Single-event sports betting is now legal in Canada. The legalization of single-game betting in Canada has created an opening for online sportsbooks to start populating the industry, with Proline Plus (Proline+) being the first in Ontario, home to 40% of the Canadian population.
Proline Plus Sportsbook, one of Canada’s first traditional legal sportsbooks, has launched in Ontario under the umbrella of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corp. Proline has been a predominant name in Canada’s limited legal sports betting industry since 1992, and it has had an online presence since 2000.
Proline does have a website and an app, but it is for parlay wagering only and you have to take your picks to a lottery retailer to actually make a wager. It’s as confusing as it sounds.
Proline Plus is the traditional sportsbook extension of Proline. Proline = retail & parlays, Proline Plus = online & single-game wagers.
While Proline is known mostly for retail kiosks and lottery-style wagering, Proline+ jumped into the mobile sportsbook game thanks to Canada’s decision to allow for expanded legal sports wagering. Proline Plus also offers a lottery and a fairly extensive online casino – a definite perk of the service.
Proline Plus is still in relative infancy and the growing pains have become evident already. The sportsbook’s odds have drawn the ire of many industry insiders and bettors alike while the low number of sports offered is seriously lacking at this point.
Something tells us that the offerings from Ontario’s lottery-based Proline Plus will start to increase dramatically with the competitive threat of private sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and a few other US heavyweights preparing to invade the Ontario market.
Follow along as we take a peek into what Proline+ is all about, what’s good about the site, what’s bad, how to sign up, the sports Ontarians can bet on, and the markets offered by the sportsbook.
Proline+ Sportsbook new customer promotion
Proline+ has gotten an early jump on what should be an expansive Ontario market and seems to have acknowledged the importance of having a decent new customer promotion along with player bonuses.
While not at the level of its American online sportsbook counterparts, Proline Plus has shown that it is at least trying to entice bettors to its platform and will attempt to keep them with more offers down the road.
Proline Plus is matching your first deposit for up to $25. While seemingly straightforward, there is some underlying confusion that accompanies the offer.
Technically the welcome offer makes you eligible for a 50% first-deposit matching bonus of up to $25 when you sign up (assuming that you are 19 years or older), you reside in Ontario, and you have never had an account with OLG.ca or PlayOLG.ca.
Proline Plus Sportsbook Bonus
Bonus Code
TBA
Welcome Bonus
Sign Up, bet $15 and score a $50 Sports Bonus
Bonus Valid
March 2023
Proline Plus bonus T&C
It works like this. Sign up for an account and deposit money into your account. Place a bet of minimum $15 and Proline Plus will give you a $50 Sports Bonus.
That means that your first deposit will have to be $15 to get the maximum $50 Bonus. The deposit match comes in the form of credits, ones that you will have to bet at least one time before any withdrawal of that money is permitted.
While underwhelming compared to their US competition, as the first mobile sportsbook to market in Ontario, the Proline Plus welcome bonus is fine for now but will likely need to be improved when some of the industry heavyweights make their way north of the border. Without any current competition, we should be happy Proline plus offers a new customer promotion at all.
Signing up for a Proline Plus account
Proline Plus came in August 2021, immediately after the announcement of single-game betting legalization in Canada. Since Proline Plus is owned and managed by the Ontario government, there were no additional approvals needed once the province gave the OK to single-game wagering.
Legions of sports betting fans in Ontario eagerly anticipated Proline Plus. Single-game betting will no doubt lead to additional interest in the Proline+ app. Let’s go over the process of signing up for an account.
Signing up for the Proline+ online sportsbook is simple, but you will need to add some personal information to get access to the sportsbook and casino:
First, you will need to click the yellow “Sign Up” button at the top of the main page of the Proline website.
After that, you will be asked to enter your Email Address and your first and last name.
On that same page, you will create a username and a password for your account. The page has specific instructions on how to effectively create a safe and secure name and code.
On the next page, the OLG will expect you to enter your full home address including your street number and name, the city or town you live in, postal code, phone number, and date of birth.
Once the information is processed and verified, bettors can commence claiming their bonus and getting in on the wagering action.
For those having issues, submission of government-issued documentation may be required – a valid Ontario driver’s license or a valid Ontario photo card are the most common forms.
Proline Plus user experience
The Proline Plus user experience is adequate for such a new online sportsbook. After all, the sportsbook isn’t being pushed too hard by competition thus far.
The browser version is easy to navigate with betting instructions, sign-up procedures, and odds identified on the main page of the site. The menu of sports is marked on the left-hand side of the page.
You can view the Proline+ website anywhere, including in the United States. If you’re planning a trip to Ontario and want to create an account first while still in the States, you will be able to do so.
