Gaming News Canada Show

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister welcomed Dwain Powell, the Online Director, Sports Betting for Goldrush Gaming – the owners of the BetNova brand. BetNova entered the highly-competitive Ontario sports betting and igaming market this spring, so McAllister asked Powell about both the challenges and opportunities that have come from being latecomers to the province’s regulated industry. Powell also addressed Goldrush’s relationship with both the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario when setting up shop in Canada’s largest province. Goldrush is one of the 45-plus operators which have registered to do business in Alberta when the proverbial puck drops on its regulated gambling marketplace next month. Powell answered our questions on Goldrush’s road to Alberta so far and addressed the advertising and marketing strategy for BetNova, what makes the brand unique competing against established operators in Canada, and about responsible gaming. Powell told the story of his early days in the gambling business as a casino tables supervisor, moving into the online space, the legal gaming landscape in South Africa, and, of course, the World Cup of Soccer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was a “well, that makes sense” feeling on last week’s announcement by Kambi that it would be collaborating with Canadian printing security company Canadian Bank Note Company to support CBN’s online sports betting operations in South and Central America, and the Caribbean. It’s (almost) all Canadian all the time these days for Kambi, which earlier this year helped OLG launch a new and improved version of Proline in both digital and retail form, and then last month was selected by Atlantic Lottery and BCLC to provide the power behind their multi-province sportsbook. So, what better timing to welcome back to the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, Kambi’s chief commercial officer – and, of course, a Canadian – Sarah Robertson. Among the topics du jour: Kambi’s work in seven Canadian provinces;Robertson’s thoughts on the incoming regulated market in Alberta;The expected avalanche of activity by bettors around this summer’s men’s World Cup of Footy;The ongoing controversy around in-play/prop betting;The ongoing story in the U.S. these days around prediction markets.The opportunities around the growth of women’s sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve McAllister welcomed back a couple of chief executive officers to a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming: PointsBet Canada boss Scotty Vanderwel and Bede head honcho Colin Cole-Johnson. The reason for the joint appearance? PointsBet and Bede last month announced collaboration on a new casino aggregation and bonusing platform provided by Bede to the Ontario-licensed operator. Vanderwel discussed the decision to bring Bede on board to power its new proprietary platform, which gives PointsBet access to an extensive online casino catalogue that includes Games Global, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Light & Wonder, and other games suppliers. Cole-Johnson talked about the company’s experience in the Ontario marketplace through its long-time partnership with OLG, and the collaboration process between the two companies’ teams to create and launch the new platform. McAllister asked both leaders about the growth of igaming in Ontario’s regulated gambling industry, the player protection piece of the platform and the importance of both companies’ culture during the building process. Vanderwel and Cole-Johnson both addressed the opportunity around the incoming open market in Alberta and the need to create a unique product for customers in the western Canada province. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, Steve McAllister is joined by two of the leading voices in the just-released research on sports betting advertising and its impact on young men. Dr. Andrew Kim, psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Canada Research chair in addictions and mental health comorbidity, and Greo Evidence Insights chief research officer Matthew Young discussed with McAllister the findings of the research that was conducted in Alberta and Ontario. TMU and Greo received a helping hand from Brock University, the University of Calgary, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Bristol, with funding provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. Among the topics discussed:The genesis of the study, and how the funding was secured.The effect of sports betting advertising, especially on men under 30, and how those ads motivate young gamblers to play online casino games.The effectiveness of responsible gaming advertising.The need for problem gambling to be identified as a public health issue.Thoughts on placing additional restrictions on gambling advertising. The efforts by the authors of the research to get the results in front of gambling industry stakeholders. The need for ongoing research with the Ontario legal market now four years old, and an open, regulated market ready to launch in Alberta this summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A wearer of many chapeaus in the business of gambling, Benjie Cherniak joined Steve McAllister on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. Cherniak, the principal of Avenue H Capital, provided his insights and perspectives on the issues and topics of the day across the sports betting and gaming industry, including: What’s at the top of his To Do list these days, and the current landscape around startup companies in the industry. The soon-to-come launch of Alberta’s open, regulated gambling market and if that could be the catalyst for other Canadian provinces to follow suit. Four years of Ontario’s open, regulated market. How the use of data and technology has evolved. The impact of prediction markets on the U.S. gambling scene. And more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister is joined by the Senior Vice President of Group Operations at Sportradar, Sophie Thomas. Thomas, who joined Sportradar as Head of Snooker Operations in late 2012 and has served in her current role for