Single-event sports betting now legal in Canada

Placing bets on individual sporting contests became legal in Canada at the stroke of midnight on 27 August. From that moment, several provincial lotteries were able to expand their betting options, meaning that customers no longer have to put multiple sections in their bets. This includes the likes of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which operates the Proline sportsbook, and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) with its PlayNow.ca offering. The OLG is launching Proline+, which will include live betting for the first time, while BCLC is also overhauling its offering. Lynda Cavanaugh, BCLC’s interim president and CEO, said: “This is a landmark moment for BCLC and our players. “We’re excited to enhance our offerings on PlayNow.com, the only gambling website operating in BC where revenue goes back to British Columbians by supporting provincial initiatives like healthcare, education and community programs.” It is understood that lotteries in Quebec and Manitoba will shortly expand their sports betting products beyond multiples. Meanwhile, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) plans to regulate private operators for both sports betting and igaming in Ontario. US and international heavyweights like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and bet365 will be looking to enter the country’s most populated province, although this isn’t expected to happen until late 2021 or early 2022. This gives OLG a significant head-start with the new NFL season starting in September. Ontario is predicted to become a C$1bn market in 2022. The change in the betting laws came about when the country’s Senate passed bill C-218 in June to change the Criminal Code to allow for single-event sports betting following the House of Commons passage in April. C-218 received Royal Ascent on 29 June, with Canadian provinces deciding if they wanted to legalise wagering on single sporting events. Earlier this month, 27 August was the selected launch date across Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. However, some frustration started to build after C-218 was approved at the perceived time it was taking for this to come to fruition and the fact the Federal Cabinet hadn’t set an enactment date. Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), said in early August that in the 35 days since receiving Royal Ascent, more than C$1.1bn in bets had been placed offshore and with illegal bookmakers. The CGA said this resulted in underground bookies and Canada-facing sites making C$60m in profit. “Why let organise [sic] crime continue to profit?” he blasted in a LinkedIn post. The CGA estimates that Canadians gamble C$10bn annually on sports with organised criminals, while another C$4bn is bet through offshore sites. Only C$500m is wagered legally with provincial sports lottery products, the trade body says. DraftKings anticipates that the total addressable market in Canada is between $5bn and $8bn and that the company can grab a 10%-20% share of the action.