The coalition conversation continues, and Sports Interaction opens The Locker Room
Quebec Online Gaming Coalition spokesperson Nathalie Bergeron provided an update. Sports Interaction unveils its live watch party, and PointsBet CEO sees a path to profitability in Canada.
In this issue:
Coalition keeps the conversation going in Quebec
Sports Interaction opens The Locker Room
PointsBet CEO eyes profitability in Canada
NHL EDGE has sports betting possibilities
Brewer says farewell to Kindred Group
GNC Show welcomes Epoxy.ai, PointsBet Canada execs
Coalition continues the regulatory framework parlance
It’s been a while since we checked in on the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, which was established back in May as an advocacy group for the creation of a regulated online sports betting and gaming marketplace in La Belle Province. Given the release earlier this month of the latest quarterly market performance report by iGaming Ontario, and the subsequent questions about what’s happening in other provinces with potentially following Ontario’s lead, the timing was quite good to check in with the coalition.
“Our focus continues to be on generating conversation,” Nathalie Bergeron, the coalition’s spokesperson, told Gaming News Canada during a phone interview yesterday afternoon. “We wanted to start a debate in the province about a change in the framework, and it’s very interesting to see how it’s evolving.
“We’re having discussions with different stakeholders. We’ve met with elected officials from different (political) parties, met with consumer protection groups.”
As reported in this space last month, the NBA, CFL and MLS have expressed their support for an expanded landscape that would have online sports betting and gaming companies operating in a regulated industry and providing tax revenue to the Quebec government. The coalition has called for the creation of an independent regulatory body, as recommended in 2014 by the Online Gambling Task Force chaired by Dr. Louise Nadeau. Bergeron also pointed to Public Health Montreal issuing the same recommendation last month when it advised against plans by Loto-Québec for a gaming lounge at the Bell Centre.
“What we’re seeing happen in Ontario has so many lessons,” Bergeron told us. “Operators are applying for licences, and gamers are flocking to regulated websites. That shows the model works, and the revenue numbers speak volumes. Also, (provincial) operators aren’t losing money.”
That last quote would be in reference to the latest annual report from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, as covered here last week. Dave Pridmore, OLG’s chief gaming officer, appeared on the Gaming News Canada Show last week, and spoke about operating in a highly competitive jurisdiction.
“On the digital side, we talked a little bit at the one-year anniversary (event hosted by the Canadian Gaming Association in April) and looking at that competitive market as an opportunity to rethink some of the things we were doing, some of the customer experience we were providing, and really try to up our game,” Pridmore said. “Organizationally, we really pivoted to deliver faster improvement to our products.
“We were up 30 per cent (in digital gaming proceeds) in 2022-23, and our growth is continuing.”
Bergeron added that the coalition met with representatives from the provincial Minister of Finance’s office this summer and is “sharing relevant updates as they come forward”. She added that the coalition is working on presenting more information to the province, and public.
“Before we launched the coalition, there was no conversation (about regulated gambling in Quebec). Ontario implemented its model last night, but no one was really looking at it. We’ve forced the government to take note of the success of that model.”
Sports Interaction opens the door to The Locker Room
When it comes to burnishing the brand, Sports Interaction has gone down the road of slapping a heaping helping of kimchi on a hot dog, a splash or three of sriracha into a bowl of soup, a few additional flecks of hot pepper flakes and cayenne into a pot of chili, more jalapenos on the plate of nachos.
OK, OK, you get it.
From Chris Pronger appearing in commercials last spring having some fun with the advertisements of competitors to the most recent campaign proclaiming that Americans “know jack about hockey”, the Entain-owned, Canadian-based company is promoting its product in a unique way. Beginning tonight, it’s using its product in a unique way to further engage its existing customers, and to attract new ones.
The Locker Room, a live watch party streamed inside the Sports Interaction app and on its website, debuts this evening during the Bills-Buccaneers NFL Thursday nighter. Produced with support from Homestand Sports (which has the same owners as Gaming News Canada) inside a studio at the SIA offices in Toronto, TLR will be broadcast on the NFL’s biggest nights - Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays - and will also be live during Hockey Night In Canada on Saturdays (makes sense, given Sports Interaction’s new prominent partnership with Sportsnet on Canada’s longest-running television show).
