Licensed online casino Jackpot City was reportedly considered by Ontario transit agency Metrolinx for a major sponsorship deal.

CBC News reports that Metrolinx considered the brand last year when looking for a potential commercial naming rights partner for Toronto’s Exhibition GO station. Sources told CBC that the proposal was halted by Ontario Minister for Transport Prabmeet Sarkaria.

“When a station naming opportunity is proposed, the government and Metrolinx evaluate it to ensure it meets all government and agency advertising policies,” Sarkaria’s office told Canadian Gaming Business in a statement.

“Before any partnership is considered, Metrolinx conducts a thorough review and assessment of the business,” added Metrolinx in its own statement to CGB. “A careful due diligence process is always conducted before a partnership is agreed to. We regularly work with partners across all sectors, and we will continue to explore ways we can work with third parties to improve and expand our services.”

Neither the ministry nor Metrolinx, which is a crown agency, explicitly confirmed or denied that the discussions had taken place or why they were stopped. Neither Jackpot City nor its parent company, Super Group, responded to a request for comment.

Metrolinx manages and integrates road and public transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and is the central procurement agency on behalf of Ontario municipalities for local transit vehicles, equipment and services. It is responsible for operating the GHTA-area GO Transit system, the Presto card used across the GTHA and by OC Transpo in Ottawa and the Union Pearson Express airport rail link to Toronto Pearson International Airport.

It has struck commercial naming rights deals for other stations in recent years with educational and business organizations. Oshawa’s GO station has been officially titled the Durham College Oshawa GO station since 2022 and Brampton’s is the Brampton Innovation District GO station since 2023.

Among other things, Exhibition provides access to BMO Field, the home of MLS team Toronto FC and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, and Coca-Cola Coliseum, which hosts the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Marlies affiliate and from next year will hold WNBA games for the Toronto Tempo.

Super Group pleased with existing Canadian visibility

Jackpot City is one of numerous licensed online casinos in Ontario, having gained Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) approval in the regulated market’s launch year of 2022.

It is licensed to Cadtree Ltd., a subsidiary of the Super Group company which also operates Royal Vegas, Ruby Fortune and Spin Casino and the Betway sportsbook in Ontario’s regulated market.

Super Group CEO Neal Menashe said on an earnings call in November that “Jackpot City continues to be a leading brand across [Canada].”

Super Group has been proactive in marketing its brands in Canada. Jackpot City has partnerships with sporting franchises including the Toronto Rock lacrosse team and in Alberta, the Betway brand has been prominently advertising for years including via a deal with the NHL regarding the brand’s “non-gambling global website” betway.net.

Canada is the company’s second-largest region in terms of revenue after Africa.

H2 Gambling Capital data made available to CGB in fall 2024 suggests that Super Group has captured around 7% of the regulated Ontario market, up from around 4% last year. The data also pegs Super Group as the leading operator in Canada’s unregulated market with a 35% share.