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Online Sports Betting in Ontario
In 2021, Canadian lawmakers passed the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (Bill C-218), which made single-game sports betting legal in Canada for the first time. Currently, provincial lotteries and gambling bodies regulate sports betting in Ontario, with each province taking ownership of its own legal betting activities. The passing of Bill C-218 was backed by commissioners of the NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS and CFL. Prior to the passing of the bill, betting was only permitted via the Proline+ website, which has been in operation since 1992. This is a government-run business where all wagers were required to come in the form of parlays. Proline+ has and continues to be owned and managed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Ontario was one of the first provinces to launch an online igaming industry, which went live on April 4th 2022. Now, private operators of online sportsbooks and casinos can legally take wagers from players accessing their websites from inside the province.
From launch, analysts estimated that the Ontario online betting industry could generate $8 billion a year for the province. This saw leading operators such as BetMGM, BetRivers, 888Sport, Caesars, FanDuel, theScore, PointsBet and LeoVegas apply for and be granted licenses to operate in Ontario.
Lawmakers have stated that anyone under the age of 19 is not able to partake in online gambling activities in Ontario. Operators permitted to offer online betting in Ontario are required to conduct checks to protect underage consumers and players that have self-excluded from gambling activities.
Popular Sports Betting Markets in Ontario
While there are many online betting sites in Ontario, the majority offer similar options when it comes to sports betting markets. As well as popular, much-followed sports, most bookmakers will list betting options for niche and alternative sports. This allows bettors to pick and choose from a long list of options as and when they please.
- NHL Betting in Ontario: With Canada having such an affinity with hockey, it is no surprise that hockey is one of the most popular betting markets in Ontario. What's more, hockey betting bonuses are readily available, with operators such as BetMGM Ontario and FanDuel Ontario eager to attract hockey bettors and become a favored option over competitors. From hockey free bets to hockey parlay bonuses, hockey bettors will never be short of options when betting on their favorite players, teams and competitions. Whether you decide to sign up to Caesars Ontario, BetMGM Ontario or any other Canadian sportsbook, you will be able to explore a wealth of prop and live betting possibilities. While the Stanley Cup is the biggest NHL betting market within the province, bettors can place wagers on any of the 82 games making up the season, with offers and odds available for the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific divisions.
- NBA Betting in Ontario: NBA is another key market for Canadian bettors, with a great proportion of Ontario sports fans seeking NBA betting odds and promotions. Nearly all of the Ontario betting sites carry NBA betting markets. These include NBA player props, team props, moneylines, totals, futures and parlays. Canadians' interest in NBA has arguably been intensified by the rise of the Toronto Raptors. The team, which went on to win the NBA Championship back in 2019, saw the NBA generate a new and excited community of followers from Canada. Some of the biggest players in NBA betting in Ontario are FanDuel, Caesars and theScore. Some of the biggest NBA betting markets and bets in Ontario involve the NBA Championship Outright Winner, the Playoffs, MVP candidates and the NBA All-Star. It's also worth noting that most betting operators will offer free NBA picks to their players, giving them the intel to make informed and rational wagering decisions.
- MLB Betting in Ontario: MLB betting is expected to be hugely popular across Canada. For those accessing betting sites in Ontario, there are plenty of options to explore. While the Toronto Blue Jays will no doubt be the focus for many MLB bettors in Ontario, players will want to wager all sorts of MLB bets on all sorts of MLB teams. Big bookmakers like 888Sport and PointsBet will provide a facility for bettors to place MLB game, future and live bets. If you are on the search for MLB betting sites in Ontario, we recommend starting your wagering journey with these bookmakers.
- NFL Betting in Ontario: NFL is one of the biggest online betting markets globally. This is no different in Ontario, with Ontario bookmakers offering a full range of betting options for NFL fans and enthusiasts. Some of the best providers of online soccer betting in Ontario are FanDuel, 888Sport and BetMGM. It goes without saying that the SuperBowl is the major betting event in the sport, with SuperBowl moneyline bets being one of the most-placed bets amongst NFL bettors not only in Canada but across North America.
- Boxing Betting in Ontario: UK and US heavyweight boxing is of interest to sports fans globally. This is why when online betting was legalized, bettors made their requests for boxing betting sites clear. Betting sites in Ontario processing boxing bets inlcude 888Sport, Ceasars and BetMGM.