“We have our own channel within our site,” Michael Zitney, the former Sportsnet branded content guru who joined Entain as director of brand and content in February, told Gaming News Canada yesterday during an interview towards the end of the working day. “Our hosts are watching the game along with you, betting on the game, and entertaining you. We hope to attract someone who hasn’t placed a bet before. They may watch just because they want to be entertained.”
The talent roster will be unveiled over the coming weeks but will be made up of people who love sports, and are knowledgable about betting. The hosts will also be keeping tabs on all of the action that evening. The Locker Room will also feature original content, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video with ambassadors such as Pronger, Mitch Marner, Leon Draisaitl and Chris Pronger.
“They’re going to be reacting to the game. In-game betting is massive now, so they’re going to be providing tips. . . . ‘Go bet now, this is what we’re seeing’,” Zitney said. “It’s truly taking that gambling experience within the moment to an entirely new level.
“(And) it really is groundbreaking, especially in this market.”
Our entire interview with Zitney, including a conversation on the Hockey Night in Canada partnership, will be released this afternoon on the latest Gaming News Canada Show podcast presented by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.
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PointsBet eyes profitability for Canada biz in 2025
In his latest quarterly earnings call yesterday, PointsBet CEO Sam Swanell said the company is on the path to profitability, and that includes its Canadian business.
“In FY25, we want Canada profitable,” Swanell told analysts and media types. “The Canadian business provides shareholders continued exposure to the fast-growing North American market through a jurisdiction that is more attractive than most US states.”
He added that PointsBet is focused on improving its online casino product, and that commitment appears to be punctuated this week by the hiring of former Bally’s and BCLC igaming specialist Brooke Hilton as the first Head of Casino for the Canadian business.
“[We] are also actively working to significantly enhance our casino product offering in order to improve the overall experience for customers in terms of games offerings, bonusing options, which are both key elements to growing market share in Ontario,” Swanell continued.
Of note from the latest results:
And. . .
NHL’s latest data push has potential sports betting impact
The National Hockey League, with the help of Sportradar, unveiled for the puck public this week a new advanced statistics section on its website. NHL EDGE, as it is called, gives hockey fans access to some data from the league’s puck- and player-tracking system that until now had been available only to teams and broadcasters.
Among the tres cool stats are maximum skating speed, skating distance, shot speed and shot/save location. From ESPN hockey personality Greg Wyshynski’s article:
These stats can be filtered by forwards and defensemen, as well as game situation (even strength, special teams). Most of the stats are also divided into all three zones -- offensive, neutral and defensive. For example, McDavid's 4.42-mile performance saw him skate 44.8% of that distance (2.33 miles) in the offensive zone.
For some stats, the zones are shaded to indicate whether the player's performance is above or below NHL average for that season.
NHL EDGE data can also be generated into visualizations that give a full picture of a player's performance or can be overlayed onto each other for comparison.
(For the hockey pucks among our readership, we also recommend reading Eric Engels’ interview with Mike Kelly of Sportlogiq for Sportsnet.ca.)
Gaming News Canada reached out to the league to ask the opportunity for the additional stats to be used in the sports betting space.
“The League is excited for the launch of the NHL EDGE site, which will provide fans insight into data and statistics that haven’t been available before,” Keith Wachtel, the NHL’s chief business officer and senior executive vice president, said in a statement emailed to your curious chronicler. “In addition to great story telling, this data will enable our valued sportsbook partners to potentially engage our fans more than ever with unique prop bets like fastest skater, hardest shot or distance travelled.
“We look forward to the future possibilities and applications of NHL EDGE.”
Also, on the Sportradar front, the company let it be known earlier this week that it was expanding its partnership with BetMGM to provide access to products and services that include NBA optical tracking data. The official data, provided exclusively by Sportsradar through its agreement with the league, will give BetMGM the ability to offer new player prop markets, in-play betting, and same game parlays.
Brewer bids adieu to Kindred Group
When we first met Amanda Brewer in the winter of 2021, we were doing the Rosetta Stone thing with regards to learning about the business of sports betting and gaming, and writing about it in the newsletter formerly known as The Parleh. In her position as a senior advisor/consultant to the Canadian Gaming Association going back to 2010, Brewer, along with Paul Burns, and others who prefer to be anonymous, were incredibly generous with their insight and time on the industry to a journalist learning the industry at warp speed.
