New Ontario live casinos

New Ontario licensed iGaming brands prepare for April launch with Evolution at the helm + Is there a 4th Evolution live studio coming? (Photo by Geralt Pixabay)

Live casino gaming in the province of Ontario is about to kick start under a new license which will see Evolution become the dominant live dealer brand. The company has always operated in Canada with several licenses held across the country’s provinces and territories.

Currently, Evolution holds licenses in British Columbia (Gaming Services Provider), Alberta (Gaming Terminal Dealer and Gaming Supplier), Nova Scotia (Lottery Equipment for Atlantic Lottery Corporation) and has a certificate with the Autorite Des Marches Financiers in Quebec. The live dealer brand is also a registered iGaming company in Ontario where the new Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) licence will come into force on 4 April 2022.

Other iGaming companies also entering the market include well-known brands with live dealer casinos – LeoVegas and 888, plus Bet365 also competes with two platforms. Also, Play’n GO, Unibet, Scientific Games (Light and Wonder), Rush Street Interactive, PointsBet, BetMGM, Bragg, GGPoker, and Kindred are in the picture.

Once the Ontario AGCO licence is issued, these brands must guarantee that their games cannot be accessed by players at any non-Ontario licensed online casinos. I.e., casinos with an MGA or Curacao licence. That includes games provided to these casinos via software partners or directly to the casino platform. It is this specific rule that may explain the absence of other popular live dealer brands when the marker launches at the beginning of next month.

For the time being, Evolution is the only live dealer brand mentioning holding a licence with the AGCO. EGT Interactive, Pragmatic Play Live, Playtech, and even Evolution owned Ezugi are yet to announce any involvement in the Ontario gaming market. This could be because these companies are waiting to see how well the new Ontario iGaming market will perform. The current provincial population is 14.57 million. In comparison, the province is a similar size to Pennsylvania, the USA’s largest state with an iGaming framework in place, the potential is huge. Pennsylvania now records over $100 million in revenue each month, and the total market is expected to crash through the $1 billion mark in GGR for 2022.

However, the Pennsylvania and Ontario iGaming markets are very different by nature and could the reason companies like Pragmatic Play Live are yet to jump on the bandwagon. Online gambling was practically inaccessible in Pennsylvania, while Ontario citizens have always had access to live casinos licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and Curacao eGaming (Antillephone NV).

Do live casino brands foresee a potential slow uptake?

Many citizens may not switch to Ontario live casinos, especially since many of these establishments will only offer live games from Evolution. On the other hand, provincial citizens that prefer diversity may continue their existing memberships with live casinos offering games from multiple brands. The same applies to video slots.

Our most recent live casino review covers Winstoria live casino, which is one of many live casinos in Canada with live dealer games from 10 live casino platforms. Asia Gaming, BetGames (formerly BetGames.TV), Evolution, Ezugi, HoGaming (Amaya), Lucky Streak, SA Gaming, Vivo Gaming, XProGaming and LiveGames. Evolution and Ezugi titles will no longer be available to members from Ontario, however, that still leaves 8 brands to choose from.

Is Evolution Looking to Open a Fourth US Live Casino Studio?

In other news, there are hints of more live dealer studios under the Evolution brand coming to the US. Recent changes on the ‘Compliance & Markets’ page suggest the brand could be lining up a move to target the state of Connecticut. Evolution already holds a State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (SCDCP) ‘Online Gaming Service Provider’ licence in the Constitution State.

The licence gives Evolution market access to distribute its Big Time Gaming video slots portfolio which operates under the Evolution brand as well as its range of first-person live dealer games. Red Tiger Gaming and NetEnt slots also fall under the Evolution brand. However, Connecticut is also prime hunting grounds for a news studio. The only hold back would be that possibly the market reach in the state is not huge, with a popular population of just 3.5 million.

Evolution live studios are spread across 3 states Michigan (10 million), Pennsylvania (13 million), and New Jersey (9 million) currently target a total of 32 million with a fourth studio in Connecticut raising the bar to 35.5 million citizens. Whether the expense of such a venture is worthwhile remains to be seen. Evolution also holds an Interim Gaming Supplier license in West Virginia, which has a population of 3 million, but still hasn’t committed to opening a studio in the state.

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