaming News Canada) on Feb. 13, 2021, we’ve since produced some 400-plus newsletters, almost 200 podcasts – and in the first couple of years, our weekly audio shows on first Clubhouse, then Twitter Spaces and later, LinkedIn Audio.
There are too many mentions to make, but we want to give a tap of the Christian Classic to our sponsors, the people involved in the industry who’ve lent their expertise, experience and voices to our coverage, and to the journalists whose reporting, insight and analysis through the written word, podcasts, tele-o-vision, streaming and good old fashioned radio have helped us immensely to deliver the latest and most relevant news to our subscribers.
Speaking of which, a huge thank you to our subscribers on Substack and Linkedin over these five years (and thank you to The Parleh’s Bianca Marolla for the above image). We’re honoured to have you as readers, listeners and viewers.
Sport Integrity Canada CEO Jeremy Luke on the Gaming News Canada Show
The Winter Olympics are off and… sliding? skating? flying? Before the torches were lit — there are two in Italy — Steve McAllister, the host of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, had a conversation with Jeremy Luke, the CEO of Sport Integrity Canada (SIC).
The organization formerly known as the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport collaborated with the Canadian Olympic team pre-Winter Games to educate athletes about integrity monitoring and match fixing, and Luke also addressed the role of the International Olympic Committee in trying to keep the Games free of competition manipulation.
The conversation also included SIC’s partnerships with companies such as IC360 and Luke’s continuing advocacy for the federal government to sign onto the Macolin Convention. Luke and his organization is also keeping close tabs on this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will include games here in Canada.
You can listen to the show here or watch it here:
Your ideas, our execution.
Supporting brands takes on several layers. At Parleh, we help agencies deliver entertaining, engaging video content on behalf of their clients.
To learn more about Parleh’s production capabilities and to learn about how we can help operators and suppliers preparing to do business in Alberta’s new regulated gaming market, please email Lindsay Rennie (lindsay@theparleh.com).
People on the Move
Doug McLarty is appointed Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
UK Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes will take his leave at the end of April.
GameSquare Holdings appoint Amaree Tanawong as Chief Operating Officer.
Aristocrat names Bob Serr as Chief Technology Officer and Dafne Guisard as Chief Commercial Officer, EMEA.
Luke Sammut is promoted to Chief Financial Officer for Booming Games.
Former FanDuel VP John Maguire is the new Chief Customer Officer at LuckBox Studios.
Kyle Wachtel steps down as Chief Marketing Officer at BetHog.
Pablo Jensen, ex of Better Collective and Sportradar, joins EveryMatrix as Chief Technology Officer.
Marc Tibbo takes his leave from Absolutebet as Chief Revenue Officer.
Jenny Blogg, ex of Allwyn, is named Chief Commercial Officer at The Rank Group.
Sharp Alpha head honcho Lloyd Danzig is appointed a Venture Partner at Griffin.
Dean Ehrlich joins XST Capital Group as a Senior Advisor.
Paul Schillig has a new title at Hard Rock Las Vegas: Vice President of Operations.
Amanda Costa departs ARRISE to join CP Games as VP of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships.
ProphetX promotes Alex Nickel to VP of Product.
Aird and Berlis legal beagle – and resident gaming industry expert – Peter Czegledy is named Co-Chair of the International Committee of the Sports Lawyers Association.
White Hat Studios appoint Johan John, formerly of Lucksome, as Head of Games Design.
Anton Rogov, formerly of Flutter International and Stars Technologies Services, is named Head of Engineering at BLAZESOFT. And Daria Litovsky is promoted to Creative Director with the Toronto company.
ComeOn Group promotes Tommy Ringrose to Head of Trading.
Gambling Insider hires veteran gaming industry journalist Robyn McNeil as a News Reporter.
Suzy Khimm has a new beat at NBC News covering prediction markets and sports betting.
David Nilsen is appointed Editor-in-Chief at Norwegian media outlet Kongebonus.
Irish igaming and sports betting business The Unit adds Conor Durnin to the leadership team.
Jordan Hollander is appointed Assistant Director of the New Jersey Racing Commission.
Seminole Hard Rock appoints Christina Guerron-Orejuela as Director of Global Social Responsibility.
Rpinder Kaur joins Woodbine Entertainment as Investigative Specialist.
Louis Thompsett joins SBC as News Editor of Payment Expert and Insider Sport.
Steve Bittenbender is named News Editor for Gambling Insider.
Alessia Smirnova will leave EvenBet Gaming and her Business Development Executive role at month’s end.
Paddy Power appoints Brendan Flood as Head of Growth – Paddy Power Sports.
