What Does the Soft2Bet AGCO Licensing Mean for the Ontario iGaming Market

We cover the Soft2Bet aggregator’s journey into Canada’s Ontario online gambling zone since the company acquired licensing in March 2024. (Images courtesy of Soft2Bet News)

Soft2Bet’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario certificate to offer its aggregator platform to new operators looking to enter the Ontario iGaming market, a promising opportunity, was announced back in March 2024.

The online gambling aggregator platform stormed into Canada’s Ontario province with a deal already in place with Tooniebet, which is still preparing to launch.

Unfortunately, when news of Soft2Bet’s entry hit the online gambling newswires, we were busy dealing with what eventually became a huge crash in traffic from our main online traffic source–the Google search engine. We still haven’t recovered and have been figuring out where we’ve gone wrong, so watch this space!

Despite the initial oversight due to a busy period at Casinoplusbonus, we are now catching up on the Soft2Bet news story.

Although belatedly covered, the aggregator’s entrance into the Ontario online gambling scene is a positive development. Thanks to our delayed news reporting on this topic, we can now look closer at post-entry events since the aggregator announced its new market entry and see how the deal has evolved for Soft2Bet.

The Soft2Bet Pre-Casino Launch Timeline

Here’s the timeline covering what’s been happening with Soft2Bet since the company took to the Canadian province as a brand-new aggregator and operator. What it means for the North American market is Soft2Bet is about to bring gamification, which should bring change and more engagement to the continent.

Soft2Bet Becomes Betting Integrity Association of Ontario Member

Two months after gaining its AGCO licence, the iGaming and sports betting solutions provider joined the Betting Integrity Association of Ontario, gaining its membership in early March.

SBC Summit North America

In mid-March, Soft2Bet attended the SBC Summit North America.

Investors, operators, licensing bodies, software providers and other tech and solutions providers also joined the event to get the latest on North America’s bustling online gambling industry, and Soft2Bet’s CBDO Martin Collins was one of the speakers.

He spoke about third parties and increased costs in the market, and the part I like best is how he boldly and confidently said, “There have been a lot of casualties within the US market over the past 12 to 18 months, and the reason for that is because everybody is doing exactly the same thing“. He then introduces the MEGA gamification system, saying, “It all comes down to individual personalisation. We call it Motivational Engineering Gamification Application”. 

You can listen to a portion of Martin Collins’s speech in the accompanying YouTube video, where he mentions responsible gaming is one of the critical factors in the North American market.

However, just to be clear, this wasn’t Martin Collins or the aggregator’s first rodeo introducing gamification to the iGaming market, as the company had already showcased its gamification. In March 2024, the MEGA gamification system had already picked up the In-House Innovation of the Year accolade at the EGR Nordics Awards.

iGB Live Event

Soft2Bet also attended this year’s iGB event where the aggregator hosted a workshop to showcase the additional of gamification to its casino aggregator platforms. One of the key topics was how the new addition has helped casinos increase ROI.

Canadian iGaming Summit

To top off its activities in North America and bring us up to date, Soft2Bet was present at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this month for the Canadian Gaming Summit 2024, which ran from 18 to 20 June. It was a three-day networking event that gave Soft2Bet to further showcase its award winning MEGA gamification system.

We also know that Soft2Bet’s North American event tours are in preparation for the aggregator’s push into the US and Mexican online gambling entertainment markets. New Jersey is already on the cards and there are plenty more states in the US for Soft2Bet to enter into sports betting and online casino solutions.

Why Are We Interested in Soft2Bet?

The Soft2Bet platform is the engine behind many online casinos we’ve reviewed here on Casinoplusbonus. The platform’s ability to gain an AGCO licensing certification shows how far Soft2Bet has come as a reputable online casino and sports betting solutions provider.

Obtaining licensing under the AGCO in Canada’s Ontario province is no easy feat. The platform needs to pass a series of compliance tests to ensure guaranteed encryption, security and player privacy.

Another point I would like to make is that most Soft2Bet casinos do not have responsible gambling tools. However, under AGCO licensing, players are required to be offered these tools.

That leaves me with my round-up for this news piece, which ends with a question.

The question is, does having an AGCO licensing certificate mean that in the future, we can expect online casinos we’ve reviewed here on Casinoplusbonus also to add responsible gambling tools?