Ontario Gambling Market Skyrockets Following Singles Launch

On September 1, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced that it has handled over a million Canadian dollars (about $800,000 USD) in the very first week of legalized single-sport betting in Canada. 

Some Pretty Promising Numbers

According to the statistics, around 74% percent of all money gambled through Proline, OLG’s preferred platform, was wagered on single-game sports betting. These promising results raise quite a lot of optimism for the future of single-event betting in Canada. 

OLG’s chief digital and safety officer, Dave Pridmore, commented on the great amount of interest. He emphasized that bettors from the Canadian province have been waiting for a “best-in-class” online betting platform. Pridmore is sure that Proline’s PROLINE+ is the answer to all their needs, especially after the introduction of single-game betting.  

The Canadian Gaming Association’s chief executive officer, Paul Burns, confirmed Pridmore’s words. He mentioned that PROLINE+ is a welcomed solution as local bettors can finally experience gambling through an online platform.

Ontario also announced it would also be launching a private market for single-game sports betting. “On future rollouts, Ontario is the only province that has firm plans to invite privately operated sportsbooks into the market; others are evaluating or are unlikely at this point,” Burns pointed out.

He added that the betting community is eager to see casinos have access to retail sportsbooks, but there isn’t much progress on that matter.

The State of Singe-Game Betting in Canada

Despite the strong start of single-game betting in Ontario, British Columbia will likely be a fearsome competitor in terms of gambling stats. According to what was reported to Sports Handle, the state has received an influx of 1208 new bettors on its own platform, PlayNow.com, a 96% jump in the total wagers count and a 72% rise in the total gambled sum.

British Columbia’s results are to be expected as the state has experienced population growth in the last two decades and hosts some renowned sports teams, such as NHL Vancouver Canucks, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps, and CFL BC Lions.  

Canada has had legal parlays for a long time now, but single-event sports betting wasn’t allowed. This, of course, didn’t stop passionate bettors from finding alternatives and betting with unregulated offshore platforms. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation reported having lost around $250 million Canadian dollars ($199 million USD) to unregulated competitors. 

These losses were perhaps part of the reason the Canadian Senate decided to legalize regulated single-game sports betting through Bill C-218. 

Now that Canada is proceeding with single-game betting, several provincial lotteries such as the OLG and the BCLC have already started their operations. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission, Loto-Québec, and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation have also started taking bets on singles. 

The iGaming market will be eventually opened to private bookmakers as well, albeit at a later date.