Toronto-based NorthStar Gaming announced Tuesday that the company would be bringing its online casino and sportsbook operations to players across the country with the launch of NorthStarBets.com in the coming weeks.
Northstar Casino already debuted in the regulated online gaming province of Ontario in May 2022, and will now soon go live in every Canadian province and territory.
“We are thrilled to take this groundbreaking step and become a truly national brand. As a Canadian company, we are confident we understand local consumers better than the large international competitors and that we offer a premium experience that best meets their needs,” NorthStar Gaming Chairman and CEO Michael Moskowitz said. “We expect the Canada-wide launch to be an important catalyst that drives growth in our customer base and revenues for years to come.”
Expansion Part of Company’s Growth Plans
The launch into other parts of the country comes as NorthStar has begun a promotional campaign to grow awareness of the homegrown brand among Canadians. The campaign makes use of the tagline “That’s a Win.”
In addition to national advertising and social media engagement, the company plans to launch in-market promotions over the next two months built around major events in various regions of the country. Ontario remains the only regulated online gaming province within Canada, although attempts are being made to change that in other provinces including Quebec.
Much of the rest of the country remains a “grey market,” with some provincial lotteries offering online gaming, such as in British Columbia and in the Atlantic provinces. Some international online gaming operators, including online poker operators, accept players from Canada as well.
Northstar is now entering that market with the announced expansion. Management also notes that the expansion will help the company be well-positioned in the event that additional markets seek regulation.
“The national launch is expected to significantly expand NorthStar’s addressable market and accelerate its growth,” Northstar noted in announcing the expansion plans. “A growing customer base will leverage the Company’s investments in highly scalable infrastructure, human resources, proprietary content and marketing. Furthermore, building the brand and customer base across the country will help ensure NorthStar is well positioned as provinces establish their regulatory frameworks.”
The Canadian online sports betting and iGaming market is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2026, according to Northstar, with more than 60% of the market outside Ontario.
The expansion comes after Northstar acquired Slapshot Media earlier this year. Slapshot helps Northstar integrate more media content into its sports betting and casino products, and bettors in other provinces will now be able to take advantage of that.
The platform attempts to differentiate itself from others in the industry by offering real-time sports news, statistics, analysis, and editorial content integrated directly into the betting environment. Northstar also aims for more personalized customer service for rapid resolution of issues as well.
The integration of artificial intelligence capabilities is also becoming a bigger focus for the company and will help tailor the betting experience to the specific preferences of individual users. Northstar received significant financing this year from gaming giant Playtech.
Ontario Lottery Taking Bids on Windsor Casino
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced Tuesday that the bidding is open for companies interested in running the operations at the corporation’s Windsor casino, currently known as Caesars Windsor.
“The RFP (Request for Proposal) will enable OLG to select a highly qualified service provider to handle day-to-day operations while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the site — so it can continue generating economic benefits for the local community and for Ontario,” the OLG noted in announcing the bidding.
The property was opened in 1998 and has been operated by Caesars throughout its existence. The hotel and casino not only provide gaming opportunities for those in Canada, but also caters to players in the United States and is located just a short drive across the border from Detroit.
The operations bid may signal Caesars is possibly leaving the market, but the company may also be among the bidders to continue the relationship as well. Caesars hasn’t commented on the situation and also operates online gaming in the province as well.
Companies receiving bidding documents were selected through an OLG pre-qualification process that ended in May. In order to maintain the integrity of the procurement process, OLG officials said they will not be releasing details of the documents and names of pre-qualified bidders while the process is ongoing.
The OLG won’t offer more updates on the bidding process for the Windsor casino until a company is selected. A timetable on that wasn’t released, but there’s a chance the casino’s operations could be changing hands in the near future.
