According to Brooke Hilton, Head of Casino at Points Bet Canada, now that ownership issue has been resolved, the company is moving full steam ahead to increase market share in a cutthroat Ontario market while preparing for a market launch in Alberta.
With offers and counteroffers bouncing back and forth, MIXI Australia and Betr's struggle for control of Australia-based PointsBet was widely reported in the media for months.
Hard Rock Digital would have purchased PointsBet Canada if Betr's proposal had been successful.
One could see how it wasn't exactly the best setting for performing one's work to the best of one's abilities with that much uncertainty over such a long period of time. The employees were really distracted by that. For those outside, it was also prime reality TV-style entertainment.
MIXI Takeover
MIXI Australia finalized its acquisition attempt for PointsBet in September, obtaining 66.43% of the company's shares and completing its majority stake.
It was a relief to Vancouver-based Hilton, who joined the organization in October 2023. Hilton worked in iGaming project development at Ingenuity Gaming as the Director of Business Development prior to joining PointsBet. Prior to that, she worked on the Play Now casino program for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
“The clarity is absolutely powerful,” she said. “It’s key for a lot of us. I don’t know if I have ever seen a more public showing of two companies going after an acquisition. That being said, nothing really changed in the interim. Our FY 26 starts in July. So, we’re in Q2, doing well against our budget.”
Dominance of Digital Casinos in Ontario
According to Hilton, a lot of money has been invested in PointsBet's technology stack to set up the business for a smooth debut in Alberta. There have also been numerous casino-first acquisitions at PointsBet Canada. They've been better equipped for Alberta by operating in a market as competitive as Ontario's.
According to Hilton, operators must bring their "A game" for Ontario. PointsCanada Canada may set itself out in a crowded market by emphasizing back-end technologies.
"We really wanted to set up our technical foundations again, so we can incrementally add those gamification layers and do something that’s a little bit different and custom to our brand,” she said.
Since this is MIXI's most recent investment across a wide range of verticals, learning and expansion are currently their top priorities.
“Japanese culture is very long term, very considerate, very strategic,” she added.
That is necessary in a market as competitive as Ontario. There are already 77 digital gaming platforms and 50 authorized iGaming companies in the province.Hilton's Bailiwick, a digital casino, with an 84% revenue market share.
It's intriguing to wonder why online casinos are so popular around the nation. With almost 1,400 games, PointsBet Canada is gradually expanding its online casino division. The participation of MIXI will only accelerate that expansion.
Why Do Canadians Love Online Casinos So Much?
In Canada, online gambling and sports betting have been evolving.Live betting on horse racing or similar events has been far more socially acceptable and deeply embedded in the culture in other places, such as Asia, Australia, or the UK. According to Hilton, we don't always have that in Canada.
"It’s been very much online interaction with all of those products,” she said. “And I think sports betting, for the past five years or so, or maybe even longer, it’s been much more socially acceptable. It’s more crossing over into the realm of entertainment than it is gambling.”
“Sports books have gone through that image shift. Now that casino is becoming more kind of gamification, there’s a lot more social element. It’s going through a bit of an image shift, an evolution, in itself.”
Hilton continued by saying that sportsbooks and online casinos are comparable. "We see a lot of crossover from sports books to live casinos, including live dealers, as well as blackjack, baccarat, and roulette." Thus, there are many games that are thought to need talent.There are several points of decision.Interactions occur, possibly at one time with a live dealer.Many of those things also improve the player's overall experience.
Crossover between a sportsbook and a casino
For those who gamble on sports, online casinos assist bridge the gaps. Hilton stated that after placing a wager on the Leafs, you might go home, have supper, watch the game, and then log out after learning the outcome of the wager.
“It’s very transactional, one dimensional,” she said. “Whereas with casino, it’s very engaging, and it enhances that overall gaming experience. You check your [sports] bet, then maybe you play blackjack, or chat with some of the players in the room. It’s an immersive experience.”
For those of us who sit back in awe and watch those astounding iGaming Ontario numbers each month, it begins to make sense when they successfully cross-sell individuals to casinos. The market's total cash wagers in September were CA$8.55 billion, with CA$7.343 billion coming from online casinos.
On Day 1, Hilton stated, PointsBet Canada, which is already well-established in Ontario, will expand into Alberta. In FY 2025, PointsBet Canada's iGaming and sports betting revenue climbed 26% year over year to AU$42.9 million (CA$39 million).