Novibet promotes Giorgos Giannopoulos to Head of Media.
Finnish sports media veteran Pekka Kaidesoja is named Head of Content at Hippos ATG.
Ana Pena, formerly of Odds Scanner Group, is appointed Media & Communications Executive for Yggdrasil Gaming.
Kyran Littlewood, ex of Sky Betting & Gaming, joins LeoVegas Group as Senior Sportsbook Analyst.
FanDuel promotes JJ McIlquham to Growth Marketing Senior Associate.
After 19 years, most recently as Director, Project Management Office, Jim Marinelli retires from OLG. And Sarah Grant has a new gig: Manager, Customer Care QA & CX.
Gaming Innovation Group promotes Charles Camilleri to Lead Software Engineer.
Evandro Martos da Silva, ex of Betsson Group and Wildz Group, joins the People, Compliance & Enablement crew at Allwyn.
Miral Shah leaves IMG Arena to join Sportradar as Group Product Manager – Odds Sports Content.
Jessica-Leigh Brick, ex of Raketech, joins Canadian company Acquire.bet as Publisher Manager. And Steven Paulos, ex of Entain and Bet99, comes aboard as Affiliate Manager.
Susanna Sargsyan joins DATA.BET as Senior Business Development Manager.
Gabriel Scarpellini, ex of BetMGM Brazil, comes on board Hacksaw Gaming as an Account Manager.
Tim Riordan is promoted to Manager of Sports Programming at SiriusXM and Fantasy Sports Radio.
Michael Gilfillan is named to the Brand Partnerships team at Front Office Sports.
Darren Cameron is promoted to Senior Vice President, Team Strategy & Public Relations at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Kelly Gianopoulos is named Chief Marketing Officer of the fledgling Women’s Pro Baseball League.
Canada Soccer Business appoints Laura Armstrong as Vice President, Communications and Business Integration.
Joy Ghosh departs Vancouver Whitecaps FC as VP & Head of Marketing to become Head of Marketing for Asahi Canada.
Speaking of the Whitecaps, they promote Jeff Aylen to VP of Marketing.
Mark Swierszcz, ex of Google, YouTube and Bell Media, is named Head of Partnerships Canada at Substack.
Emma Healy is named Reporter, Women’s Sports at the Boston Globe.
MLSE LaunchPad elevates Amanda Bellissimo to Specialist, Member Engagement & Operations.
Laura Attwell joins Sportsnet as Sales Development Manager.
Katrin Ivanov is appointed Manager, League Communications at the Canadian Premier League.
Vanessa Webb, ex of XMC, is appointed Consultant, Sports Partnerships at Canadian Tire.
Finally, our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and fans of legendary Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Jim Robson, who died yesterday at 91 years old.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
As part of its preparations to join the Alberta market, BetMGM is hiring a Manager, Relationship Marketing.
FanDuel is hiring at its Toronto offices a Senior Associate, Commercial Strategy.
Entain has an opening at its downtown Toronto digs for a Strategy Manager, Canada.
Hard Rock Digital is seeking a Senior Manager – Risk Operations.
Bet99 is looking for a Casino Coordinator and a Sports Trader.
Legend is searching for a Digital PR Specialist.
The Northern Super League has a remote position available for a Director, Fan Analytics.
Scotiabank is in the market for a Senior Manager, Global Sponsorships (Hockey).
The very, very good people at Jays Care Foundation are on the hunt for a Specialist, Donor & Government Relations.
CCM Hockey has need of a Social Media Specialist.
Toronto-based Stadium Live Studios has an opportunity for a Video Content Creator Fellowship (Sports & TCG Collectibles).
South of the Border
Catena Media is in hiring mode for a General Manager.
Las Vegas-based SCCG Management is searching for a Director of Casino Sales.
Hard Rock Digital is on the lookout for a Senior Director. Media Planning & Strategy, a Manager – Live Dealer Studio, a Manager – Casino Supplier Relationship and a Manager – Trading Hypercare.
GameSquare Holdings has a quartet of opportunities.
Georgia-based PlayOn Sports requires a Chief Information Security Officer.
Konami Gaming needs a Senior Manager, Art Design.
Fanatics is seeking a Staff Product Designer for its prediction markets product.
BLAST has an opening for a Sponsorship Account Manager.
BetMGM is in hybrid hiring mode for a CRM Data & Enablement Manager.
Paramount is searching for a YouTube Programming Manager (SportsLine/Sports Betting).
The Boston Globe is looking for a Sports Investigative Reporter.
National Hockey League HQ in New York has a hybrid gig available for an Analyst, Venue Business.
