BetRivers, Gateway Casinos Bridge Online, Land-Based Gaming in Alberta

BetRivers, the online casino and sportsbook brand operated by Rush Street Interactive, and Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd. are teaming up on a cross-promotional partnership six weeks into Alberta’s regulated iGaming market. Exterior image of Gateway’s Starlight Casino location in the West Edmonton Mall. (Image: Gateway) BetRivers was one of the first iGaming operators to go live in the province when the market launched July 13. The partnership pairs BetRivers’ digital platform with Gateway’s Edmonton properties – Grand Villa Casino in the ICE District, the dining, shopping, and entertainment center, and home to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and Starlight Casino inside West Edmonton Mall – where events and promotions will connect brick-and-mortar casino players to the iGaming platform. Edmonton Casinos Drive Promotion “Alberta is a market we’ve been preparing for, and our partnership with Gateway lets us welcome players in a way no one else can,” said Richard Schwartz, chief executive officer at Rush Street Interactive. “By pairing our best-in-class platform with two of Edmonton’s landmark entertainment destinations, we’re giving Albertans more ways to play, more reasons to visit, and more to look forward to as we grow in the province.” According to a BetRivers spokesperson, Gateway will expand gaming options for customers who can’t make it to a land-based casino or who prefer the convenience of playing online. Partnership Connects Gaming Channels Events and promotions will kick off this summer, with more to be announced throughout the year designed to connect online and land-based gaming experiences and reach a broader range of customers, including brand ambassadors at Gateway properties. It’s important to note that this isn’t a BetRivers retail sportsbook being opened at the two Gateway properties, at least for the time being, according to a BetRivers spokesperson. In Alberta, licensed private iGaming operators like FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings, and BetRivers can open retail sportsbooks like the ones found in Las Vegas. No Retail Sportsbooks Yet However, those sportsbooks must be established inside an approved casino, racing entertainment centre or professional sports venue rather than as independent storefronts. Such a set-up would require the iGaming operator to apply for a retail sportsbook license with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), said Lynden McBeth, AGLC spokesperson. “Gateway has called Alberta home for more than two decades, with our Edmonton properties sitting at the centre of the city’s entertainment scene,” said Tolek Strukoff, chief executive officer of Gateway Casinos & Entertainment. “Now, through our partnership with BetRivers, that experience doesn’t stop at our doors. Whether in person or online, Albertans can enjoy three great places to play.” The post BetRivers, Gateway Casinos Bridge Online, Land-Based Gaming in Alberta appeared first on Casino.org.