- UFC Betting in Ontario: Canadians can legally bet on UFC in Ontario. Although most betting sites list UFC markets, not all boast an extensive offering. When choosing bookmakers such as 888Sport, bettors can choose from a long list of betting options. These include fight winners, method of victory, number of knockdowns, how long the fight will last and so on. If you are looking for bookmakers listing a handful of UFC betting lines, we highly recommend 888Sport, and some of the bigger-name bookies.
Other popular betting markets amongst Ontario bettors include lacrosse, MMA, cricket, formula one, tennis, table tennis and NASCAR. Although these are the top betting markets that gather the most interest in Ontario, it's just the tip of the iceberg with regards to what's on offer. Other markets such as chess, futsal and rugby are also available.
Ontario Sports Betting Types Explained
Ontario betting sites understand the need to serve all types of bettors with all types of betting interests and budgets. This is why multiple bet types are available to explore. Below, we look at the most commonly offered, ensuring you understand what different bets entail and the rewards they can result in.
- Moneyline Bets: Moneyline bets are the most straightforward bet type. A moneyline bet would see a bettor predict which team they think will win a game. Moneyline bets are represented in negative, positive and even odds formats. They can be placed on various sports, popular and niche.
- Point Spread: When placing a point spread wager, you are placing a bet on the margin of victory in a specific game. Points spreads are most commonly placed on basketball and football events. There are three potential outcomes of a point spread. These are win, loss and push.
- Total: A total bet is placed to predict the combined points scored by each team in a game. Prop betting is sometimes called over/under betting.
- Parlays: A parlay wager is a bet that involves more than one selection. A player will need to wager on a number of eventualities to build a parlay. If all prove correct, the parlay bet will be a success and will be paid out on. Parlay selections can be made on one single game, a variety of games and even different sports. These are called multi-sport parlays. Although a lot needs to prove correct for a parlay bet to be successful, they carry some truly sizable winning amounts. This is why parlay bonuses are so heavily in demand throughout North America.
- Props: Prop bets, or proposition bets, are bets that are not tied or related to the final score or outcome of an event. Examples of prop bets are predicting the number of passing yards, touchdowns or interceptions in an NFL game.
- Futures: Future bets are bets that are placed on events taking place in the future, hence the name! A futures bet can be placed on an event or series and has become a popular bet type in Ontario. Future betting is prominent in markets such as the Super Bowl, MVP, the Masters and colligative events.
- Teasers: Teaser bets are now available on most Ontario sportsbooks. Teaser bets are a type of parlay bet where a player can alter the point spread for a game, making the bet easier or harder to win. The odds will change to reflect the change.
- Round Robins: A round robin is a type of parlay bet that includes at least 3 selections covering 10 bets. These include 3 doubles, 1 treble and 3 up-and-down single stake pairs.
- Live In-play: Live bets are bets that can be placed after a game has commenced. Most Ontario betting sites will offer an in-play betting service on both desktop and mobile.
- Novelty Non-sports Bets: Novelty bets or non-sport bets as they are often called, are bets that are not related to sport. Many online betting sites now offer odds on unique selections involving events such as the Oscars, political elections, who will be the next James Bond and even the name of the next royal baby.
Live Betting in Ontario
Live betting is one of the most in-demand bet types not only in North America but throughout the world. This is because live betting, or in-play betting as it is commonly referred to, is fun and adrenaline-pitching!
Live betting essentially allows bettors to place a wager on a game/match while it is in play, giving bettors the option to place bets from the first minute of the event to the very last. There are many benefits to placing live bets, one of which is getting a feel for a game before parting with any of your wagering budget. For instance, If you were to place a live bet on the Super Bowl, you could assess each team's performance in the first few minutes before deciding which team you wish to back. This, in turn, allows bettors to go into wagers feeling more informed.
Although most Ontario bookmakers will offer a live betting facility of some form, live betting odds differ hugely from one provider to the next. When reviewing the bookmarks that currently offer live betting in Ontario, we found LeoVegas to be one of the preferred choices. This is because not only are odds favorable, but the selection of live betting options is extensive. As well as soccer and football, bettors can place live wagers on basketball, baseball and even cricket! What's more, LeoVegas is one of the few betting providers to offer free wagering credits for live bets. Therefore, if getting as much value as possible from your wagering sessions is the priority, checking out LeoVegas Ontario is a must!
Other betting operators offering live betting on key markets include FanDuel Ontario, BetMGM Ontario and the famous Bet365 Ontario. In more cases than not, sportsbooks with a live betting option will also have a live streaming facility. This allows bettors to watch the matches they are betting on in the same browser that they monitor their live bets.