The only offering of its kind
Saskatchewan is launching its first-ever legal online sports betting and iGaming site on November 3. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) will operate the PlayNow-branded platform as a result of an agreement with SaskGaming. The platform will be the only of its kind in the Canadian province.
profits will go back into helping the local community
Commenting on the imminent launch, SIGA CEO and president Zane Hansen deemed the platform a “safe and secure option” for residents to gamble online. He also highlighted that profits will go back into helping the local community unlike with grey market platforms that take money out of the province.
Meanwhile, SaskGaming CEO and president Susan Flett believes that the upcoming launch opens up new entertainment options for provincial residents.
An established brand
PlayNow is an online gambling brand already operational in British Columbia through the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). It’s also up and running now in Manitoba. PlayNow claims to be the only gambling platform in North America with a dedicated responsible gambling team on hand through live chat.
To mark the upcoming launch, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have entered a partnership with the PlayNow offering. It will see the PlayNow logo appearing on the Canadian Football League (CFL) team’s jerseys, beginning with its game on October 22 against the Calgary Stampeders. The deal also includes various forms of in-stadium activations to promote the platform.
The road to launch
There have been a few twists and turns in the journey to the launch of the PlayNow platform in Saskatchewan. The province entered into an agreement in September 2021 with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). This paved the way for SIGA to roll out PlayNow in the province.
50/50 revenue share
It was the first time that a First Nations online gaming operator entered into a revenue share agreement with a provincial government in Canada’s history. It includes a 50/50 revenue share. The decision to go with PlayNow as the platform came in June following a bidding process.