SPIELO G2 awarded Ontario egaming contract
Play OLG website will launch by the end of this year with slots, casino table games and a range of lottery products
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) lottery has appointed SPIELO G2 as its primary supplier of internet gaming products and services.
The OLG website, to be called Play OLG, will launch by the end of this year with slots, casino table games and a range of lottery products. Gaming products including bingo, poker and sports betting will also be launched in a phased approach and additional third party casino games will also be added throughout the period of the contract.
SPIELO G2, rebranded from GTECH G2 in December, will provide OLG with its Player Account Management platform and casino games as well as integrating the platform into the OLG lottery system.
The supplier was chosen to provide the backbone of OLG’s internet gaming operations after an extensive RFP process that began in autumn 2011. Four companies were shortlisted in spring 2012 and G2 was chosen as the preferred bidder in August 2012.
OLG and G2 have been working together on the project since August while contract negotiations ran in parallel. Much of the work prior to launch has been related to OLG’s extensive responsible gaming requirements which will enable players to set time and money limits for play.
The initial contract will be for five years with OLG having the option to extend the contract if they wish to.
OLG is expected to launch RFPs to find a bingo software provider and a poker software provider before Play OLG launches. The launch of sports betting is expected to be linked to a bill currently in the Ontario senate to legalise single event sports wagering as currently only parlay betting is legal. OLG will also hold a RFP process for third party game content providers who want to integrate their content into the OLG platform.
OLG’s site will launch as the only fully legal way for Ontarians to bet online but will be up against stiff competition from grey market operators such as Bet 365, William Hill, Bodog, Poker Stars and Party Gaming.
Rod Phillips (pictured), president and CEO of OLG, said: “OLG will offer the only safe, lawful and regulated internet gaming option in Ontario. The move into internet gaming is an exciting step in OLG’s modernisation. We’re pleased to have an experienced company on board to help OLG provide an interactive gaming experience that will be a secure option, regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.”
It is estimated Ontarians currently spend $400m annually gaming with grey market internet gaming providers and OLG’s own estimate is that Play OLG will make $375m net profit in its first five years in business, money which will go to health care, community infrastructure and education. OLG is relatively late in Canada to online operations with Atlantic Lottery, BCLC and Loto Quebec all offering customers the chance to play online for at least two years.
A source close to SPIELO G2 said: “OLG was a key contract for SPIELO G2 to win because it is the most significant online gaming contract to be awarded in north America to date. As a result OLG got a very good commercial deal. However SPIELO G2 is now in a great position to go into US states opening up online gaming and show they know how to deliver in a highly regulated north American market.”