Gaming News Canada

Just before the torch was lit to officially open the Winter Olympic Games of Milan and Cortina, Italy, Jeremy Luke joined us on the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. Luke, the president and CEO of Sport Integrity Canada, spoke with your humble host about a busy time for the rebranded organization, including its tri-focused mandate on safe sport, anti-doping and competition manipulation in our home and native land. SIC collaborated with the Canadian Olympic team pre-Winter Games to educate athletes about integrity monitoring and match fixing, and Luke also addressed the role of the International Olympic Committee in trying to keep the Games free of competition manipulation. Our conversation also included SIC’s partnerships with companies such as IC360 and Luke’s continuing advocacy for the federal government to sign onto the Macolin Convention. Luke and his organization is also keeping close tabs on this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will include games here in Canada

In 11 days, the Olympic flame will be lit to raise the curtain on the Milan/Cortina Winter Games in Italy. Two days later, Bad Bunny will be joined at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, by the two last-standing teams in the National Football League for Super Bowl number 60. This summer, footy fans around the globe will be focused on the happenings on pitches in Canada, Mexico and the United States during the FIFA World Cup. Months before the start of a very, very busy sports calendar, Vividata went and did some research on the habits of Canadian sports consumers in this still-evolving era of traditional television, digital and streaming services, and sports betting apps. So, on the eve of the Olympics and the Super Bowl, the timing was rather perfect to have Paul Briggs join your humble host on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. Briggs, the Senior/Principal Analyst for EMARKETER’s Canadian business did a rather deep dive into the report. That included the ongoing power of live sports for consumers in-stadium and watching from the comfort of their living rooms, in a bar, in a train or at an airport gate. Vividata’s survey also revealed that one-third of sports bettors are wagering at least once a week and 5% are betting daily. Briggs and host Steve McAllister also mentioned the 10 most-engaged sportsbook apps in Canada including three from provincial lottery and gaming corporations. Briggs also spoke about advertising and sponsorship in the Canadian sports industry and a surprising revelation about merchandise sales.

Before hopping on a plane to Spain for this week’s ICE Barcelona, gaming industry veteran Ilkim Hincer hopped into the virtual studio for a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. The interview with Hincer, the Chair Emeritus of the Canadian Gaming Association who joined Integrity Compliance 360 in October as President, Canadian Operations & Managing Director, Global Advisory Strategy, took place just days after Alberta Gaming Liquor & Cannabis made registration available for the province’s incoming legal sports betting and gaming market. Hincer, who joined gaming industry stakeholders on a call a week ago with Alberta minister Dale Nally and AGLC personnel, provided his thoughts and layers on the next Canadian jurisdiction to join Ontario in a competitive, regulated marketplace. Hincer, given IC360’s involvement in U.S. college sports, was guarded in his response to our question about a point-shaving plot involving 39-plus players and 17 Division 1 teams in NCAA men’s basketball. He also discussed with host Steve McAllister last week’s announcement of an extended agreement between IC360 and the PGA Tour to incorporate the company’s ProhiBet platform into the tour’s gambling oversight. Finally, McAllister asked the former CGA chair if he had any words of wisdom for incoming Chair Scott Vanderwel.

When the 2026 season of sports betting and gaming conferences gets rolling next week at ICE Barcelona, there will be a segment of attendees climbing out of their hotel beds before the sun rises, putting on their shorts, T-shirts and hoodies and then heading to the gym for some skipping, jabbing, bobbing and weaving. . . and trying to avoid getting knocked on their derrieres by the heavy bag. Who to “blame” for this early-morning sweaty session around the boxing ring? That would be Lee McFarland, the creator/owner of Beyond the Gloves, with a helping hand from the Chair/founder of Bede Gaming, Michael Brady. Bede, the sponsors of this august podcast, are supporting the latest opportunity for gaming industry types to live and learn from the teachings of McFarland in Barcelona. The pro-pugilism pair were our guests on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. McFarland explained the decision to launch Behind the Gloves towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2023 to support people – many of whom were looking to reconnect with peers and others as they began to leave remote work environments. McFarland, who also co-founded Recovery in iGaming last summer, talked about the reaction to his boxing sessions at conferences and company team-building events. Brady, who was trained by McFarland for his participation in the UK-based SBC Boxing Championship/Oliver’s Wish event, spoke about his enthusiasm for the Behind the Gloves program and the impact it has had on his own life and on Bede employees participating in the BTG sessions. While we had the two gaming industry veterans in the virtual studio, we also asked them for their thoughts on the current industry landscape. Brady addressed Bede’s partnership with OLG, Ontario’s regulated market, the company’s plans to grow in Canada, and what’s happening in other parts of the world. While McFarland has sold out his BTG sessions for ICE Barcelona, conference attendees can put their names on a waiting list.

