SASKATOON, Sask. — Saskatchewan is extending its exclusive online gaming partnership with First Nations while opening the door to a new gaming centre pilot project at Flying Dust First Nation.
Minister Responsible for Lotteries and Gaming Jeremy Harrison reiterated the exclusivity of the province’s partnership with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in operating the province’s online gaming platform.
Both parties recently renewed their Gaming Framework Agreement, extending the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority’s exclusive rights to operate the online gaming platform PlayNow.com for another three years, with another review in 2029.
The deal, however, includes an amendment that also allows a gaming centre pilot project at Flying Dust First Nation, where about 49 slot machines are expected to operate from a hotel and conference centre being developed in the Meadow Lake area. The commercial space may include a strip mall.
Harrison reminded residents to understand which online gaming platforms are legal in the province, adding that the message needs to be repeated because some may not realize the ones they use are not legally authorized to operate in the province.
“I would reiterate very, very clearly that the only legal platform in Saskatchewan for online gaming is PlayNow. I think there are a lot of folks that don't actually know that the platforms they might be utilizing aren't actually legal to use in the province,” Harrison said.
He added that the provincial government will continue working with SIGA to reinforce the message that PlayNow is the province’s only legal online gaming platform and that it has been examining options to address and crack down on illegal online gaming operators.
Harrison said the provincial government has built a successful gaming industry in Saskatchewan in partnership with the FSIN through good-faith negotiation and incremental change, which benefit First Nations communities.
"Through the GFA and its various amendments, the gaming sector provides significant First Nations employment and supports economic development on- and off-reserve, while funding education, housing and many other priorities,” said Harrison.
He added that revenue-sharing arrangements agreed to in the GFA mean that both the province and First Nations in Saskatchewan have a vested interest in the success of the gaming sector. The amended agreement increases SIGA’s provincial slot-machine allocation to 2,619 machines.
Since online gaming began in Saskatchewan in 2022, it has generated approximately $70 million, with about $30 million in revenue and around $12 million in profit collected last year. The profit is split equally between First Nations Trust and the provincial government.
Harrison said the provincial share supports a range of initiatives, including new sport programming. Still, he emphasized that the broader goal is to improve opportunities for young people through investments made possible by the gaming partnership.
SIGA president and CEO Zane Hanson said PlayNow will continue to evolve, as the organization plans to make further investments and develop the platform over the next six months and integrate the online gaming experience with its loyalty programming and land-based operations.
