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eSports betting vs classic sports betting in North America, a hot topic at Sports Betting & Casino Summit North America

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All major sports leagues have been postponed and most of the major sports leagues have been cancelled until further notice – more and more countries are banning major events, fewer and fewer sporting events are taking place. But how should sports betting providers react when enthusiastic betting customers, who want to pursue their hobby, no longer have an offer to bet on? What can you do as a provider who wants to remain relevant and maintain a corresponding offer for your players?

The answers are Virtual Sports (betting on virtual sports events) and eSports (betting on competitions in computer games).

Bets on popular online video games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Starcraft 2 and CS: GO can hardly be ignored on today’s betting market. Especially in the target group of under 30s, eSports are becoming more and more popular and are now being broadcast 24 hours a day via channels such as Twitch. The worldwide turnover on eSports betting amounts to more than USD 1.8 billion, a figure that is all the more impressive considering the comparatively small fan base. But eSports are steadily gaining more fans, on the one hand due to an aging target group and on the other hand due to an increasing awareness.

The top players themselves, who are comparable in their professionalism and skill to professional soccer or tennis players, are now activating more fans than the Superbowl, for example. The Intel Extreme Masters eSports tournament in Katowice, Poland welcomed more than 173,000 spectators on site and 46 million online in 2019. With prize pools of up to USD 100 million (Fortnite World Cup 2019), player salaries are in no way inferior to those of many professional footballers.

Just like with traditional sports, bets are placed on individual teams and players in eSports. Due to the large number of different types of eSports, the resulting number of betting markets is enormous – the simplest and most suitable betting type for beginners, of course, remains the bet on the overall winner of the game.

The offer of eSports betting is growing steadily – and since it is already common in eSports to play without an audience (most of the season matches are held in small studios), eSports events are a great alternative to the sports events that are currently being canceled.

Depending on the legislature of the respective target market, eSports can complement their offer and are becoming increasingly important. Particularly during the current crisis, interest in eSPorts is likely to experience a rapid increase.

The top industry companies have all confirmed their interest to join the Sports Betting & Casino Summit North America (Virtual Conference), which will open its virtual doors between 23-24 June.

The virtual seats are limited, so hurry and register now to secure your seat(s)! REGISTER HERE

And among the many topics, we are putting together a special panel discussion which is titled “ESPORTS BETTING VS CLASSIC SPORTS BETTING IN NORTH AMERICA

The panel discussion will be joined by leading experts such as J Moses (Investor & Board Advisor of Bet.Works), Grant Johnson (CEO at Esports Entertainment Group), David McDowell (Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at FSB​) and Mark Robson (Co-Founder at Champion Sports​). The discussion will be moderated by Marek Suchar (Head of Partnerships at Oddin.gg).

J Moses

Investor, Advisor at Bet.Works

I have nearly 40 years of experience in sports, entertainment, technology, betting & games as a CEO, Founder, Investor, Advisor, Producer & a Director for public & private businesses around the world.

Currently I am hyper focused on the confluence of Technology, Games, eSports, Sports, Betting and Entertainment.  I serve as a Director at Take-Two Interactive (Nasdaq: TTWO), publisher of Rock Star, 2K & Private Division Games.  I’m also an investor & Board Advisor of Bet.Works (sports betting), ReadyUp (eSports team building), Prize Payments Pro (eSports), and SimulMedia.

After Princeton, I had the dream job of working at ABC Sports where I worked on sporting events around the world, including 4 Olympic Games.  I spent 2 years as Special Assist to Roone Arldege, President of ABC News & Sports.

Read full bio here!

Grant Johnson

CEO at Esports Entertainment Group

Grant Johnson, B.A., Chairman and CEO, Esports Entertainment Group

Grant has served as Chairman and CEO of Esports Entertainment Group since 2015, where he oversaw the Company from its’ inception as an esports wagering company long before most of the world knew of the existence of esports, to a successful NASDAQ IPO and $8.4M raise in April 2020.

His experience in online gambling came from 1996 to 1999 where has Vice President of Vancouver based Starnet Communications International, Inc. a recognized leader in the Internet gambling industry. As Vice President of Business Development, Mr. Johnson led Starnet’s sales team and was a driving force behind Starnet’s leading market position in the B2B sector of the Internet gambling industry.

Mr. Johnson was instrumental in the business development activities at Starnet and was directly involved in establishing many of Starnet’s strategic industry partnerships. A subsidiary of Starnet, World Gaming, still exists today.

Read full bio here!

