Ex-DraftKings and PokerStars exec weighs in on Penn-ESPN deal, the dilio in Ontario, and more

Jeffrey Haas’s professional life started as a journalist at the Toronto Sun in 1994, but 10 years later it took a sharp detour into the business of online poker. Since then, the Toronto native has held leadership positions with Bwin, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, PokerStars, DraftKings, and most recently with CoinSmart and Atomic Hub.The gambling industry veteran – and current free agent – joined the Gaming News Canada Show for a one-on-one interview. The conversation included a deep dive into this week’s alliance between Penn and ESPN, which is getting into the sportsbook game, Penn’s hefty investments in both the ESPN deal and its acquisition of theScore, along with the challenge ESPN BET faces in competing with the major players in the U.S., online sports betting game. Haas also offered a few thoughts on the potential impact of the Penn/ESPN partnership on the Canadian sports betting and media landscape. Haas also spoke about his involvement in online gambling across our home and native land, the creation of Ontario’s regulated market, and the positive impact it’s had on OLG’s online gaming operations (he also cited the missed opportunity by other provinces across the country to follow Ontario’s lead). Our interview with Haas concluded with him discussing his current involvement with a Danish venture capital firm, and what excites him about the future of gaming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.