Gaming News Canada

On the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister caught up with Paul Burns. The Canadian Gaming Association president and CEO was in Calgary to meet with representatives from Gibraltar – including the country’s finance minister – who were in Alberta last week for a trade mission. Burns spoke with McAllister about the one-month-old, regulated sports betting and online gaming market in the western Canada province, and the feedback he’s received on the process leading to the July 13 launch. The arrival last week of Bally Bet gives the new regulated jurisdiction some 26 websites and Burns expects more operators will join the market before Labour Day weekend. McAllister also asked Burns about the CGA’s position on prediction markets as companies such as Wealthsimple are making their case to do business in Canada with oversight from provincial securities regulators and no interference by gambling regulators. Layoffs at Better Collective and Catena Media last week are the latest to take place in a year that’s seen job cuts across the industry, so we asked Burns for his thoughts.The CGA’s head honcho also looked ahead to a busy fall when the association will release a series of white papers on the industry and is also watching bills being debated on Parliament Hill around sports betting advertising and amending the Criminal Code and Indian Act with regards to gambling. Burns said the association is also continuing to advocate for changes to the rules and regulations around anti-money laundering in our home and native land.

Geoff Zochodne (Covers) and Tom Nightingale (Canadian Gaming Business/SBC Americas) were Steve McAllister’s guests for a wide-ranging discussion on what’s happening in the business of gambling.  The topics du jour included: Thoughts and layers from the three members of the fourth estate on the opening of regulated sports betting and iGaming in Alberta last month, and what’s to come in Canada’s second regulated gaming marketplace.The panel did some spitballing around potential suitors for AGLC-owned PlayAlberta.The ongoing Ontario market which recently welcomed DAZN Bet and Hard Rock Bet and continues with 48 operators and 82 websites in a regulated landscape that is frequently praised in other jurisdictions.The fast-moving prediction markets issue in the U.S. and what may come to our home and native land.

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister welcomed GeoComply CEO Kip Levin. Levin joined the Vancouver-based company in March 2025 after spending the past decade in C-suite roles at Flutter Entertainment and its FanDuel and FOXBet businesses. So, McAllister asked Levin to share his thoughts from his experiences in the gambling industry on several topics including:The challenges to keep up with online fraudsters and scammers, especially with the ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence.The opportunities being provided by AI and other new technologies.GeoComply’s supporting role in the launch of new regulated gambling jurisdictions, including most recently in Alberta.The popularity with the betting populace around the recently completed men’s World Cup of Soccer.The evolution of GeoComply some 15 years after being founded by Anna Sainsbury and David Briggs.What does the road ahead look like for the gambling industry.

On the fourth day of Alberta’s new regulated sports betting and online gaming market, Steve McAllister welcomed back to the Gaming News Canada Show the Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta iGaming Corporation, Dan Keene. Keene talked about the busy countdown to the July 13 market opening and 18 operators being ready to make available to Alberta some 22 websites on Day One.  Among the topics also discussed: The collaboration involving all stakeholders to get Canada’s second regulated marketplace up and running.How the western Canada province has benefited from the four-year-old Ontario model.The keen interest of operators, suppliers and providers to participate in Alberta and the timing for more operators to come on board.AiGC’s focus on proactively communicating its mandate and its commitment to social responsibility.The corp’s relationship with AGLC.When you can expect to see metrics from the new market. McAllister also asked Keene for his reaction to the concerns already being written and talked about advertising and problem gambling.

