• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Canadian Lotteries Launch Single-Event Sports Betting

Friday is first day that single-event wagers are offered by provincial lotteries in Ontario and beyond

Gary Rotstein by Gary Rotstein
August 27, 2021
in Regulation, Sports
first day

Shutterstock

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A new sports betting era began in Canada Friday with the first opportunity for gamblers to place legal single-event wagers as a result of new federal law.

Bettors using the online sites of provincial lotteries in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Manitoba were able to quickly take advantage of the new opportunity, with other digital and retail sports wagering to become available across the country in the coming months.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) was among the first to announce its smartphone and desktop offerings, which supplement the parlay sports betting that was the only form possible before long-awaited action by the Canadian Parliament in June. The legislation amended Canada’s criminal code to decriminalize single-game sports betting, leaving it to provinces to decide whether to allow it and how to tax and regulate it.

At the outset, such betting will fall under provincial lotteries, like the OLG, that have long offered the parlays, which retain far more of bettors’ money for operators than is the case with single-event wagering.

“We’re thrilled to launch our new digital sportsbook, PROLINE+, on this momentous day where OLG is finally able to offer single-event sports wagering and be among the first in Canada to offer this capability,” Duncan Hannay, OLG president and CEO, said in a press release. “More events, more betting options, and greater accessibility means more fan engagement with the comfort of knowing OLG stands behind the product.”

In its announcement, the OLG said it worked with FDJ Gaming Solutions and Sporting Solutions of France to develop the PROLINE+ platform, and the collaboration would lead to “a new sports betting app and a revitalized retail sports betting product across 10,000 points of sale in Ontario in early 2022.”

Commercial sites are months away

Yahoo Sports reported that Loto-Quebec’s Mise-o-jeu+ platform and the PlayNow websites of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation were also prepared to start taking bets on football, baseball, soccer, and other sports on the first day possible.

Canadian Attorney General David Lametti had announced Aug. 12 that the first day the expanded wagering would be possible on Aug. 27 as a result of C-218, the new law, if the provinces wanted to move quickly.

“Provinces and territories will be able to offer single-event sports betting products on the Grey Cup, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Super Bowl,” Lametti said at the time, citing a few popular events. “The revenues generated from this type of gambling could be used by provinces and territories to fund programs and services in areas such as health care and education, as they currently do with other lottery revenues.”

While the provincial lotteries were already established in sports betting and able to quickly expand their offerings, it will take longer for regulations to be established on a province-by-province basis that could enable big U.S. operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM to enter the market, in addition to a Canadian-based company like theScore.

The new sports betting is also not available yet at retail sites, including casinos, although it is expected that sportsbooks will eventually be developed once regulators authorize them.

“In time, you may see an extension into hospitality establishments or retail locations where you buy lottery tickets,” Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, told Yahoo Sports. “I know the casino operators are eagerly wanting to get to work and make sure they have an offering as soon as possible. But there are some contractual hurdles to get over. And some provinces have not been clear on whether their casinos are going to get sportsbooks at this point in time, or when.”

All eyes on Ontario, but others will follow

The hope of Canadian authorities and industry operators is to capture some of the billions of dollars that the country’s residents have been wagering illegally on sports for years. The big provincial prize for online operators would be the ability to offer their product in Ontario, which has a population of some 14 million that makes it bigger than all but four U.S. states.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has begun work to draft a set of standards for sports and event betting that will be provided by commercial operators. It is expected that the market will open as early as December to those eventually approved by the commission.

While officials in Ontario have been the most direct about their intent to open the market to widespread private competition for the new sports betting, some other provinces are expected to follow suit, although there is nothing firm yet about which will do so and by what dates.

ShareTweetShare
Gary Rotstein

Gary Rotstein

Gary is a longtime journalist, having spent three decades covering gambling, state government, and other issues for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in addition to stints as managing editor of the Bedford (Pa.) Gazette and as a reporter for United Press International and the Middletown (Conn.) Press. Contact Gary at gary@usbets.com.

Related Posts

(Matt Krohn/USA TODAY)
Sports

Raptors Midseason Review: Jurassic Park May Be Empty For Bettors In 2023 Playoffs

January 27, 2023
buffalo bills allen jets
Industry

Ontarians Wagered More Than $21 Billion (Canadian) On iGaming In 2022

January 26, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

garnett mgm springfield

Sports Betting Launches In Massachusetts, Giving Three Retail Books A Head Start

January 31, 2023
rob gronkowski adam vinatieri

Rob Gronkowski Goes Training Montage Route In Latest FanDuel Spot

January 17, 2023
fanatics-grand-opening

Fanatics Sportsbook At FedEx Field Offers Unique Retail Option In Maryland

January 23, 2023
Shutterstock

Missouri Legislators Lament Exodus Of Bettors To Neighboring States

January 27, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
January 31, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
February 1, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
October 20, 2022

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

gambling therapy
ncpg
igaming ontario
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/OH/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
19+. Please play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply. 
Individuals must be 19 years of age or older to participate in igaming in Ontario. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you, or someone you know, has a gambling problem in Ontario and wants help, please visit ConnexOntario or call their helpline at 1-866-531-2600. Operators on this website operate pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location