Australian-based sports betting site and online casino PointsBet has just announced that it has hired Brooke Hilton to be its new Head of Casino for PointsBet Canada. Hilton is a veteran of the Canadian online casino industry, so most experts have described this as a smart signing.
More importantly, experts view this move as PointsBet committing itself to the Canadian igaming market during a time of extreme growth in the country. At time of writing, PointsBet is only legal in Ontario, but this could change in the future as more provinces legalise online gambling.
Article Highlights:
- Brooke Hilton has over ten years of experience in the Canadian igaming sector.
- Hiring Hilton reinforces PointsBet’s commitment to the Canadian online casino
- Online casino revenue makes up over 75% of total igaming revenue in Ontario.
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Who is Brooke Hilton?
Brooke Hilton has over ten years of experience in the Canadian igaming sector, including stints at North American companies who also run sports betting sites and online casinos in the United States as well as Canada.
Most recently Hilton has worked as the Director of Business Development for Ingenuity Gaming, a B2B technology services company based in Vancouver. She also worked at her own igaming consultancy firm during that time. Prior to this work, Hilton served as the Director of iGaming Product in North America for Bally’s Interactive.
Bally’s is one of the biggest sports betting and online casino brands in the US and Canada, so this experience will likely be especially useful for PointsBet as it continues to adapt to the Canadian igaming market.
In a LinkedIn post, Hilton said of her new position that “It is with immense joy that I announce the beginning of my journey as the head of casino at PointsBet. I have dedicated myself to the Canadian iGaming industry for the past 10-plus years. I’m absolutely thrilled to align my passion with a company as influential as PointsBet Canada.”
Hilton will hope to continue to lead PointsBet with its expansion into North America, specifically Canada.
What does this move mean for PointsBet?
The specifics of Brooke Hilton’s new role at PointsBet Canada have not been disclosed by neither PointsBet or Hilton herself, so we cannot say exactly how this move changes the company’s place in the Canadian igaming industry. However, we can say that hiring Hilton reinforces PointsBet’s commitment to the Canadian online casino market.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario gave PointsBet Canada a two-year licence back in March 2022. This licence was one of a number of North American igaming licences secured between 2018-2023. It now appears that the Ontario licence is the most valuable one in PointsBet’s eyes.
The Australian online casino and sportsbook sold its United States’ gaming operation to Fanatics Betting & Gaming in June 2023 for $225 million USD. Instead of selling its Canadian arm, PointsBet has invested heavily into the Canadian market. When you look at Ontario igaming revenues, it is easy to understand why.
Ontario online casinos are booming
The Ontario igaming market officially went live in April of 2022. Most of the headlines following this launch were focused on sports betting sites in Ontario, but revenue numbers from AGCO and iGaming Ontario show that Ontario online casinos are the real money makers in the province.
iGaming Ontario’s most recent revenue report from quarter two of this fiscal year shows that Ontario online casinos brought in $407 million CAD. Compared to the rest of Ontario igaming market, online casino revenue makes up over 75% of total igaming revenue in Ontario.
Online casino revenue has remained very consistent in recent quarters, so some feel the Ontario market has hit its ceiling. However, if PointsBet’s investment in Ontario is anything to go off of, some believe the market has a lot of room left to grow.
Julian Miller is a Canadian writer and an avid sports fan. He has years of experience in the iGaming industry, having started writing while completing his university studies in Montreal, Quebec. In 2022, he graduated, and has since been working full-time in the iGaming space. He has a particular fondness for the English Premier League — though he also has plenty of experience covering football, basketball, and other sports.