While easy to navigate, Proline+ falls short in comparison to the rash of competition that will inevitably hit the Ontario scene. The colour scheme, graphics, and overall look of the site are certainly lacking at this point. Bettors that have visited DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM will likely be underwhelmed by the optics of the site.
With the growth of the site and the increased demand for mobile sportsbooks in the Ontario market, it will become necessary for the Lottery Commission to improve on all of its offerings going forward. Hopes are that they take advantage of their head start in the Ontario market to get on par, software-wise, with their impending competition.
Sports available on Proline Plus
Proline+, as we have said, is a relative newcomer to the sportsbook game. With that comes an expected, and somewhat disappointing lack of sports to bet on. The Proline+ menu of sports will get better over time but don’t expect to be blown away right off the bat. That said, if you only prefer to bet on the major sports, you will have plenty of choices. Those who like to wager on table tennis or snooker will have to wait for the betting menu to expand.
Here is a list of current sports available to bet on with Proline+:
Politics (yes, you can wager on who will be the next US President on Proline Plus)
For Canadians, all of the major sports are covered with Proline Plus but the offerings aren’t up to the level of the more established sportsbooks coming to the Ontario market.
Markets available on Proline Plus
With the legalization of single-game betting in Ontario has come the opening up of a menu of sports wagering options.
Previously, parlays and the occasional prop were all that were available to bettors in the province. But the new menus are expansive by comparison to before regulation and include:
moneyline
spread
totals (over/under)
prop bets
futures
live betting (or in-game betting)
Moneyline
The simplest bet is a moneyline bet, in which you pick the winner of a match. Odds are calculated by the sportsbook and your winnings depends on those odds. Betting the underdog in a Moneyline bet pays bigger than the favorite.
Spread (Puck line for NHL games)
NHL betting opportunity that takes into account the Spread, which is usually 1.5 goals. Simply put, the winner (if you bet on them) has to win by over 1.5 goals while the underdog has to either win or lose less than 1.5 goals. For other sports, the point spread is more straightforward: A team has to win by a certain amount of points to cover the spread.
Total
Otherwise known as the Over/Under in which you bet on the total number of points/goals scored in a game. The sportsbook sets the total and you bet on whether the two teams will go “over” or “under” that total.
Prop bets
A fun type of bet allows newcomers and seasoned bettors to bet on things that may not necessarily affect the outcome of a game. Examples range from who scores the first goal, to who wins the coin toss, to how long the National Anthem will be.
Futures
Futures bets appeal to all levels of bettors because they allow bettors to predict the outcome of season-long events such as the Super Bowl or World Series Winner, Conference Champions in a range of sports, and even medalists at the Olympics.
Parlay
Parlay wagers likely need no introduction to sports bettors in Ontario. Here is a quick explanation anyway: a parlay is multiple individual bets that can come in the same sport or different ones if you so choose.
While popular, these bets can be a bit tricky and difficult to win. Miss on one of your game picks and lose the whole bet. Potential payouts are big though, which is why bettors love them.
Live/in-game betting
An increasingly popular form of wager that takes place after a game has already started. Examples range from how many points will be scored in a quarter of football or basketball and which player scores the next goal. It’s real-time betting action that allows the public to have a stake in every moment of a match.
Proline Plus is constantly adding to its Live Betting options which have become an increasingly popular bet type for global markets and will be a huge part of Canadian sportsbooks going forward. It is nice to see Proline keeping up about this bet type. It shows that they are willing to evolve as they become a bigger part of the Ontario legal sports betting industry.
Proline+ banking options
Right now there are two deposit methods available to Proline Plus customers. Credit Card deposits with Visa and MasterCard are welcome as well as an Interac (online banking) option. Both require a $10 minimum, and both allow for instant credits into your account.
There is currently just one withdrawal option on the site, which is unfortunate. To get your money out of Proline Plus, customers will use the “E-Check” method and will be forced to wait 1-5 days for processing and payment.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the newness of the Proline+ sportsbook has created limits on just what it can offer. Banking, while serviceable, is one area that the sportsbook could dramatically improve upon in a relatively quick fashion. That said, deposit and withdrawal options for the brand are simple and they are safe.
Of note, the OLG has stipulated a seven-day deposit limit for new bettors. The site will allow you to change your limit, but only after the first seven-day period elapses.
The deposit methods available on Proline Plus are instant once you have completed the registration process. There is a link on the main page that takes you to the deposit/withdrawal page, making it so that you won’t have to search too hard for the banking options.
Proline Plus security features
One of the strengths that we found with the Proline+ website and app is the security features. Canadian sports betting has always been highly scrutinized and highly regulated. The same goes for Proline Plus and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, which is owned and operated by the Ontario government itself.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has even won awards from the World Lottery Association, which honored the OLG with their highest certification level for the corporation’s PlaySmart initiative to encourage responsible gambling. Not only is the program safe but it is complete with educational resources for new bettors and seasoned gamblers alike.
