Ontario, home to the best and biggest sports team in all of Canada such as the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Senators, was the first province to launch an iGaming market in 2022. Single-sports betting wasn’t legal before in Canada and in this province, it was limited to PROLINE+, the provincially run sportsbook. In April of 2022, it all changed as the province launched its already successful internet gambling market.
How did this affect the players and the province’s economy? Let’s discuss it a bit.
The Long Path to Legalizing Sports Betting
Canadians have attempted to legalize single-game betting as well as casino gambling in Canada for a long time, but it all began in 2021 when the real changes started happening. In April of 2022, players were finally able to go online and bet on sports, as well as legally play their favorite casino games.
These days and since the passing of the bill, players are spoilt with choices when it comes to betting on sports and gambling. Today, gambling enthusiasts can simply go online and find any possible options: slots, table games, live casino games, best payout and fast payout casinos. Even minimum deposits are available like 1$, 5$, 10$ and so on. So if Canadians in Ontario look for 10$ deposit casino to play, they are likely to find it and it will be completely legal. The perfect gambling hubs are at everyone’s fingertips and the only requirement is that they are of legal age and based within the province’s borders.
Seeing how the most popular sports teams in the country belong to leagues based in the US, once the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, the debate on this matter became fiercer in Canada, too. In 2021, the Parliament introduced a game-changing bill for bettors and gamblers, known as the C-218.
This bill is aimed to alter the criminal code of the nation and allow provinces to legalize online casino gambling and single-game sports betting (except for horse racing). This means that single-game wagering will be launched in most of the provinces. C-218 was finally passed on June 2023.
Soon after, Ontario was the first to launch its online sports betting platform, as well as its online casinos.
Players were rejoiced to learn this. They eagerly awaited the sports betting platforms where they can place wagers when they pleased, and went through endless tips for playing casino games to improve their gambling skill. Several operators are already approved and live in the province, operating legally under the regulation of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Those that operate online were required to register with the iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the AGCO, and obtain operating agreements with this regulatory body.
This already is a big deal and Deloitte Canada was obviously expecting it. In their report, it was estimated that this legalization of sports betting will grow close to $28 billion within the first 5 years. Now, we are still a long way till 5 years, but the situation is moving into that direction.
The new regulated market makes sure that operators meet the standards of fairness, social responsibility, integrity, and protection of players. Bettors can easily access the approved, regulated casinos and sportsbooks on the official website of iGaming Ontario, and have their pick depending on their gambling preferences.
The Big Change is Already Felt in Ontario!
It’s not just those enticing sportsbook ads that appear all over the web these days that make bettors eager to place their wagers. The championships around the globe make this far more exciting now that players can hop online instantly and make their bets from the comfort of their home. Sports betting is booming these days in Ontario – and it was long overdue!
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