In Minneapolis, Red Bull is hiring a Manager, Athlete Marketing. And in Santa Monica, the company is seeking a Director, Trade Marketing.
Across the Ponds
DAZN Bet has a plethora of openings in Europe, including a VP, Brand & Product Storytelling.
Australia-based sportsbook Dabble is looking for a Chief Financial Officer.
Push Gaming is on the lookout for a Head of Game Development.
Gamingtec has three openings in its marketing department.
BOYLE Sports has an opportunity in Gibraltar for a Campaign Executive, Sportsbook.
ComeOn Group has a hybrid opportunity in Europe for a Brand Strategist Lead.
OpenBet is hiring a Licensing Analyst in London.
DAZN is looking for a Senior Program Manager – Global Content & Editorial.
Better Collective has an opening in Paris for an SEO Manager – European Markets.
Clarion Events is seeking a Conference Manager.
Novibet has an opportunity in Athens for a Digital Media Manager.
The Athletic is looking to hire a Head of Global Sports to be based in London.
Reading and Reflection
Kinectify guy and Canadian Gaming Association board member Derek Ramm posted on the LinkedIn about the Supreme Court of British Columbia recently upholding the BCLC’s policy of requiring source of funds from customers. You can read the entire ruling from the court here.
BetRivers is back with its Olympic commercials on CBC’s Winter Games broadcasts, and the timing coincides with attracting customers to its future Alberta business.
As Tom Nightingale reported for Canadian Gaming Business, BetMGM boss Adam Greenblatt is stoked about bringing the operator’s igaming products to the new Alberta market.
For the horse racing followers among our loyal subscribers, Dave Briggs tapped the keys for Canadian Thoroughbred on the impact of taxes from both sides of the border on the racing industry here in the Great White North.
Montreal company Acquire.bet is getting together with E2 on a partnership of the strategic sort.
Incentive Games is making its maiden appearance in Canada through a real-money content partnership with Loto-Québec.
There’s a move afoot in Nevada for the state to address a decline in visits by its Canadian and Mexican customers.
FOGNC Chris Grove provided a teaser on the ground he plans to cover when he joins Pierre Lindh and Co. at next month’s NEXT.io NYC Summit.
Sportradar released its 2025 integrity report, showing a decline in match-fixing.
Dan Piepenbring tinkled the keyboard for The New Yorker on the “good old days” of gambling.
Reporting from ESPN’s David Purdum that Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase is alleged to have thrown suspicious pitchers (we’re not talking spitters a la Gaylord Perry) in at least 48 games over two years.
A jury found former MLB outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to U.S. officials looking into an illegal gambling operation.
Count The Guardian’s Owen Lewis among the folks who take issue with the getting together of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo with Kalshi.
The governor of Arizona is proposing a sports betting tax rate for the state’s legal industry.
The U.S. Congress has approved funding for gambling addiction research focused on the military.
The PGA Tour last week announced a double-digit hike on sports wagering around professional golf.
Erik Gibbs of NEXT.io reported on the UK Gambling Commission’s stance around prediction markets.
Dan Bernstein reported for Sportico on the “battle of the bookies”.
Jacob Stern did some reporting and typing for The Atlantic on the addition of prediction markets to the gambling game around the Super Bowl.
ICYMI, Genius Sports did a rather significant deal last week with the acquisition of Legend, owners of Casino.org and Covers. While the deal didn’t sit well with stock market analysts, reporting by Gambling Insider’s Gary Mcfarlane tells a different story. Genius also did a partnership deal with WPP Media in the same seven-day stretch.
The National Council on Problem Gambling is asking prediction market operators to get on board with the National Problem Gambling Helpline in the U.S. of A.
Zak Thomas-Akoo did the Q and A thing with Betsson boss Pontus Lindwall, including the FIFA World Cup and crypto.
In the latest edition of The Closing Line, Dustin Gouker is all over Kalshi’s first month like the Seahawks defence on Drake Maye.
Eric Raskin tapped the keyboard for Casino Reports on the move towards legal online gaming in the state of Maine.
By the by, Catena Media put out its year-end financials yesterday.
A student working in the athletic department at the University of Tennessee was fired for placing a wager on Kalshi.
Your friendly neighbourhood editor-in-chief appeared on the 18th anniversary show of The Sport Market to talk about the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup and a rather big year ahead for the gaming industry.
Finally, viewers of the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympic Games on CBC weren’t happy with the commercials, and it had nothing to do with sports betting and igaming.
To discuss our coverage of your company’s news and announcements and to become an advertiser on Gaming News Canada, please contact steve@gamingnewscanada.ca.