a year now, made her maiden appearance on the GNCS at the end of a robust first quarter of 2026. Sportradar tapped into its November 2025 acquisition of IMG Arena to last week announce it is expanding its agreement with Hard Rock Bet to add PGA Tour and UFC data, odds and enhanced in-play wagering capabilities to its existing set of services in the U.S. of A. Earlier in the week, the company announced the launch of igaming brand Playradar which will combine sports data “expertise” with casino content for operators around the world, including Canada. That bit of news came on the heels of the hiring of former Playtech Live CEO Edo Haitin to oversee Sportradar’s igaming business. We asked Thomas for her thoughts on last week’s announcements and Sportradar’s increasing investment in igaming along with: The company’s involvement in this summer’s FIFA World Cup men’s tournament in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico;Other opportunities available through the IMG Arena acquisition;Working with operators to offer more in-play betting products at a time that some regulators and others are asking for a reduction in said products;Sportradar’s ongoing role supporting the efforts of leagues, organizations and other bodies in monitoring suspicious betting activity;If/how does the company fit with prediction markets, specifically given Sportradar’s deal with Major League Baseball, which just introduced Polymarket as a partner in a multi-year agreement.How Sportradar is exploiting the growth of women’s sports in North America and Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The co-founder and Managing Director of iGaming B2B supplier mkdodo, Stuart Godfree, is Steve McAllister’s guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. Godfree, whose company creates mobile apps and websites for sportsbook, casino and lottery operators, is among the legions of industry stakeholders on the road to regulation in Alberta. He provided his thoughts on the opportunities with an open market in the western Canadian province and the rules that have been in put in place for the application process. Godfree believes Mkodo’s current partnership with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation and AGLC has the company well-prepared to expand their presence there.  McAllister also asked his guest about the ongoing evolution of geolocation technology – including mkodo’s GeoLocs product and the evolution of how artificial intelligence is being used across the gambling industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, the interim Chief Executive Officer of Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), Dan Keene made his maiden appearance on the podcast. We recorded our conversation with the gaming industry veteran, who spent 13 years with the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission before accepting the interim CEO role with the new AiGC body, as more operators continued to express interest in joining the open, regulated sports betting and online gaming market in the western Canada province. Keene spoke with host Steve McAllister about the input he, Service Alberta/Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally and others have received from the gambling industry on their way to opening the application process. We also chatted about the AIGC’s current search for staff and other matters on the road to regulation. Keene, who is optimistic for a late spring/early summer launch, discussed how Ontario's four-year-old open market influenced Alberta's leaders when they created the gaming framework there, as well as the tweaks made regarding responsible gambling, advertising, AML rules and other issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 SBC Summit Canada has a new moniker, a new date and some new topics to be discussed. So, the folks in charge of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming figured the timing was appropriate to bring back SBC senior marketing guy Dennis Algreen. Algreen joined host Steve McAllister from London to set the table for this year’s gathering of the Canadian gaming industry in the city below Malton, set for May 19-21 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. We spoke with Algreen about another busy year for SBC, which also operates conferences in Rio de Janeiro, Malta, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Lisbon, about the topics to be discussed in Toronto. The summit’s dedicated conference agenda will feature three stages, each designed to reflect the key forces shaping Canada’s gaming landscape in 2026. Across two days, the program will cover leadership strategy in sports betting and casino, affiliate and advertising models, cybersecurity, land-based and lottery operations, player protection, and payments and compliance. Algreen also addressed the impact of the incoming open and competitive gaming market in Alberta on the Canadian summit, and the opportunity for the Toronto event to bring together legal operators and suppliers, provincial lottery and gaming corporations and First Nations gaming businesses and regulators.  Gaming News Canada is a partner of SBC for the Canadian conference, and we’re offering below a special discount to register for the May rendezvous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gaming industry veteran Adam Chernoff was our guest for a wide-ranging conversation during a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. Chernoff, who returned to Covers at the beginning of 2026, this time as Senior Manager – Growth Initiatives, first cut his teeth in the sports betting industry as a sportsbook manager with Bahamas-based A Sure Win in 2011 in the days when lines were set by human beings, not algorithms. The Saskatchewan native also spoke at length about the evolution of regulated gambling in Canada, including a competitive Ontario market that will recognize its four-year anniversary in April and has produced more than $2 billion in tax revenue for the province.  We also asked Chernoff for his thoughts on the incoming open market in Alberta and on the ongoing business of affiliates in the sports wagering and gaming space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.