Timeline of sports betting in Ontario
Legal online sports betting arrived in Ontario on Aug. 27, 2021. While an online option, PROLINE+, burst onto the scene on day one — and many more online alternatives will be available soon — it will take some time for the province to square away retail opportunities.
The timeline below summarizes Ontario’s road to legal single-game sports betting:
Feb. 25, 2020: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan MP Kevin Waugh introduces Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, to amend Canada’s criminal code and legalize single-game sports betting.
Nov. 5, 2020: The government of Ontario makes it known that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will manage the forthcoming online gaming market in the province.
April 22, 2021: Bill C-218 swiftly passes in the House of Commons with all-party support.
June 22, 2021: The Senate approves Bill C-218 by a vote of 57-20. The bill awaits royal assent to become law.
June 29, 2021: Bill C-218 receives royal assent. Single-game sports betting is officially legalized in Canada.
July 6, 2021: The government of Ontario announces that the province’s open and competitive iGaming market will be managed by iGaming Ontario, a newly established subsidiary of the AGCO.
July 28, 2021: The AGCO releases draft regulatory standards for internet gaming. This includes sports betting rules and regulations.
Aug. 12, 2021: Justice Minister David Lametti announces Bill C-218 will come into effect on Aug. 27, 2021. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) promptly reveals that PROLINE+ will launch the same day and offer online single-game sports betting to Ontarians.
Aug. 27, 2021: The OLG launches PROLINE+. Ontarians are now permitted to place wagers online and on a single event.
Sept. 9, 2021: The AGCO finalizes and releases its regulatory standards for Ontario's iGaming market.
Oct. 14, 2021: Rush Street Interactive announces a new free-to-play online casino and sportsbook — CASINO4FUN® — has launched in Ontario. RSI expects to go live with real money sports gambling in Ontario in the coming months under its BetRivers brand.
Nov. 2, 2021: During Caesars Entertainment's Q3 earnings call, CEO Tom Reeg shares his belief that Caesars will be among the more well-positioned operators to enter the Ontario market, citing its history with Caesars Windsor and existing customer base as competitive advantages.
Nov. 10, 2021: Golden Nugget President Thomas Winter specifically names Ontario when discussing the gaming company's 2022 expansion plans and third-quarter financial results.
Nov. 15, 2021: AGCO releases its Internet Gaming Go-Live Compliance Guide. Highlights include AGCO's emphasis on responsible gambling and the requirement of interested operators with multiple brands to cease all grey market activity in Ontario.
Nov. 26, 2021: OLG rolls out its first-ever Black Friday deals for PROLINE+, the provincially-owned online sportsbook.
Nov. 30, 2021: Montreal-based Intema Solutions Inc. announces it applies to become a licensed online gaming operator and sportsbook in Ontario.
Dec. 1, 2021: Ontario's auditor general expresses concern over Ontario's future iGaming market and urges the province to “take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the Criminal Code." Bonnie Lysyk identifies iGaming Ontario's supposed role in 'conducting and managing' third-party operations as an area that could present legal risk down the road.
Dec. 20, 2021: theScore Bet secures Gaming Laboratories International GLI-33 certification for mobile sports betting and iGaming in Ontario. The operator is expected to launch early in 2022.
Jan. 10, 2022: PointsBet Canada announces it's become the exclusive sports betting partner of the NHL Alumni Association.
Jan. 11, 2022: NorthStar Gaming announces a partnership with PlayTech. The Canadian-based gaming company plans to use PlayTech's IMS platform to launch its sports betting operations in Ontario.
Jan. 18, 2022: MaximBet issues a press release confirming its interest in launching in Canada — and presumably, Ontario — in 2022.
Jan. 19, 2022: BetMGM announces it expects to launch its online sportsbook and casino in Ontario later in 2022. On a conference call, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt states that bwin, another Entain plc-owned brand, plans to enter the Canadian market as well.
Jan. 20, 2022: In an email to Covers, press secretary Natasha Krstajic states, "Ontario's new igaming market will complement existing land-based gaming activity by providing a new opportunity for Ontario’s land-based operators to expand into iGaming to diversify revenue sources and cross-promote between online and land-based sites."
Jan. 28, 2022: iGaming Ontario (IGO) announces that Ontario's new iGaming market will launch on April 4, 2022. Online operators that have registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and "executed an operating agreement" will be permitted to go live on that day.
How to start betting in Ontario
With the arrival of online betting, Ontarians are able to place single event wagers via a mobile device, tablet, or computer. Bettors can also submit their picks at an OLG Lottery terminal.
1
Select a sportsbook
Ontarians will be flush with options soon enough, but PROLINE+ is currently the only provincially regulated online platform for sports bettors. Offshore sportsbooks will remain operational for the foreseeable future and should offer a superior betting experience in the short term.
2
Register online
Creating an online sportsbook account is a breeze in Ontario. Simply enter some personal information and confirm your identity, and you’ll be ready to get in on the sports betting action.
3
Claim a bonus
Offshore sportsbooks offer impressive signup bonuses to new bettors in Ontario. These include risk-free bets, deposit matches, and no-deposit bonuses. With an influx of AGCO-regulated sportsbooks set to enter the Ontario market, you can expect these bonuses to be offered in spades.
4
Deposit funds
Funding an account can be done in a matter of minutes. Sportsbooks accept several payment methods, including debit and credit, Interac e-Transfers, eChecks, and more.
Most deposits can be made free of charge but look over any relevant terms and conditions to avoid unexpected fees.
5
Choose your bet types
Ontario sports bettors already have access to all of the popular bet types when using offshore sportsbooks. With the arrival of single-game sports betting in Canada, local options are about to look a lot better as well. PROLINE+ offers moneyline bets, Over/Unders, props, live bets, point spreads, and more.
6
Start betting
Once you’ve become familiar with the betting options and online sportsbooks, it’ll be time to lay down some action. Do your research and make sure you’re 100% comfortable with your first bet.
7
Withdraw funds
Ontario sports bettors can expect withdrawals to take a day or two to process. Some sportsbooks allow you to access your funds free of charge, while others may charge a few dollars when it’s time to cash out.
Reading the odds
American odds are the most common way to display odds in North America and are the default option for online sportsbooks. These odds identify favourites and underdogs with minus (-) and plus (+) signs. You can spot a favourite by looking for a minus sign. The number next to the minus sign will tell you the amount you’d have to wager to win $100. For example, -160 odds indicate you need to bet $160 if you’d like to walk away with $100 in profit.
Conversely, a plus sign represents the underdog. The number that follows shows you what you stand to win should you place a $100 wager. For example, +250 odds tell you that a $100 bet would net you $250 in cold, hard cash.
Check out our odds converter to swap American odds for fractional or decimal odds.
Legal age
Mobile betting
Remote registration
Within provincial borders
Taxable winnings
No retail sportsbooks for now
Casino
Poker
Horse racing
Daily fantasy sports
