"Our bigger goal is to get as many of these people over. And if we say to Bet365, Hey, you can't take your customers with you. They're just gonna say, ‘No thanks.’ So it's the carrot method versus the stick." ~ Dave Briggs, on Ontario's approach to attracting gray market operators.
Quick note: I used a text-to-speech program for the brief intro and ad read (because I’m not very good at those). Please let me know if you like it, don’t care, or dislike it.
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In this episode of the Straight to the Point Talking Shop podcast, I was joined by Dave Briggs, a communications specialist at Ontario Racing and a contributor at Gaming News Canada. Dave has 30 years of experience covering horse racing and has spent the last several years covering the North American online gambling space, with a focus on Canada.
After establishing he's not the Dave Briggs from GeoComply or CNN, we dive into Ontario's thriving regulated online market, including its raison d'être, market leaders, comparisons to US states like New Jersey, and more.
Dave and I also discussed the upcoming launch in Alberta and what other provinces might end their lottery-run monopolies and regulate online gambling.
We also discussed First Nations' role (Kahnawake regulating gray sites), ongoing court challenges for global poker and DFS liquidity, and why prediction markets/election betting aren't as controversial in Canada.
This episode is a must-listen for North American gambling watchers, comparing and contrasting the US and Canadian markets.
