Saskatchewan’s sole legal provider of online sports betting sites says its platform got off to a profitable start in late 2022 and early 2023.
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) released its 2022-2023 annual report on Wednesday for the year ended March 31, with the casino operator reporting a solid debut of its PlayNow online gambling site in the province.
PlayNow, developed by and similar to the site run further west by the British Columbia Lottery Corp. (BCLC), launched with online casino gambling and sports betting in Saskatchewan on Nov. 3, 2022.
SIGA says it has acquired more than 15,000 clients since then, and that PlayNow "was profitable in its first fiscal year of operation."
The bulk of the action in the early days was on the casino side of PlayNow, though. SIGA reported $113 million in online slot wagers from November to the end of March, $50 million in slot spins, and $4.995 million in net win. However, just $117,000 was wagered on sports.
“The launch of PlayNow.com on Nov 3, 2022 brought an exciting new business channel with many new customers,” SIGA President and CEO Zane Hansen said in the annual report.
“SIGA will focus in the next year on the development of PlayNow’s customer base through enhanced marketing capabilities and partnerships with other gaming stakeholders in Saskatchewan.”
Legal options limited
PlayNow is essentially the only legal game in town for an online version of Saskatchewan sports betting, although residents may still be patronizing offshore and illegal operators. A retail version of sports betting, Sport Select, is available in the Prairie province via lottery retailers.
All told, SIGA reported a record-breaking year, with the group saying PlayNow and its seven brick-and-mortar casinos took in $292.6 million in revenue and generated a profit of $126 million.
SIGA's profits are shared between First Nations (74 of which founded the authority as a non-profit corporation), the province, and the charitable and non-profit organizations in the communities in which casinos are located.
“The launch of PlayNow.com, the first legal online gaming and sports betting site in Saskatchewan, was another historic landmark with SIGA being the only First Nations owned company to have a 50-50 sharing agreement for online gaming revenue in Canada,” said Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, in the report.
“By ensuring that we have a seat at the table in this new online landscape, SIGA is securing future economic opportunities and expansion for our people.”
