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Race on to partner with Ontario’s cannabis retail licence winners

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Businesses and investors are rushing to partner with the 25 winners of the Ontario cannabis retail licence lottery, with offers apparently worth millions of dollars, to be involved in the province’s first recreational weed stores set to open this spring.

Olivia Brown, the founder of Hamilton, Ont.-based Professional Cannabis Consulting, says one of her clients was among the 25 entities selected by the province via lottery, and has fielded three « big offers » on Monday alone.

« There’s a couple of large investors, one from the United States, one of them from Amsterdam… a very established Hamilton family looking to invest, » said Brown, who said her client did not want to be named.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario announced late Friday the 25 entities who can now apply for a cannabis retail licence in Canada’s most populous province, out of the 17,320 expressions of interest the government agency received. There were also 100 applicants on the wait list.

Big industry players shut out

The biggest industry players, however, were kept at bay as the province’s regulations stipulate applicants cannot qualify for a retail licence if it is more than 9.9 per cent owned or controlled by one or more licensed producer.

The vast majority of those lottery entries were from sole proprietorships, at 64 per cent, followed by corporations at 33 per cent, and partnerships and limited partnerships at three and one per cent, respectively.

Everybody is trying to find one of the winners and trying to cut some sort of a deal with them– Mark Goliger, National Access Cannabis

There were no big cannabis industry names among the 25 winners, who now have five business days to turn in their applications to the AGCO along with a $6,000 non-refundable fee and a $50,000 letter of credit.

They included Toronto-based travel agency Tripsetter Inc., who declined to comment when reached by phone.

If their applications are successful, they will have the opportunity to open the first 25 recreational pot stores on April 1 in Ontario, where cannabis consumers now can only legally purchase weed from a government-run website.

Scramble to find partners

However, these retail operator licences are not transferable under provincial regulations, which has companies and investors scrambling to find ways to partner with the lottery winners as allowed under the rules and cash in on the first-mover advantage.

« Everybody is trying to find one of the winners and trying to cut some sort of a deal with them, » said Mark Goliger, chief executive officer of National Access Cannabis Corp.

NAC, which has signed an agreement with coffee chain Second Cup to convert some of its coffee shops into weed dispensaries, has been in touch with a handful of lottery winners and is seeking a partnership, such as a services agreement or revenue-sharing arrangement.

« We’re not going to do a crazy deal that doesn’t make sense long-term… I know that there are players out there that are doing crazy deals. »

Brendan Kennedy, chief executive of licensed producer Tilray Inc., said their Nanaimo-based company has been in touch with provincial lottery winners as well.

« Stay tuned… They’re looking for potential partners as they build out their entities, » he said.

Offers north of $5M

Abi Roach, the owner of Toronto-based Hot Box Cafe, says her lottery entry did not win, but she has been in touch with winners on potential partnerships, and has been told other offers are north of $5 million.

It’s a big risk she says she is not willing to take, given that most of the winners are sole proprietors and there are restrictions on changing the structure of the company after entering the lottery, she added.

« The risk of putting in a large sum of money into a sole proprietorship without ownership is crazy, » she said.

Although the types of deals that can be made are limited, there was a « flurry of negotiations » over the weekend, said Ottawa-based lawyer Trina Fraser, who is representing clients looking to enter partnerships.

The deals Fraser’s clients are seeking include licensing or services agreements, which allow the license holder to retain sufficient control as required under provincial regulations.

Many of the 25 entities selected do not have industry experience, and will likely face difficulties satisfying requirements such as a letter of credit from the bank, she said.

Retail licence operators who are not ready to open their doors by April 1 will face hefty late fines that could total as much as $50,000.

« They need money and they need help, » said Fraser. « They don’t necessarily have the expertise or the resources to be able to execute on this on their own. They’re going to need partners. »

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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