If you want to know what’s been going on in the Canadian gambling scene, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered up some of the most intriguing news for you to browse at your leisure.
New Games
Pragmatic Doubles Down
Pragmatic Play must be in a productive mood because they have announced two new releases for the month. Octobeer Fortunes and Wolf Gold Power Jackpot are ready to play, leaving online slot enthusiasts spoiled for choice.
Octobeer Fortunes is inspired by the German Oktoberfest festival, with symbols like pretzels, accordions, hats, and beer kegs adorning the 5x3, 20 payline grid.
A Beer stein is the Money symbol that triggers the bonus round when 5 or more appear on the same spin. While the feature is active, any money symbols that appear are gathered in a tube and their combined value is awarded to you whenever a wild symbol lands. A similar sequence plays out during the base game where wilds act as collectors that award you the value of any money symbols that appear on the same spin.
Wolf Gold Power Jackpot is a revamp of one of Pragmatic’s classic titles that now comes with a powerful new feature.
The Power Jackpot is a two-stage feature comprised of two stages where you are first presented with the Power Wheel that awards you bet multipliers along with a guaranteed prize of at least 10x your bet, the second level is a jackpot tier with Mini, Minor, Major, and Power tiers.
The game also includes a respins bonus feature, triggered by money symbols, and free spins where mystery symbols appear and all transform into the same matching symbol.
Irina Cornides, the CEO at Pragmatic Play, spoke about the dual launch saying,
“We’re always looking to bring fantastic additions to our audience and Wolf Gold PowerJackpot fits that description. Taking one of our most popular titles and twisting it with a new community jackpot feature, gives an ecosystem dimension for players and drives higher levels of engagement and retention for our partners.”
Stakelogic’s Hive of Activity
Stakelogic’s new online slot title, Wild Buzz, features our favourite honey-producing critters, as they go about their industrious ways and bring big wins to your bankroll.
The game takes place in shady woods, with bees, beehives, and beautiful blooms featuring as symbols on the 6x4 reels. When a wild bee symbol appears on the reels, it is collected in a meter and once you have 12 gathered, the Hive Spins feature will activate.
During Hive Spins, two reels are marked and synchronised so that matching symbols appear on them and up to 12 wild bee symbols are thrown into the mix. Id wild bees appear on the synchronised reels, an increasing win multiplier is given a boost.
The free spins feature is when three or more scatters appear during the base game. Mystery Symbols appear during free spins, that all transform into the same refurl symbol. The Super Stake feature lets you double your bet in exchange for increased chances to trigger a bonus feature.
Olga Bejala, the CCO at Stakelogic said,
“Wild Buzz has been developed to take players on a honey rush as the super sweet bonus features to trigger and the big wins land. Players will be buzzing with each spin thanks to the Wilds, Multipliers, Locking Reels, and Free Games that have been built into this slot.”
Winners
Lucky Canadian Finds the Cure for Grumpiness
Kevin Stecyk from Goodeve, Saskatchewan woke up in a foul mood, but his disposition soon turned around when he discovered that a lottery ticket purchase had changed his fortunes.
The grumpy cloud over his head was dispersed by the realisation that he had won an Extra prize of $100,000 from the August 13 Western 649 draw.
“That’s when I checked the tickets on my laptop,” Stecyk recalled when he claimed his prize from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC).
“I went down the line and, before I knew it, I had almost all the numbers matched up. I realized it was $100,000.”
The winner then called his wife over to him confirm the numbers. “She was pretty much in hysterics like I was,” he said.
Stecyk’s plans for his prize are all future-focused.
“I’m just going to save it for retirement,” he revealed.
Kelowna Player Hits the Big Time in No Time
Joshua Alexander from Kelowna, BC took a lot less time than most slots players do to win big after entering a casino. From a $5.25 bet on a Powerbucks progressive slot machine, he took home a whopping $1,032,361.83 jackpot prize after only 20 minutes from his arrival at Playtime Casino Kelowna.
“My girlfriend started freaking out, and I thought it was a prank or something. My cousin thought I broke the machine,” he told the BCLC.
“It was a restless night for us after we came home; our minds were blown,” he recalled.
Alexander explained that his father had wanted to visit the casino, so they headed to their local venue, not knowing that, less than 30 minutes later, his life would change for the better.
The winner intends to use some of his windfall to complete a travel bucket list.
Local Casino News
OLG Lends Name to Fallsview Stage
Fallsview Casino’s $130 million entertainment centre has finally been named. The casino opted to call the 5000-seat theatre the OLG Stage and though it is still under construction, it is expected to launch later in the year.
Niagara Casinos President, Richard Taylor, was enthusiastic about the potential the new development represents, saying,
“The OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino will increase visitation to Niagara, extend hotel stays and enhance our customer experience,” Taylor said. “We have a fabulous lineup of acts in store for Niagara Falls and look forward to announcing the official grand opening performance in the coming weeks.”
Ontario’s Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, also commented, saying,
“The gaming and entertainment sector has a proud history in the Niagara region and plays an essential role in Ontario’s economy. I want to congratulate OLG and Mohegan on this exciting new partnership, and I look forward to continuing to work with the sector to bring a world-class entertainment experience to Niagara Falls that will benefit the city, help create jobs and generate growth for businesses across the region.”
The OLG Stage will feature cutting-edge sound and lighting, seating with unobstructed views, plenty of Food and beverage options, and Direct access to Fallsview Casino Resort.
OLG refreshed Welcome Bonus
If it’s been a while since you visited the OLG’s online platform, maybe it’s time you took another look.
The provincially mandated online gambling portal has an excellent welcome offer in store for new players. Where the old welcome offer only rewarded you with a deposit match bonus, the platform now offers the added benefit of free spins.
To qualify for the 100% first deposit match bonus up to $200 with 50 free spins on the legendary Cleopatra slot game, you need to meet a few criteria. Firstly, you have to be 19 years of age or older and have a new account with OLG’s online platform.
Once you’ve cleared those minor hurdles, you need to deposit a minimum of $15 to be eligible and you’ll be on your way. There is a low wagering requirement of 10x in place and the free spins are valued at $10, but you only have 14 days to use them.
While you’re there check out OLG’s brand new slot additions including Treasure Hunt, Hypernova Megaways, and Bison Rising, to name a few.