On the eve of the opening of Alberta’s regulated sports betting and igaming market, the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming was joined by a couple of gaming industry veterans who are plugged into the opening of Canada’s second regulated, competitive gambling jurisdiction. GNCS regular and Canadian Gaming Association Senior VP of Policy & Communication Amanda Brewer spoke about the feedback she has received from CGA members and others in the gambling business during the countdown to opening day in Alberta. Brewer also referred to the lessons learned from four-plus years of regulated online gaming in Ontario and had an interesting response to a question from host Steve McAllister about the potential differences between the presence of the provincial gaming and lottery corporations in the two provinces. We also asked Brewer about the ongoing presence of fake online casino ads on Meta platforms. McAllister then welcomed Rich Taylor, the Director of Responsible Gaming at BetMGM. Taylor, a retired Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, told his story of serving his country and then finding his way into the gambling industry. Taylor spoke about the reaction from BetMGM customers to the most recent responsible gambling ad campaign featuring NHL superstar Connor McDavid and Newfoundland hockey legend Terry Ryan and if the Edmonton Oilers captain will appear in future RG-focused commercials – which are allowed by both the AGCO and AGLC in its rules and regulations around advertising and marketing. That led to a conversation on BetMGM’s responsible gaming efforts which include its partnership with BCLC’s GameSense platform. Taylor, the author of an op-ed last week that appeared on various Canadian media websites, also talked about the multi-dimensional approach taken by BetMGM to support safe play.

Aaron GlynWilliams, the Vice President of Safer Gambling for OLG – and the Chair of the Canadian Responsible Gambling Association – joins host Steve McAllister on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. GlynWilliams, who’s played a leadership role in OLG’s responsible gambling initiatives for more than a decade, talked about the need for all stakeholders in the gaming industry to be on the same page when it comes to safer gambling during a panel discussion at last month’s SBC Summit Canada. McAllister revisited his guest’s comments and asked GlynWilliams for his reaction to the lottery corporation’s June 1 announcement about new measures targeting online gaming customers under the age of 25. The OLG veep also spoke about his tenure as chair of the CRGA coinciding with the legalization of single-event betting across Canada, the impact on Ontario’s competitive sports betting and igaming market on OLG’s RG programs, the conversations happening between lottery and gaming corporations across the country these days, and the Corp’s existing partnerships around safer gambling.  GlynWilliams also provided his thoughts on iGaming Ontario’s launch of BetGuard, and about the incoming regulated gambling market in Alberta. 

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister was joined by Responsible Gambling Council VP of Strategy and Programs Elaine McDougall and Lisa Couperus, the council’s Director of Education and Programs. Couperus and McDougall spoke with your usually humble host about the early takeaways from the RGC’s Beyond the Game campaign, launched late last year to educate Grade 11 and 12 student-athletes and coaches in Ontario secondary schools about the risks of gambling. There was an additional discussion on the ongoing need for education for everyone involved in children’s lives around online gaming and also the federal government’s introduction last week of the Safe Social Media Act to limit kids’ exposure to social media. We also spent time talking about panel discussions and other conversations that took place around responsible gaming initiatives during last month’s SBC Summit Canada, and the increasing access to data and research focused on gambling harm. McDougall also teased an RGC announcement that’s expected to come this week that’s aligned with the attention around the men’s World Cup of Soccer.

The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming is a special soccer edition.On the eve of the start of the men’s World Cup, Steve McAllister is joined by Simon Clare the Group Director of Consumer PR and Sponsorship, UK Brands for BetMGM’s parent company, Entain. And later, the dean of Canadian soccer media, James Sharman, returns to the podcast.Among the topics du jour in our conversation with Clare, who’s been around the betting industry for more than three decades:The impact of the internet along with the legalization of sports betting in North America on betting.The global growth of soccer in North America, which includes Canada hosting men’s World Cup matches for the first time.Some advice on approaching prop/parlay/live bets during the 39-day tournament.The expectation that this World Cup will be the most highly engaged sporting event ever with sports bettors around the world.Among the issues we tackled with Sharman:The expectations for a Canadian team that’s dealing with injuries to significant players and Sharman’s take on what’s needed for Jesse Marsch and Co. to declare success.What will the legacy be for Canadian soccer from this tournament, especially given the problems mostly created by FIFA in the lead-up to this tournament?A big-picture look at the contenders, the superstar players, and some potential Cinderella stories.