Ontario Makes History with Launch of Private Online Sports Betting Market
Ontario welcomed regulated private online sports betting on April 3, 2022, becoming the first Canadian province to launch privately-owned sportsbooks. This milestone follows Canada's legalization of single-game sports betting in June 2021 through Bill C-218.
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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has approved 27 operators for iGaming licenses, including major players like:
- Caesars Sportsbook
- BetMGM
- FanDuel
- Bet365
- PointsBet
- theScore
- 888 Sport
Ontario represents Canada's largest sports betting market with 13.4 million residents, making it highly attractive for sportsbook operators.
Key Changes and Impact:
- Single-game sports betting is now legal (previously only parlay bets were allowed)
- Provincial lotteries have offered online betting since late 2021
- DFS services from DraftKings and FanDuel were withdrawn on April 1 due to regulatory requirements
- DFS operators must pay $100,000 annual licensing fees and 20% revenue to Ontario
- Players can only compete against others within the province
Background: The Senate of Canada approved Bill C-218 in June 2021 (57-20 vote), allowing provinces to regulate single-game sports betting individually. This follows a similar path to the United States' 2018 decision to let states authorize sports betting independently.
Provincial lotteries (OLG, ALC, and BCLC) continue to offer sports betting services, though typically with different odds and spreads compared to private sportsbooks.
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