Connect with us

Canada

More UK Casinos Likely to Move into the US in the Near Future

Published

on

 

The UK gambling market may be one of the largest in the industry, but it’s also one of the strictest in world. Over the past few years, the Gambling Commission has placed more restrictions on online casino and betting operators. This has prompted several big brands in the United Kingdom to consider expanding their businesses overseas in the growing US gambling market.

That being said, it’s not only tighter regulations that has caused UK betting and online casino site operators to show interest in the evolving American gambling market. Financial gain is another driving force for UK companies. Ever since 2018 when the US Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in America, several states legalized it and began offering both online casino and online sports betting activities. Currently, online casinos are legal in 6 states and online sports betting is legal in 21 states, and more states are expected to legalize some form of online gambling activity in the future.

As gambling becomes legalized throughout America, its popularity grows, as does its revenue. According to the American Gaming Association, although December revenue has yet to be reported for 2021, the US’ annual gaming revenue for 2021 reached $48.34 billion through the end of November. This number crushed the industry’s 2019 full-year record of $43.65 billion. What’s more, this eleven-month period in 2021 tracked 21.3% ahead of the same eleven-month period in 2019.

Long-time UK Brands Compete Over US Market

Wanting a piece of this profitable pie, a number of UK gambling firms have seized the opportunity to break into the growing lucrative market. The primary goal: either to become a valuable business partner with an American gambling giant or to be a takeover target. Notable examples of UK gambling firms that are making their mark in the USA include:

Entain

Entain PLC, the UK owner of popular casino and betting brands Ladbrokes and Coral, entered into a $200 million deal with American hospitality and entertainment company MGM Resorts back in 2018 to capitalise on the newly liberalized sports betting market in the US.

Fast forward a few years later and the latest projected deals reveal that major American sports betting company, DraftKings, sought to acquire Entain for $22 billion in cash and stock in September 2021. However, this offer, as well as a previous offer of $11 billion from MGM Resorts to acquire Entain back in January 2021, were rejected. According to MGM – Entain’s joint venture partner – a DraftKings acquisition of Entain would require the consent of BetMGM due to DraftKings owning a competing business in the US.

Flutter

Also wanting to bolster its assets in the United States, Flutter Entertainment – owner of PaddyPower and Betfair – acquired FanDuel in 2018, one of the leading daily fantasy sports operators in the US at the time. Later, in 2019, Flutter merged with Canadian company The Stars

Group. With the merger, Flutter expanded further into the US, as media giant Fox corporation – which owned a minority stake in The Stars Group – took a 2.6% minority stake in Flutter Entertainment. Moreover, the merger resulted in the creation of the largest online gambling company in the world based on revenues.

Today, Flutter holds a 95% stake in FanDuel, which offers daily fantasy sports, sportsbook, online casino and horse racing products in several states. FanDuel is also the leader in the US online sports betting industry, with 40% of the market share.

William Hill

William Hill, another huge UK brand well known for its online casino and sportsbook, also made headlines in the industry with a major US gambling deal. Instead of partnering with an American company or acquiring one however, William Hill was purchased by American hotel and entertainment company Caesars Entertainment. William Hill agreed to the £2.9 billion ($3.9 billion) takeover bid by the Nevada-based casino operator in September 2020, after previously turning down two rival bids by another US company, Apollo, a private equity group.

Caesars completed its acquisition of William Hill in April 2021, after which William Hill was delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Later in September of that same year, Caesars sold all of William Hill’s non-US assets to 888 Holdings for £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion). In the US, William Hill sportsbooks were rebranded to Caesars Sports.

What is in Store for 2022

This year, it is likely that more deals will occur between the two nations as the world slowly comes out of the clutches of the pandemic and more US states pass laws to legalize gambling within their borders.  Both UK gambling operators and US gambling operators have plenty of benefits to offer the other.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

BetRivers

NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform

Published

on

netgaming-goes-live-in-ontario-with-rush-street-interactive-via-betrivers-platform

 

NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.

As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.

This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.

Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: “We are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.”

Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: “We are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.”

This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.

The post NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Canada

User-Centric Redesign for Casinosfiables.ca

Published

on

user-centric-redesign-for-casinosfiables.ca

 

Casinosfiables announced that they have redesigned their existing site – https://casinosfiables.ca/ to better address current user demands.

Although the site’s functionality aligns with modern industry standards, the redesign is a step in the right direction and could very well give a competitive edge.

The changes addressed certain functionality concerns and aligned with ever-changing user preferences and behavior.

• Seamless page transition – The overall performance of the site improved, so pages loaded faster, despite the addition of new elements.

• Integrated social media buttons – Buttons that lead to social media pages became more visible, so it is easier for readers to complete engagement incentives that granted them affiliate-exclusive rewards or promo codes.

• More valuable insights – Previously, charts and ratings were only explained in separate reviews. The new roundup charts and ratings had a dropdown feature that provided more insights or clarity behind the rating.

• Relevant search filters – Some trends or categories that targeted user intent weren’t visible in the previous version. The updated version introduced new categories that better reflected player preferences, or included roundups based on casino features (e.g., cashback, no wager promos, game providers) that weren’t at the forefront previously.

• Author pages – Readers who had similar opinions and game preferences to the site’s authors gained the ability to find other texts from those authors. Each casino expert received a dedicated page listing all of their publications.

The changes were finalized over the past few months. The team pushed these updates in batches rather than a single big update.

The post User-Centric Redesign for Casinosfiables.ca appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

BCLC

Vancouver Resident Purchased Winning $40 Million Lotto Max Ticket While Quenching Sparkling Water Craving

Published

on

vancouver-resident-purchased-winning-$40-million-lotto-max-ticket-while-quenching-sparkling-water-craving

Phuc Duc (Daniel) Chau loves the Bubly brand of sparkling water and stopped in a convenience store to purchase a can. Chau likes to buy lottery tickets based on a gut feeling, and due to the employee’s bubbly nature while he purchased his Bubly, Chau also purchased a Lotto Max ticket for the May 23, 2025 draw.  

It was this ticket that ended up scoring Chau a whopping $40-million jackpot.  

“I was at work when I found out,” recalled Chau of the moment he realized he won. “I was going through my bag to find a cough drop, but I saw that I had two lottery tickets in my bag and decided to scan the tickets, but I needed to update the [BCLC Lotto!] app first. The first ticket I didn’t win anything, but the second said $40 million. I have never seen that many zeroes in my life, ever. I dropped my phone and then called BCLC right away!” 

At the time of the prize claim, the Vancouver resident hadn’t yet shared the news of his win.  

“My partner doesn’t know yet! I want to share the news with them in a special way.”  

Chau shared that his dream has always been to travel the world. “There are so many places I want to go to, so I haven’t fully decided!” 

When asked if he will quit his job, he said, “I haven’t decided, but I want to continue to support my community in a different way.” 

On how it feels to be a multimillionaire?  

“It means a lot to me. It opens up an opportunity for me to give back to my family, community and the world all around me. It’s not meaningful unless you can share this with those who need it.”  

Chau purchased the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Imperial Street and Boundary Road in Burnaby.  

So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $146 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).  

Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. 

BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits.

The post Vancouver Resident Purchased Winning $40 Million Lotto Max Ticket While Quenching Sparkling Water Craving appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Trending