Later that year, with the door to a regulated, open industry having been unlocked in Ontario, Brewer was among the first significant hires by an incoming operator when she was named Canadian country manager for Kindred Group and its Unibet brand. While doing her day job, she has continued to be a source of information and perspective, not only for this media destination which includes frequent appearances on the Gaming News Canada Show, but in meeting rooms and at/on conferences/summits/webinar/forums, etc.
Brewer’s time with Kindred Group came to a close yesterday with a post on her LinkedIn page that included: “It was an honour to be part of the first group of operators who launched in Ontario on Day 1, and to work with all of you to try to make the Unibet brand as successful as possible.”
Needless to say/write, but we’ll do so anyway; we wish her well with the next chapter of her career.
Epoxy.ai’s Angelides, PointsBet Canada’s Sulsky join LinkedIn Audio
Your mostly modest correspondent (for the hockey pucks among our loyal readers, we’re pleased to report a two-goal effort in the weekly shinny game yesterday. . . .) has some pep in our step when thinking about this afternoon’s Gaming News Canada Show presented by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP on LinkedIn Audio.
Our regular contributors/experts/fountains of knowledge Amanda Brewer and Kris Abbott are scheduled to be joined by PointsBet Canada CCO Nic Sulsky, who’ll provide details around the hiring this week of Canadian gambling industry veteran Brooke Hilton as the operator’s first Head of Casino. But we’ll start the hour with Jason Angelides, the founder and president of Epoxy.ai, the personalization tech company that’s doing business with sports leagues, betting companies and media entities.
As usual, the first pearls of wisdom drop very shortly after 1 p.m. ET.
Classified (Jobs) Information
Sports Interaction is in the market for a Head of Digital Media and Planning.
Bet99’s Montreal office is seeking a VIP Account Manager.
iGaming Ontario has a job opportunity for a Senior Financial Analyst.
iGO’s parent agency, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, is searching for a Senior Operational Planning Advisor.
The good folks at Bettingjobs.com are doing the recruiting thing for a Head of Operations gig in the Great White North. Please contact Jonathan Revie-Singh (jonathan@bettingjobs.com) if interested.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation is hiring a Senior Data Analyst, and is also in the market for a Senior Specialist, Research and Insights.
SBC has an opportunity for a Business Journalist to be based out of Canada or the U.S. of A.
DraftKings is in hiring mode for a Communications Manager - Entertainment & Lifestyle, and is also seeking an Ohio-based Player Development Manager.
FanDuel has an opening in New York for a Corporate Compliance Senior Associate.
Covers is searching for a Financial Planning and Analysis Manager.
OLG is on the lookout for a Senior Audit Specialist.
Hard Rock Digital’s Atlantic City business is seeking a Payments & Fraud Specialist. The company’s UK business is also hiring a Trading Proposition Manager.
Entain has a job opening at its Gibraltar location for an AML Manager - International Subsidiaries.
For its Isle of Man location, Rivalry has a job posting for a Bookkeeper/Accountant.
NEXT.io has an employment opportunity in Malta for a Product Owner.
Spotlight Sports Group has an opening for a Human Resources Administrator at its offices in London.
OverActive Media esports franchise MAD Lions is searching for a Director, Marketing.
BV Group has an opening for a Ruby on Rails Developer.
LiveScore Group is seeking a Country Manager - UK (Virgin Bet)
Social sports betting app Pikkit is hiring a Product Engineer in New York.
IGT PlayDigital has an opening for a Graphic Designer.
Nisqually Red Wind Casino is looking for a Player Development Manager.
Rogers Sports & Media has an opportunity for a Reporter, Punjabi. Khuśakisamatī!
Toronto’s MLB franchise is searching for a Data Engineer, Baseball Systems.
MLSE has a one-year contract available for a Manager, Digital Campaigns & CRM/Email Strategy.
There’s a job posting at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver for a Senior Business Development Manager.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto is hiring a Vice President, Development & Marketing.
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