Rivalry Launches in Ontario Betting Market
Traditional sports and esports betting provider Rivalry has deepened its operations in the Canadian province of Ontario with the launch of its mobile sports betting app. The product will enable customers to place bets on a selection of sports events and esports contests. Betting options feature the likes of football, soccer and basketball events, along with esports competitions.
The sports and esports betting operator Rivalry is expanding its presence in the Canadian province of Ontario with the forthcoming launch of its mobile sports betting app. ©geraldfriedrich2/Pixabay
Rivalry First Secured Ontario Operator License Back in April 2022
The increasingly popular sports and esports betting operator Rivalry has announced that it will be deepening its operations in the Canadian province of Ontario with the launch of its mobile sports betting app.
The mobile sports betting product will give customers the ability to place bets on a wide selection of both traditional sports events and esports contests. These betting options available to players will feature the likes of football, soccer and basketball events, along with esports competitions centered around world-famous gaming titles such as CS:GO, League of Legends and Dota 2.
For those as of yet unaware, Rivalry has in fact been active in the province of Ontario for quite some time now, ever since it first secured an operator’s license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in the province in April of 2023.
Rivalry Hopes to Target Millennial and Gen Z Customers with Mobile Betting Product
In a shared press release statement marking the news of esports and sports betting provider Rivalry’s imminent launch of its mobile sports betting product in the Canadian province of Ontario, Rivalry co-founder and chief executive Steven Salz singled out Millennial and Gen Z betting fans in particular as a wide new market for the company to tap into:
“Mobile betting is a significant addition for our Ontario operations and core audience of Millennial and Gen Z consumers that prefer the flexibility of betting on their phones. Launching a mobile app adds an important layer of accessibility to our product, increasing our addressable market in Ontario, and allowing us to bring esports betting to more customers in the region and ultimately grow the category.”– Steven Salz, Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Rivalry,Press Release
Salz continued by noting this demographic group’s particular habits and betting styles, claiming that they hold a higher standard when it comes to the things they consume and digital interfaces they engage with:
“We are engaging a demographic with unique consumption habits and betting preferences. This is a generation that expects more from the products, entertainment, and brands they consume, and we’ve customized our online betting experience to match that. Our differentiated user experience continues to act as a catalyst for our company, and we’re excited to bring this offering to the palm of our customers’ hands.”
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Fined Several Operators in April 2023
In other recent Ontario betting scene news, the Registrar of the province’s main gambling regulatory body, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), just recently in May 2023 handed out fines totalling upwards of CA$70,000 (£41,709/€47,286/US$51,815) against three operators for operating unlicensed slot games.
Operators Bunchberry Limited, Mobile Incorporated Limited and LeoVegas Gaming were all found to be in violation of Standards 4.08 and 4.09, which demand all licensees to first secure the necessary regulatory approval for all slots courtesy of an independent testing laboratory before offering games to consumers.
Furthermore, Mobile Incorporated was also in breach of Standard 1.22 because the unlicensed games it was offering came from suppliers not registered whatsoever with the AGCO and therefore in Ontario. The AGCO therefore fined Mobile Incorporated $30,000 for a triple breach of standards, LeoVegas $25,000 for its violation, and finally Bunchberry only $15,000.
AGCO registrar and chief executive Tom Mungham strongly reminded observers that the regulator holds all operators active in the province to high standards, driving home how important it is that operators only offer products after having first been approved to do so by the regulatory body:
“The AGCO holds all registered operators to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity, and monitors their activities in the interest of Ontarians. A critical feature of our regulatory framework requires operators to only offer games that are from registered gaming suppliers and have been certified by an AGCO-registered independent testing laboratory to meet the highest standards of game integrity. Ontarians who choose to play on registered sites need the assurance that the games being provided meet these requirements.”– Tom Mungham, Registrar and Chief Executive, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO),Press Release
Markor Technology Was Green Lit for Ontario Launch in January 2023
Back in January 2023, the casino software aggregation database and technology solutions provider Markor Technology was given the green light to launch in the Canadian province of Ontario by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Markor can now collaborate with licensed online casino brands in the province, which it is sure to find much success in seeing as it is already widely known for offering slots, table games, and live dealer titles.
Markor chief executive Melissa Summerfield claimed that full licensing has always been a top priority for the company, signaling to operators in the market that they would surely benefit from working together with Markor:
“The acquisition of proper licensing and certification has always been at the very heart of Markor Technology’s long-term expansion plans, so we’re obviously delighted to have been granted approval from AGCO to offer both our content aggregation platform and PAM services to all locally-licensed casino operators in Ontario. Being formally registered as a Gaming-Related Supplier with AGCO will open up a lot of new doors for our business and allow us to connect with new partners in the rapidly expanding Ontario market. We’re very much looking forward to helping operators in the province further enhance their operations and bolster the range of high-quality casino content that they’re able to offer to players.”
