A quick look on Monday morning at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario registration site reveals some new players to Ontario sports betting.
Casino.com (Mansion Ontario Holdings Ltd.), conquistador.com (Mobile Incorporated Ltd.), mrvegas.com and videoslots.com (both Videoslots Ltd.) are the latest in what should be a busy week of announcements. Operators have until Oct. 31 to comply with the new provincial standards for iGaming.
Gaming companies (operators) that have been successfully registered by the AGCO and have executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario may offer their games to players in Ontario on behalf of the province.
There should be more online casino Ontario operating agreements announced this week, meaning sites can go live. Some, like Pinnacle, which is going live this week, operated in Ontario’s gray market for years.
There are currently 27 licensed operators, according to the iGO site.
Dahlin Stakes On The Rise
There is lots of talk about Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, who was named the NHL’s No. 1 star of the week last week.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook Ontario, Dahlin has attracted the second most stakes in the Norris Trophy market, only trailing Colorado’s Cale Makar.
Bettors were forecasting a breakthrough season for Dahlin heading into the year. He has received 2.4 times more stakes than the third most staked player in the Norris field (Detroit’s Moritz Seider). Dahlin is now +2400 for the Norris Trophy; he opened at +5000 before the season.
Kambi, Great Canadian Entertainment Offer Retail Sportsbook
Another indication that live, land-based retail sportsbook experiences are coming soon to Ontario: A deal announced between Great Canadian Entertainment and Kambi to launch sportsbooks in their casinos. Those options accompany Ontario betting apps in the wagering market, which launched on April 4.
Kambi provides sports betting services, including front-end user interface, odds compiling, customer intelligence and risk management, licensed to B2C gaming operators, built on an in-house software platform. Kambi clients include Kindred Group, Penn National Gaming, Rush Street Interactive and LeoVegas.
Kambi gained regulatory approval in March to offer its sportsbook technology in the province. And last month, the company announced a deal with two Mohegan-owned casinos in Ontario – Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara. Those two companies have an online partnership, and a total of 36 kiosks will be installed across both properties.
Casino Niagara’s sports bar is being converted into a retail sportsbook. MGE’s Play Fallsview digital casino and sports betting platform is licensed and live in Ontario.
Great Canadian Entertainment owns and operates 12 casinos in Ontario.
Kambi will provide its retail sportsbook solution to 10 of their Ontario-based casinos and will set up betting kiosks.
“I am delighted to form this exciting sports betting partnership with Great Canadian, which is rightly regarded as one of Canada’s premier gaming and entertainment companies with an unrivalled retail footprint,” Kristian Nylen,Kambi CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “This underlines our position as the leading multi-channel sportsbook provider in North America and we are looking forward to working with the talented team at Great Canadian to deliver a market-leading sportsbook experience for its patrons. This underlines our position as the leading multi-channel sportsbook provider in North America and we are looking forward to working with the talented team at Great Canadian to deliver a market-leading sportsbook experience for its patrons.”
Tony Rodio, chief executive officer of Great Canadian Entertainment said: “The addition of sports betting at 10 of our Ontario-based gaming destinations is an important new amenity, elevating the gaming experience for our guests.”
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation oversees the opening of land-based retail sportsbooks in the province. The delay in opening land-based casinos in Ontario over the past year has been a source of frustration for people in the industry, particularly since retail sportsbooks help drive more business into casinos that were hit hard financially during COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns, along with mobile sports wagering and the best Ontario casino apps.
