Rivalry Corp., an internationally-regulated sports betting and media company, today announced that it has submitted an application to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the “AGCO“) to become a fully registered operator of internet gaming and sports betting in Canada’s most populous province.
Upon Rivalry’s application being approved and the registration issued through the AGCO’s subsidiary, iGaming Ontario, the Company will be able to offer its esports and sports betting products and one-of-a-kind casino offering, Rushlane, to customers in Ontario. The Company anticipates that the successful completion of this process could result in Rivalry commencing esports, sports betting, and iGaming operations in Ontario within the first half of 2022.
“As a Toronto-based company, and long-standing member of the tech ecosystem here, we could not be more excited for the opportunity to finally offer our incredible product and brand experiences at home in our own backyard,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “We applaud the government of Ontario for its leadership in developing a robust licensing regime for iGaming. Ontario’s iGaming framework has the potential to set an international precedent for how to successfully launch an open licensing model in North America, protect consumers through prudent responsible gambling practices, and attract and create thousands of highly paid tech jobs in Ontario.”
On August 27, 2021, the Canadian government enacted Bill C-218 which gave each of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments discretion to conduct and manage single-event sports betting in their respective provinces. Ontario is the first province to accept applications for registration from prospective iGaming operators.
This past July, the province established iGaming Ontario to conduct and manage internet gaming in the province when provided through private gaming operators. The Ontario government’s stated objectives include creating a safe, regulated, and competitive online gaming market to help protect consumers and provide more choice while ensuring a level playing field for new businesses.
Rivalry currently holds a gaming license in the Isle of Man, which allows the Company to access over 100 markets globally, as well as a conditional license in Australia with launch slated for the current fiscal quarter of Q4/21. The Company intends to apply for additional licenses in select regulated markets around the world.
Founded in 2018 and based in Toronto, Ontario, Rivalry operates a team of over 80 employees. As a made-in-Ontario company, Rivalry strongly believes in growing its business right here at home and hiring the top talent Ontario has to offer. The Company’s thoughtful and ethical approach to esports and online gaming in other jurisdictions has helped it achieve the highest monthly engagement of any brand in esports betting.1
