Two new agreements

Evolution has come to an agreement to supply live casino games to Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) and the Canadian Bank Note Company (CBN) lottery operations in Canada.

AGLC has initially launched six of Evolution’s live dealer games, including Infinite Blackjack and Roulette. It plans to add more titles in the coming months to its PlayAlberta.ca platform, the regulated online casino that people in Alberta can use for real money wagering on desktop and mobile. Live dealer casino games allow people to play with a real-life dealer through an HD-quality live stream. Players can interact with the dealer via the chat function.

CBN will now be able to offer live casino games to the lotteries it supports or operates, once the games are in accordance with local regulations. These games will be available via mobile and desktop platforms.

Excitement over the launches

AGLC is the third government-run Canadian lottery to launch live casino games from Evolution. Talking about the launch, Evolution commercial director Jeff Millar emphasized: “The launch of AGLC is another proud moment for Evolution in the rollout of our services in Canada.”

He went on to speak about the company’s commitment to delivering the best online gaming experience and choice to players in Alberta.

will be very popular indeed with our many millions of lottery players” 

Referring to its agreement with Evolution, CBN president of lottery systems and chief financial officer Craig Bascombe said that these games “will be very popular indeed with our many millions of lottery players,” also mentioning Evolution’s great track record to date in North America and Europe.

CBN is the main supplier of Canadian banknotes to the Bank of Canada. It also builds and runs lottery operations for local governments. Evolution is already the supplier of live casino games for both the Loto-Quebec and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation in Canada, having a live dealer studio in Vancouver.

Expanding its reach

Evolution, formerly Evolution Gaming, is the leading supplier of live casino games in the world. With an extensive portfolio of games and studios across the globe, it has a major presence in the sector. It has been expanding its reach in the United States market, signing numerous deals in recent years as more and more states legalize online casinos. Evolution now has a live studio in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with a Michigan studio on the way.

there is an intersection between esports and live casino”

With the growing interest in wagering on esports tournaments and games, Evolution is reportedly looking to expand into this space. Speaking to EGR, Evolution’s chief product officer Todd Haushalter revealed that the company is currently developing an esports-led game. He said: “We think there is an intersection between esports and live casino and I think there’s probably something to be done there.”

In addition to its focus on the live games space, Evolution has also been looking to become a more rounded gambling company. In December 2020, it took over control of online casino game developer NetEnt. NetEnt shareholders had previously accepted a takeover offer in June 2020 worth SEK 19.6bn ($2.3bn) from Evolution. As a result of this acquisition, NetEnt will close down its live casino offering and continue developing other types of casino games, mainly slots.