David McDowell

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at FSB

David is the co-founder and CEO of FSB.  FSB was established in 2007 with the vision to build the industry’s first highly automated sports betting platform driven by live data.  The company has become established as a leading B2B solutions supplier best known for its live sports betting technology and as a pioneer of delivering fully managed trading services.

Read full bio here!

Mark Robson

Co-Founder of Champion Sports

Mark Robson is the co-founder of Champion Sports, an innovative sports betting platform licensed by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. Over the last 15 years, Mark has held a number of high-profile positions within the iGaming industry, including the Head of eGaming for the Department of Economic Development on the Isle of Man.

Read full bio here!

Marek Suchar

Head of Partnerships at Odding.gg

Marek Suchar, Head of Partnerships at Odding.gg started his career in financial services where he held senior and managerial roles in various areas including business development and sales. His passion for esports brought him to the industry, specifically to the betting vertical. Leveraging the newest technologies at Oddin, Marek aims to significantly improve the engagement within esports betting and build partnerships that will shape the future of esports and esports betting.

Read full bio here!

Do not miss this unique opportunity to attend a virtual conference that gathers all North American gaming industry experts for 2 days of discussions and networking. Register your seat now!

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Maverick Games Launches Sports Betting Operations in Ontario

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Maverick Games has launched sports betting operations in Ontario, through a partnership with Delasport.

Maverick Games will offer Ontarian players a premium sports betting experience, built on Delasport’s superior technology and known for its unique innovative features that players love including personalization, recommendations, gamification, quick bets, player engagement features, and more.

Maverick Games is the second brand to launch on Delasport’s technology in Ontario, with another full turnkey brand set to go live soon. Delasport also recently unveiled its innovative sports betting jackpot network game, SuperPot. The company will showcase this unique product at the Canadian Gaming Summit next month and begin rolling it out to Ontarian operators shortly thereafter.

“We are proud to see Maverick Games live and thriving with our one of a kind sportsbook solution at its core. They have been a fantastic partner from the start, and this launch further demonstrates how fast and efficient our technology is when paired with a clear vision and strong collaboration,” said Rosaire Galea Cavallaro, VP of Business Development at Delasport.

“Maverick Games’s sports vertical is a major step forward for us and launching it with Delasport has been the right move from day one. The platform’s performance and flexibility allow us to deliver the kind of user experience we believe Ontario players deserve. We’re excited to now bring that vision to life,” CEO Matt Rathbun said.

The post Maverick Games Launches Sports Betting Operations in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Canada

Tsleil-Waututh Nation Signs MoU to Acquire Casino Business at Hastings Racecourse & Casino

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Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire the casino business and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino (Hastings) in the City of Vancouver from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (Great Canadian Entertainment).

“We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our Nation in our traditional territory, and we are eager to work with the senior management team at Great Canadian Entertainment to finalize due diligence and execute a definitive agreement, as well as working with the City of Vancouver to ensure the best long-term use of this important asset within the City. We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course,” said Jen Thomas, Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

“We are excited about working with TWN on their potential acquisition of the casino operations and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino. Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN’s traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset, and we look forward to supporting them in the transition after the anticipated close of the sale,” Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment.

The agreement is subject to further due diligence, finalization of financial terms and the execution of a definitive purchase and sale agreement. Once a definitive agreement has been executed by the parties, it is anticipated that the transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by gaming regulatory and other authorities, including certain approvals by the City of Vancouver given its ownership of the real property. It is expected that Great Canadian Entertainment will provide transition services to TWN for a period of time following the anticipated closing.

The post Tsleil-Waututh Nation Signs MoU to Acquire Casino Business at Hastings Racecourse & Casino appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Ben Clemes

High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario

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High Roller Technologies, operator of the premium online casino brands High Roller and Fruta, announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application in Ontario, Canada, targeting the launch of its flagship brand HighRoller.com in the second half of 2025.

“The submission of our licensing application to access Ontario’s regulated online gambling market is an important milestone in our Company’s journey. Once our application is approved, we anticipate that we will have the opportunity to launch our online casino product into the market later this year,” said Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller.

Ontario is one of the largest regulated online gambling markets in the world as measured by gross gaming revenue. In 2024, regulated online gambling operators within the province generated approximately $2.3B in gross gaming revenue, and growth continues to be recorded in the first half of 2025. Recently, the province of Alberta passed enabling legislation to establish a regulatory framework for online gambling. Once available, the Company also intends to pursue licensure in Alberta to expand its regulated market footprint in Canada.

“Ontario is missing an elegant brand like High Roller. We’re excited to roll out the red carpet for our new customers, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our tremendous product,” said Clemes.

The post High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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