Nearly one year after Rivalry Corporation launched its eponymously-named Ontario sports betting platform, the Toronto-based sports betting and media company announced it had launched its online casino in Ontario.
Rivalry said it also plans to launch a mobile app in Ontario but did not provide a time frame for when that would occur.
Rivalry Casino debuted with eight casino games on the website Casino.exe. The company didn’t identify the games it would offer players from its home province, but they likely include baccarat, blackjack, poker, and roulette — games Rivalry added to its online casino platform on January 30.
“Launching our casino experience with a proven product that we’ve validated in our other markets is an exciting next step as we continue to grow our reach and offering in Ontario,” Rivalry CEO Steven Salz said in a statement Wednesday.
Rivalry Introduced Aviator in September 2022
Casino.exe displays a user interface screen on startup with amusing messages that resembles an Apple II interface from the 1980s. Once the online casino opens, a clickable cartoon axolotl offers more amusing messages.
Rivalry Casino lists the games mentioned above plus additional titles — including Aviator, Bomb Squad, Crazy Dice, Courier Sweeper, Deal or No Deal, Dream Catcher, Lightning Dice, Monopoly, Penalty Shootout, and Wheel of Time.
The online casino also offers Rushlane, a game Rivalry developed in-house. The company coined a new online gaming category, Massively Multiplayer Online Gambling Games (MMOGG), following the development of Rushlane.
“Casino.exe has been a catalyst for our business and a meaningful addition for our users, delivering a premium, interactive, and proprietary experience that differentiates our brand in a competitive market,” Salz said.
Rivalry introduced Aviator, its first-ever third-party casino game, in September 2022. The company said that since then, it has developed “a custom gaming experience unique to Rivalry” that includes table games and live dealer games.
Revenue from online casino gaming conducted via its international gaming license has “driven immediate material impact to the company since its launch,” Rivalry said. The company, which holds a license issued in the Isle of Man, said online casino contributed 30% to handle from sports betting and drove 15% of revenue in Q3 2022 “with minimal marketing efforts.”
Said Salz: “We’ve taken a strategic approach to casino that prioritizes design, user experience, and the selective curation of games geared for a targeted audience of next-generation users.
“Rivalry continues to find business-defining strength through product innovation, investing in a unique user experience and engineering entertainment into our platform.”
Online Casino to Build Upon eSports
Rivalry was one of several operators to launch sports betting in Ontario on the day the market opened — April 4, 2022. It was also one of four Toronto-based operators to launch in the province.
But Rivalry differs from other sportsbooks in that it offers betting on eSports. The company has previously stated that eSports represented its most significant revenue segment for sports betting.
Last September, following the launch of Aviator, Rivalry said it would “build upon its eSports betting business with the addition of casino.
“The company believes the trust it has fostered over the years will enable more rapid organic adoption of new product offerings such as casino.”