Proline has been around in Ontario since 1992 and has no record of any nefarious action with any of its accounts, meaning that its platform is as safe and secure as one would expect from a government-run entity.
Proline Plus customer support
Proline Plus boasts a fairly extensive frequently asked questions section, a key part of a new site in a new betting market. Included in this section are questions about various markets, betting types, and just how to place a bet on the site.While close to the level of the US heavyweights, we are willing to give Proline Plus a little bit of a pass, with the hopes that they bolster their FAQ section just a tad going forward.
Proline Plus also has a live chat option that is available to customers of the site 24 hours per day. Most queries can be answered by professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful live chat agents on the site. If all else fails, Proline has a phone support option that is available from 8 AM to Midnight 7 days per week.
Proline Plus and the Ontario Lottery have a commitment to customer service. We found it to be the most “on-par” aspect of the site compared to the rash of competition ready to invade the Canadian market.
Legalization of sports betting in Canada
Sports betting in Canada has been around for decades, but it has been limited to parlay betting only. Before the passage of Bill C-218, otherwise known as The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act of Canada, which legalized single-event wagering, the shortest-leg parlay gamblers were legally allowed to place was three.
Parlays may be all the rage these days, but a majority of sports bettors still prefer to make single-game bets. Parlay-only wagering was not a popular choice among most Canadians, many of whom ended up betting with offshore operators. Proline Plus can now help with this.
It has been a rather swift ascension for Canada’s single-event wagering platform. Bill C-218, which is simply the rewriting of one line in Canada’s Criminal Code, simply states that sports betting is now expressly legal and can be regulated by provinces as they see fit.
Provinces can choose to legalize and regulate sports betting, or they can choose to make it illegal. If a province does nothing, it means sports betting is not legal there. This legalization includes single-game wagering, which is why it is such a big deal.
Other Canadian markets (e.g., British Columbia and Alberta) are expected to adopt a lottery-style model at first in their newly updated sports betting industry. Lotteries have underwhelmed in the US markets they have control over (Oregon and Washington DC specifically), but hopes are that the Canadian market can reinvent the effectiveness of Lotteries getting involved in the wagering scene. Proline Plus is Canada’s first foray down this path, operating through the Ontario Lottery.
It remains to be seen if there will be room for the Lottery-based providers and their quirks, considering dominant US brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn National (which acquired high-profile Canadian-based theScore Bet ahead of Canada’s single-game legislation), PointsBet (which has signaled their intention in joining the Canadian market), BetMGM (which has Canadian icon Wayne Gretzky as a brand ambassador), and Caesars Sportsbook are coming to Canada… eventually.
Proline+ review summary
On the upside, Proline Plus currently boasts the largest set of wagering options available for Ontario sports bettors, a great customer service team, a respectable set of deposit and withdrawal options, and a safe and secure site for their Ontario clientele.
On the downside, the biggest issue that we found with Proline Plus is the inferior odds they make available to bettors in the province. That said, we have certainly seen our share of state Lottery-backed sportsbooks in the North American market being plagued by uncompetitive and often downright poor odds.
The company’s promotions and bonuses are lacking but will hopefully pick up as they mature in the space. Proline Plus could also up their visual game and make their site as a whole lot more appealing to its customers.
Proline Plus has arrived in Ontario. The company didn’t exactly burst onto the scene, but the online sportsbook is a big step up from the regular Proline retail option that only offered parlay betting. Betting on individual games by itself is a huge step forward for the Ontario market and for Proline Plus.
Getting up to speed with their inevitable market competition is the next major challenge for the sportsbook. With DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, and theScore Bet, among others possibly coming to the province in 2022, Proline Plus could be in danger of losing a huge portion of the market share.
While the draw of a legal, regulated sports wagering option for Ontario bettors is certainly nice, there are some challenges that we have seen with Proline Plus.
So, while The Ontario Lottery has brought an online sportsbook, casino, and lottery to the people of their province, we aren’t ready to give the Corporation an “A”. Proline Plus is just a serviceable all-around sportsbook. It won’t blow anyone away, but it will get the job done.
Ted Dahlstrom works in the Seattle area as an Evergreen & Commercial Content Manager for Better Collective. Ted’s background is in government and communication, but his passion is writing about sports and sports betting, which led him to BC in an unexpected alignment. He avidly supports all the Seattle sports teams and Gonzaga basketball.
Proline Plus Sportsbook, one of Canada’s first traditional legal sportsbooks, has launched in Ontario under the umbrella of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corp. Proline has been a predominant name in Canada’s limited legal sports betting industry since 1992, and it has had an online presence since 2000.
