This week is one of the celebrations for the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, as the regulator kicked off operations of a sports bar at its Dakota Dunes Casino. This is the first sports bar across its properties and it is branded Sevens Sports Bar. For the occasion, SIGA held a special grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday night.
Founded in 1995, SIGA is a non-profit organization created to bring economic benefit to First Nation people via regulated gambling. It currently operates a total of seven land-based casinos across Saskatchewan, and its operations give back to the communities where its members work and live. Funds also support business opportunities and economic development projects.
Opening its First Sports Bar
The opening of the brand-new Sevens Sports Bar at the casino marks the first sports bar at the regulator’s gaming properties across Saskatchewan. On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, SIGA organized a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new venue impresses with seating, a full dining menu, large TV screens, and a jumbo 18 by 30-foot jumbo television.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Operating Officer of SIGA, Zane Hanson, commented that via the bar, patrons will be able to wager online on sporting events via the PlayNow.com platform. He said the regulator wanted to compliment the offering with a really engaging experience at its properties. This is done by the state-of-the-art viewing systems which create an immersive environment.
Mr. Hanse elaborated that the launch of the regulated online gaming market in Saskatchewan has had a major part in the opening of the sports bar at Dakota Dunes Casino. There are plans to add such an amenity to SIGA’s other casinos. The CEO noted that each casino will introduce a similar bar with different spaces and availability in size to bolster the patron experience.
iGaming for the First Time in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan’s first and only regulated online gambling platform officially started to accept online bets in November 2022. For the initiative, BCLC provided its PlayNow platform and for the first two months, the portal reported 8,000 registered users and more than CA$10 million in wagers. This translated to approximately CA$12 million handle in November and CA$18.2 million in December.
In the middle of January 2023, PlayNow added further gaming variety for local bettors to enjoy. This marked the introduction of live dealer games on the platform. According to the news release, the BCLC is utilizing Evolution’s live games portfolio for the Saskatchewan platform. The new content was described as highly engaging by the regulator.
After the integration PlayNow is now offering 17 digital table games to its bettors in the province. Some of the titles that are available include some of the industry’s best-selling titles. This includes Auto Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Baccarat eSqueeze, Dream Wheeler, Infinite Blackjack, Lightning Auto Roulette Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and more.
Source: Willick, Joel “Dakota Dunes celebrates grand opening of first SIGA sports bar” MBC Radio, March 7, 2023
