AGCO Approves Nine New Brands
The Canadian province of Ontario’s chief gambling regulator, The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has announced that it has approved and subsequently issued online gaming/iGaming licenses for nine new betting brands, operated by the likes of Apollo Entertainment, Betsson, and the Boyd Gaming-owned Pala Interactive. The licenses are currently valid for a one-year term.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has announced that it has approved and issued online gaming/iGaming licenses for nine new online gaming betting brands. ©lucasgeorgewendt/Pixabay
Ontario’s Regulated Online Gambling Market Finally Launched in April 2022
The Canadian province of Ontario’s online gambling market grows ever-more crowded, with recent news from the province’s main gambling regulator, The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), revealing that it has approved and granted nine new online gambling/iGaming licenses for nine new brands, owned and operated by the likes of Apollo Entertainment, Betsson and Boyd Gaming-owned Pala Interactive.
This development means that all nine brands will now be able to offer games of chance in Ontario’s iGaming market for a relatively limited one-year term. Seven licenses were issued to Apollo Entertainment Ltd alone, an operator which is perhaps most known for providing casinos with its Games Global slots. The other two licenses were awarded to websites operated by the Betsson-owned GWN Limited and Boyd-owned Pala Interactive.
The seven websites owned and operated by Apollo Entertainment Ltd include the likes of Zodiac.casino, Yukongold.casino, Luxury.casino, Grandmondialcasino.com, Casinoclassic.com, Captain-Cooks.casino, Goldentiger.casino. Meanwhile, On.canplaycasino.com and Ot.betsafe.com are owned and operated by Palo Interactive and GWN respectively.
For context, Ontario’s legalized and regulated online gambling market launched only quite recently – on April 4th, 2022, to be exact – with the launch arriving three years after the provincial government announced plans to put an end to the lottery’s online gambling monopoly in April 2019. Legislation followed soon thereafter in 2020, introduced by the provincial government with the intent of establishing a new licensing regime – a crucial regulatory hurdle that needed to be taken care of prior to the market’s launch.
iGaming Ontario, AGCO Subsidiary, Released Vertical’s Q1 Financial Report in August 2022
iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and another regulatory body handling specifically online gambling matters in the province of Ontario, came out at the end of August 2022 with a financial report showing the results of the province’s first quarter of legal iGaming.
The report revealed an encouraging gross gambling revenue (GGR) of CA$162 million (£106.4m/$118.1m/€121.1m). These impressive results stand in relation to a total amount stake, excluding bonus stakes, of CA$4.07 billion.
Dave Forestell, who is board chair of iGaming Ontario, sees the strong results as early indicators that the province is well on its way to becoming one of the foremost gambling markets in the world:
“Our aim is to be the best gaming jurisdiction in the world and these positive results are an early sign that we’re on our way. With a competitive revenue share rate and low barriers to entry, Ontario is an attractive igaming market with a strong player base.”– Dave Forestell, Board Chair, iGaming Ontario (iGO), Press Release
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) Entered Ontario Market in September 2022
In further Ontario online gambling news, the popular US-based casino and entertainment resorts company Mohegan announced in September 2022 the launch of its own online gambling platform in the Canadian province, operated thanks to its partnership with the Fallsview Casino Resort.
Sporting the name PlayFallsview, the platform will offer Ontario-based players the ability to put down online wagers on a rich selection of various professional sports, as well as furnish them with access to online internet casino games.
Mohegan has technology solutions provider Kambi to thank for building the technology on which the online sportsbook will run. Furthermore, Mohegan and Fallsview have also gone out and recruited partners such as Pala Interactive and Intelitics to support the platform’s launch.
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) director of products, Todd Stender, thanked the operator’s partners for supporting it in its launch efforts in Ontario, making sure to remind observers that Evolution is also participating in the launch with its live dealer games:
“We’re thrilled to be launching playfallsview.com with the help of some of the most powerful technology in the industry. Our partnerships with Pala Interactive and Kambi’s powerful sports betting platform has allowed us to deliver a full suite of the best casino content. We’re excited to be offering the top slot games our customers know and love, in addition to live dealer games via Evolution, and expanded sports wagering content powered by Kambi.”– Todd Stender, Director of Products, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), Press Release
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LeoVegas Was Approved for Launch in Ontario Back in March 2022
Back in March 2022, Sweden-based online gaming provider LeoVegas revealed that it was one of several iGaming operators to receive regulatory approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
At the time of this news, the license it was granted was only provisional, with the iGaming provider subsequently needing to enter into an operating deal with AGCO subsidiary iGaming Ontario.
This, however, didn’t prevent LeoVegas’ chief executive Gustaf Hagman choosing to emphasize the operator’s already well established presence in Canada:
“Over recent years, the LeoVegas brand has become the third most well-known casino brand in the Canadian market and Royal Panda has shown strong growth – a clear sign that the mobile gaming experience we offer is appreciated by North American customers.”
