Two months after the official launch of iGaming in Saskatchewan, the province is now reporting that the new internet market is enjoying quite the interest from local bettors. The market is overseen by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority which reveals that for its first two months, the market has recorded over 8,000 registered users and more than CA$10 million in wagers.
Saskatchewan locals are able to place wagers online since November 3, 2022, as the internet gambling market went live that day. Via a collaboration between SIGA and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation from last year, the latter was able to launch its PlayNow.com gambling platform in the province of Saskatchewan for its players to enjoy.
First Market Impressions
In a recent interview, SIGA’s Director of iGaming, Mike Bellegarde, commented that opening the online gambling sector has been a success. He stated that in its first two months of online operations, the province had registered more than 8,000 users. In November total betting handle reached approximately CA$12 million and December saw an even larger one with CA$18.2 million.
The regulator is now looking forward to what will come as the organization has signed partnerships with the Saskatchewan Rush and the Roughriders. Mr. Bellegarde said that the iGaming portal has the potential to be one of the largest grossing casinos for the province. He added that lots of communities in the North are already really active on the online platform.
Speaking of partnerships in October 2022, BCLC’s PlayNow announced that it has teamed up with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. This way, the platform became the team’s official online and sportsbook partner for the season. Via the agreement, the website’s logo will be displayed on the team’s jerseys for the season. There will also be plenty of brand activations across the stadium.
Soon the website will also add live dealers, which will further enhance the experience for online bettors. On this, Mr. Bellegarde said that chatting and interacting with dealers when playing brings a whole new level of interactivity to the overall experience. In his words, this is something that many customers rate and it will certainly bolster the platform’s offerings.
And since the website is provincially regulated, SIGA’s official noted that as the only legal option in the province, players can be assured that their money and details will be safe. He continued by saying that PlayNow is not a website where nobody knows where it is headquartered, he believes that it is important that people know that their deposits are safe.
November Launch
At the debut of PlayNow at the start of November 2022, SIGA reported that the website comes with over 500 casino casinos and a full suite of premium sports betting options. The regulator also informed that proceeds from the platform will be shared between the province and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. It is expected that it will generate CA$60 million in the first four years of operations.
Source: “A very successful first couple months for province’s only regulated gaming site”, Laronge Now, January 4, 2023
