The head of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) recently reflected on the First Nations gaming operation and the return of the Canadian gaming industry after the COVID-19 pandemic left much of the country’s casinos shut down.
The non-profit corporation operates seven casinos across the province and was created in 1995 under The First Nations Gaming Act. The group reinvests all net revenue into First Nations communities with 50% to the First Nations Trust, which is distributed to the 74 tribal groups in the province.
SIGA President and CEO Zane Hansen recently told MBC Radio News that the industry continues to recover from the closures in 2020-21, and is pleased to have completed a full year of operations.
“It’s kind of been our first real solid 12 months coming back out of the pandemic and that was a situation and crisis that impacted us unlike anything we had in the past,” he said.
Bouncing Back from Casino Closures
Some SIGA properties have reached pre-pandemic levels for visitors and revenue, while others have even exceeded those numbers seen before COVID. The group now has about 1,400 employees, a dip from before the pandemic. Food and beverage makes up the largest of that shortcoming, Hansenm said, but company officials are still looking to add staff to that department.
“It’s been a year of recovery and getting the company back on its feet, we’re seeing all of our casino markets performing well,” Hansen told the radio outlet.
SIGA has also seen some major dividends from joining the PlayNow online gaming operation. After joining in November 2022 as Saskatchewan’s first and only legal iGaming, online poker, and sports betting site, the corporation saw sharp increases in its 2022-23 finances.
Revenue was up 34% from $195.8 million in 2021-22, for a net income of $126 million, up 46% from $68.2 million in 2021-22. Online gaming was a key part of the group’s recovery and is part of a shared market among British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan..
“The rollout of online gaming and single event sports betting opens up new casino entertainment options for residents,” SaskGaming President and CEO Susan Flett said at the time of the rollout.
Hansen said the platform has seen growth each month, despite competing with gray market operators. Beyond online gaming, 2024 may bring some upgrades to some SIGA properties. A key part of this is bringing sportsbooks to the casinos. The Dakota Dunes Casino near Saskatoon already has a book and Hansen is hoping to see that expand to other properties.
SIGA is also hoping to increase its contributions to First Nations groups around Saskatchewan in the coming year. The corporation contributes $2.25 million annually to the provincial First Nations Addictions and Rehabilitation Foundation (FNARF). That total was raised to $2.5 million in the group’s 2023-24 budget. The ability to give back is a reflection of how the group’s fortunes have changed since reopening, and Hansen is grateful for that.
He added “So all of those things have been great and its nice to be able to do that again as a company.”
Officials Reflect on British Columbia 2023 Gaming Revenue
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) also recently reflected on the last year’s operations and the PlayNow online gaming platform proved to be a win for the group as well. In total, the province saw more than $859 million in total prizes paid out in 2023.
That included selling more than 101 million winning tickets to players at retail locations and on PlayNow.com. The platform is the province’s only legal gambling website and offers online casino gaming, sports betting, and online poker.
As noted, the platform also operates in partnership with Saskatchewan and Maintoba. Quebec also participates in the PlayNow online poker shared liquidity market as well.
The BCLC also operates 36 casinos and gaming centers across the province, including everything from slots to table games to restaurants and concert venues. All corporate profits help support healthcare, education, and community programs in British Columbia.
As part of a review of 2023 operations, the BCLC offered a look at one of the corporation’s lottery winners as major success story. Scott Gurney purchased a ticket and scored a $55 million Lotto Max jackpot on Feb. 28, the largest lottery prize won in British Columbia in 2023.
“Surprise, delight, awe, joy, excitement – these are all words that our lottery winners have used to describe how they felt winning, so as 2023 comes to a close, we’re excited to look back and celebrate all of the life-changing dreams that became realties for our lottery winners,” BCLC President and CEO Pat Davis said. “Thanks to our players, BCLC is proud to generate revenue for provincial services and initiatives.”
