Welcome to another weekly review of the hottest gambling news making waves in Canada. We have freshly released slots, an interesting new air route, and a story about a surprise lottery win that will warm your heart.
New Casino Games
Boogie Down with NetEnt
If you're up for getting down with some disco grooves, NetEnt has an explosion of disco nostalgia just for you.
The provider's new 8x8 reel title, Funk Master, is packed with winning features, like an avalanche mechanic, Dancing Wilds, and multipliers, all accompanied by a soundtrack that will get you pulling on your platforms and bellbottoms in no time.
Funk Master is only NetEnt's second release for 2022, and the developer seems to be on a retro kick as its first game was the throwback thriller Knight Rider.
Funk Master immerses you completely in a magical music era with colourful disco ball wilds that dance across the reels. The Dancing Wilds hotspot feature rewards you with even more wilds while multipliers up to 10x take your winning potential to new levels.
Don't forget the bonus round that comes with toe-tapping potential-enhance free spins, thanks to an expanding game grid that goes up to 12 rows high.
This is just one in a series of music inspired slots from the provider that boasts other tune-infused games like Jimi Hendrix, Guns N' Roses, and Motӧrhead.
Pragmatic's Finery and Feline Pharaohs
Cats are furry companions to many of us, but these lovable scamps were once revered creatures in Ancient Egyptian culture. Pragmatic Play pays fantastical homage to these four-pawed pets with its new Egyptian-inspired slot, Cleocatra.
The 5x4, 40 payline slot features kitty characters clad in Egyptian royal wear with ornate golden headdresses and accessories. The game grid appears between massive golden pillars against the backdrop of a pyramid-peppered desert.
2x or 3x multiplier wilds give you winning boosts, and respins are triggered when full stacks of cat character symbols land on the reels. Golden paw scatter symbols trigger the Free Spins feature that comes with sticky wilds and a maximum possible payout of 5000x your stake.
Yossi Barzely, the Chief Business Development Officer at Pragmatic Play, commented,
"Cleocatra combines the hugely popular Egyptian slot environment with some endearing cats, as players look to generate plenty of wilds in this action-packed slot. With a respins feature and a max win potential of 5,000x their stake, players will have the chance to enjoy another thrilling visit to the sands of Egypt."
Winners
The $60 million email
After reading this story, you might want to go check your email because when Leah Murdoch-Gerics from Hamilton, Ontario, did, her life changed forever.
The OLG has revealed that Murdoch-Gerics, a 58-year-old mom was in the midst of an activity-filled day when she first noticed an email from OLG in her inbox the day following the April 19 Lotto Max draw.
She glanced at the email that said she had won a prize, but her to-do list took preference, and a whole day passed before she decided to pay it any mind. The occasional lottery player shared that OLG emails had only previously awarded her Free Play tickets, but something about this one seemed different.
When Murdoch-Gerics eventually checked her OLG.ca account, she was amazed to discover she had won an enormous $60,000,000 jackpot prize. She recalls feeling strangely calm while simultaneously not knowing what to do at all.
"I couldn't really fathom this was happening to me," she shared.
She told her husband, who joined her in her shocked state. They were later elated to share the news with their children.
"My husband and I realized the responsibility of this win immediately. It's a huge blessing. We are very aware that we have to use this money wisely," Murdoch-Gerics added.
The lucky Ontarian wrapped up her statement by urging others never to ignore their prize-winning emails from the OLG.
Local Casino News
Wing it to Washington
Casinos will go to great lengths to get visitors through their doors. But now, The Puyallup Tribe from Washington has changed the game.
The tribe has signed a new deal with regional airline Kenmore Air to give Canadian gamblers a speedy way to travel to its two Emerald Queen Casinos in Tacoma and Fife in 2023. Visitors from Canada will have access to a seaplane from Victoria, British Columbia, or the San Juan Islands for a direct route to Tacoma, where construction of a seaplane dock and a terminal I set to get underway.
Matt Wadhwani, CFO of the Puyallup Tribe, said
"No one else in the Sound has an operation like this. The seaplane service will provide the tribe with a huge population that we can tap into. Emerald Queen Fife and Tacoma are only a little more than two miles apart."
The Tacoma casino has been running for two years and boasts 2,100 slots and 60 table games, adjoining the 155-room hotel, restaurants, bars, and indoor concert space.
