Paul Burns: "The pace at which the Canadian gaming industry continues to evolve is relentless"

A new edition of the Canadian Gaming Summit is underway this week, highlighting once again the vitality of the local gaming industry. Running June 18-20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the 27th iteration of the event will be, for the second time, produced by SBC in collaboration with the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), and authorities expect 3,000+ delegates to attend.

Following a first day Tuesday that featured the Player Protection Symposium and the event's Opening Party, the main events of the summit kick off today, Wednesday, with the opening of the trade show floor. The busy exhibition area is set to bring together leading suppliers from the Canadian sports betting, iGaming and land-based casino industries, ready to showcase their latest novelties and network with other stakeholders.

Ahead of the show, Yogonet reached out to Paul Burns, President & CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, for his expert comment on why the Canadian industry is thriving and why the summit is a must-attend event for those interested in exploring it in depth. "The pace at which the industry continues to evolve is relentless, and Canada remains in the driver’s seat as its companies, technologies, products, and expertise are in constant demand," Burns tells us.

We are currently seeing more discussions surrounding technologies like AI, and debates about the expansion of online gaming and sports betting. What gaming verticals and trends do you expect to dominate the conversation this year?

There are several universal gaming trends where the Canadian industry is at the forefront:

1. Open banking allows for the safe transmission of financial information, such as gaming account and transaction data, between institutions and authorized third parties – the CGA has a payments committee that will be looking into this.

2. The mobile gambling market will continue to expand, and the majority of online betting revenue in Ontario comes from mobile gambling. With the addition of more personalization and gamification on mobile apps, mobile gaming will only get bigger and better. Linked to this, gamification features will keep expanding and suppliers will continue to customize them to players’ preferences.

3. As AI continues to progress, companies will continue to invest in finding ways to harness this technology. By effectively employing AI to analyze data, such as for responsible gambling (RG), it becomes capable of pinpointing crucial trends and detecting shifts in player preferences and behavior.

4. Lastly, operators will continue to increase investment in RG. The industry will introduce more innovative, proactive, and user-friendly responsible gaming tools and solutions.

The summit is described as “a must-attend for every company keen to do business in one of the world’s most exciting gambling markets.” How would you describe the current gambling landscape in Canada, and where do you see it headed?

The Canadian gaming industry touches almost every corner of our country to the benefit of hundreds of communities. The expansion of our industry over the past decade has been driven by several key factors: technological innovation, shifts in public perception of gaming, consumer demand for new and engaging gaming channels, and innovation occurring in a globalized, competitive market.

The pace at which the industry continues to evolve is relentless, and Canada remains in the driver’s seat as its companies, technologies, products, and expertise are in constant demand. Our highly skilled and qualified workforce and attractive tax credits are convincing European-based suppliers to make Canada their home to service the North American and global gaming marketplace.

As President of the Canadian Gaming Association, what role do you expect this event to play in the advancement of the sector and its stakeholders? Why should they not miss this exhibition?

The Canadian Gaming Association’s mandate is to advance the evolution of a regulated, responsible, and sustainable Canadian gaming industry through collaboration, education, and advocacy, and the Summit encapsulates all of this through its networking opportunities and education sessions.

In addition to examining and discussing trends in the gaming industry and shining a spotlight on Canadian innovation, we will be welcoming Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction of Alberta, who will address the participants and provide an update on Alberta’s iGaming market. The only way to learn about all of this is to attend the Summit!