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EDMONTON, Alberta — The first week of Alberta’s open iGaming market saw some pretty strong marketing pushes. Ads for Betty were prevalent on billboards and online.
Betway has billboard ads up portraying fans wearing the green and gold colours of the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League, asking fans to “bet the Edmonton way.”
DraftKings cofounder Paul Liberman was in Edmonton last week, making a $140,000 donation to the Edmonton Food Bank.
Alberta online casinos like Betway, DraftKings, and BetRivers are all making their pitch for Alberta bettors in different ways, but it’s BetRivers’ mall takeover and the age-gating rules it had to work around that show just how far operators will go to win this market.
BetRivers Turns West Edmonton Mall Into a Real-Life Slot Machine
The most jaw-dropping marketing push came from Rush Interactive’s BetRivers, which erected a 16-foot-tall slot machine on level one at West Edmonton Mall. Dan O’Toole, the former TSN sportscaster who’s become BetRivers spokesperson, made an appearance dressed in cowboy gear, as the operator looks to saddle up to the western market.
The slot machine, which is expected to remain in operation till December, was surrounded by “rivers” of blue stones where visitors could pan for prizes, as if they were prospectors panning for gold.
“We’re very excited to bring our award-winning platform and player-first approach to the millions of gaming enthusiasts in the Alberta market,” said Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer at Rush Street Interactive, when Bet Rivers launched in Alberta on July 13.
“BetRivers has earned its status as one of Canada’s top-rated and most trusted casino apps through App Store ratings and reviews from Ontario players. Alberta is the next step in that story, and we’re ready to deliver the same best-in-class experience from day one as part of our commitment to making BetRivers the casino destination Canadian players choose first.”
Age-Gating the Promotion to Meet Alberta’s Advertising Rules
But the marketing at Canada’s largest shopping mall was next level. The area was roped off to ensure anyone who got close to the slot machine or the panning rivers was 18 years of age or older.
Alberta’s new iGaming rules state that any promotions or advertising must not be aimed at minors in any way — for example, no cartoon characters or celebrities who are well known to the teen set. But that’s not all — they can’t be placed anywhere where minors tend to congregate.
Shopping malls are magnets for teens, so even though the slot machine was visible from even a football field’s distance away, the immediate area was closed off, with entry only given to those who could prove they were 18 or over.
The ushers did more than simply check ages; they used tablets for potential sign-ups. A person who came in to try their luck at the slot machine could also provide the info needed to begin their account setup. It was a slick marketing campaign that brought a virtual gambling app into the real world.
The West Edmonton Mall is a high-traffic spot. According to the Mall’s own statistics, a slow day sees it draw 90,000 shoppers, but a busy day brings in 200,000. The mall welcomes more than 30 million visitors per year. To put that in perspective, that’s equal to about three-quarters of Canada’s population.
