Ontario Sports Betting Legal Update – Waiting for the Provincial Government to Make a Move
- Ontario based casinos are seriously preparing for single-game sports betting procedures.
- Sportsbooks are more than keen to enter the Canadian market.
- The easiest way of transition is to adopt laws similar to those enforced in the US.
The Unofficial First Pick To Launch Online Sports Bettings
Ever since August 27th, when single-game betting became legal in Canada, Ontario was the unofficial first pick to launch online sports betting, with the province being supported by some of the biggest names in the casino industry. Giants like MGM, FanDuel, Caesars, and DraftKings announced their intentions to do business in Ontario long ago, but despite the legality of sports betting, issues such as licensing fees, taxes, and regulations are not yet clearly determined.
While it is certain that sportsbooks will soon be fully operational in Ontario, the complete list of rules and regulations is not set at the moment. In the best-case scenario, they will be the same, or similar to rules and regulations in the US markets such as New Jersey, Virginia, and Michigan, allowing sportsbooks a seamless transition to Ontario and Canada.
However, the absence of a legal framework didn’t prevent Ontario sports-related casinos to start preparing for customers who will want to bet on single-game sports events. As a matter of fact, the government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation have already made single-game sports betting available on their Proline+ website.
The bottom line is this: Ontario needs to pass its new sports-betting bills through the provincial government, and simultaneously, sportsbooks have to prepare to enter a new market in a different country with appropriate business models and tech support. Stay tuned for the latest news in this regard, and when the time comes we will let you know who’s in, and under what terms and conditions.