Long-time Friend of Gaming News Canada Phill Gray, the former trading lead at Sports Interaction, joined us for a lookahead on several levels into the business of sports betting and online gaming over the next 12 months. Gray tackled the issues expected to be of the most hot-button variety across the Canadian and American gambling industries in 2026, including: The continuing conflict between prediction markets and sportsbooks which aren’t incorporating PMs into their business, and thoughts on the launch of DraftKings’ prediction market product.What’s ahead for Ontario’s competitive legal gaming industry as it marches towards the fourth anniversary of its launch in April, and will it continue to see the growth it experienced in 2025. Gray pontificates about what should be top of mind for operators in the regulated market.As we enter the NFL postseason, a Winter Olympics next month, a FIFA World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. this summer, the excitement around the Toronto Blue Jays following their return to the World Series in 2025 and the growing popularity of women’s pro sports – including the inaugural season of the WNBA Toronto Tempo coming this spring – 2026 promises to be a big year for bettors and the books. Gray also discussed the changing responsibilities of sportsbook traders and the impact on artificial intelligence and data companies on them. Some advice for the powers-that-be responsible for creating Alberta’s open market, expected to launch sometime this year. The concerns surrounding prop betting by sports leagues/organizations and public health advocates. And, of course, we asked Gray for his new year’s predictions around the industry in Canada.

On the final episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming for 2025, GNC writer-in-chief Dave Briggs and Covers gaming industry senior correspondent Geoff Zochodne were our guests for a media roundtable on the year that’s been, and what lies ahead for 2026. The conversation included a record revenue monthfor Ontario’s legal operators in November with non-adjusted gross gaming revenue surpassing $400 million for the first time since the province’s open, regulated market opened its doors in April 2022. Zochodne and Briggs provided their thoughts on Ontario, the province’s Court of Appeal decision earlier this year around liquidity and what should be top of mind for iGaming Ontario boss Joseph Hillier and Co. going into 2026. Of course, there’s a segment devoted to Alberta and the provincial government’s plans to launch its expanded legal gaming marketplace next year. Our two media guests chimed in on the industry’s continued efforts around responsible gaming, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s latest plan to turn Niagara Falls into the “Vegas of the North” and a discussion around changes to the Canadian horse racing industry – including Great Canadian Entertainment’s decision earlier this month to close historic Hastings Park. Finally, Briggs and Zochodne identified some storylines to follow over the next 12 months.

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, Steve McAllister’s guest is the general counsel for Soft2Bet – owners of the Ontario-licensed ToonieBet brand – David Yatom-Hay. Yatom-Hay, who previously worked at DraftKings and GamingTech, provided some thoughts and layers on ToonieBet’s past 12 months, which included partnership deals with the Canadian Football League and the Ottawa Senators, the launch of its sportsbook app and competing with big, established brands in the North American gaming space (Soft2Bet is almost set to launch in New Jersey). On the heels of our interview with Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners on the previous podcast, we asked Yatom-Hay how the Ontario model compares with other jurisdictions (Sweden, Denmark and Mexico, to name a few) where Soft2Bet does business and the lessons learned in Ontario that could be applied to Alberta’s plans for an open gambling market.  Soft2Bet’s legal beagle provided a few details on the company’s recent call with iGaming Ontario president and CEO Joseph Hillier, and also discussed a recent op-ed by the company’s chief product officer, Yoel Zuckerberg.

The recent announcement by the ruling government in the United Kingdom of tax rates – including a hike to 40% for remote gaming - for the gambling industry was met with an avalanche of reaction not only in the UK but other parts of the world with regulated gaming environments.So, we asked Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners – whose coverage of the international gambling landscape is a must-read (to subscribe, drop an email to dan.waugh@reguluspartners.com) – for his thoughts on the brouhaha around the tax hike and its potential impact on regulated gambling and the companies servicing the industry within the UK and to other parts of the globe. We also asked the long-time follower of the gaming industry about jurisdictions that are getting it right with their regulatory frameworks, and to weigh in on the regulated vs. black market debate around the world.  Waugh also had some words of wisdom for the folks in charge of creating Alberta’s regulatory gaming regime, opening date still TBD.