Saskatchewan Approval for Jackpot Digital Incorporated

Jackpot Digital’s dealer-less electronic poker tables set to launch across Saskatchewan casinos, including Dakota Dunes Casino. (C: Felix Choo / Alamy)

Canadian electronic poker table manufacturer Jackpot Digital Incorporated has been given the green light to begin supplying its products to licensed land-based casinos throughout the province of Saskatchewan.

Established in 1999, the Vancouver firm is well known for producing multi-player electronic gaming tables utilized by a number of cruise ship operators, such as Carnival Cruises, Holland America, and Princess Cruises. The company’s dealer-less advances, complemented by an innovative suite of back-end tools, are also employed by bricks-and-mortar casinos in eleven American states, including California, Louisiana, and Mississippi. 

Advantageous Authorization 

The approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) means Jackpot Digital Incorporated can now bring its products to the nine land-based casinos in Canada’s seventh largest province. These include the seven gambling-friendly properties run by the non-profit Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA), which saw its aggregated gaming table revenues for the twelve months to the end of March rise by over 42% year-on-year to beyond $27 million. 

The Chief Executive Officer for Jackpot Digital Incorporated, Jake Kalpakian, expressed his excitement at being granted the SLGA nod and detailed that the approval could well see his company increase production of its flagship Jackpot Blitz tables. These dealer-less units, which are promoted by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, utilize cutting-edge touchscreen technology to offer lifelike card control and side-bet functionalities as well as a multitude of tournament possibilities. 

“This represents the first major jurisdictional non-tribal license received by Jackpot Digital Incorporated during our continuing expansion into the land-based casino market,” Kalpakian said. 

“We have many more license applications underway in the United States and other Canadian provinces, which will dramatically impact our ability to accelerate the rollout of Jackpot Blitz across North America.”  

Inaugural Introduction  

Jackpot Digital Incorporated revealed this approval comes approximately eight months after it inked a provisional deal to begin supply its 74-inch Jackpot Blitz tables to SIGA-run casinos across Saskatchewan. The company disclosed this arrangement can now be actioned beginning with the 49,000-square-foot Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster and the 155-room Dakota Dunes Casino near the city of Saskatoon. 

“We are very excited to be working with SIGA and entering the Saskatchewan market,” Kalpakian said. “Saskatchewan is the first of several Canadian provinces we hope to add as we move through 2024.” 

Booming Business 

SIGA is responsible for the Living Sky Casino in the small Saskatchewan city of Swift Current, in addition to the smaller Northern Lights Casino, Painted Hand Casino, Bear Claw Casino, and Gold Eagle Casino. The operator, which is jointly owned by 74 local tribes collectively known as the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, reported a record-breaking profit of over $102.7 million for the twelve months to the end of March thanks to an almost 14.2% year-on-year boost in gross revenues to some $256.6 million.  

The President and Chief Executive Officer for SIGA, Zane Hansen, explained his organization reinvests all of its profits into Saskatchewan, with half going to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. The boss confirmed the remaining 50% is then equally split between various non-profit community development corporations and the western province’s general revenue fund. 

“SIGA has successfully built back from the pandemic, achieving record-breaking revenues over the past 24 months all the while making major strides in enhancing our casino properties and offerings and growing our online gaming platform PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan,” Hansen said.