Canada Betting in Ontario is Now Live. List of Sportsbooks and Essential Guide.

The professional sports scene in America has continued to bloom over the last five years. Canada in particular has seen a major growth now that sports betting is widely accepted. The floodgates opened and bettors are profiting.

Ontario, Canada has seen a major increase in activity after legalization this past year. June 2021 marked a major milestone as provincial lotteries were approved. Each province was then granted the ability to place single-game wagers at that time.

With major league sport teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto Blue Jays nearby, the Ontario province was a massive approval for Canada. The iGaming market was also approved on April 4, 2022.

How Canada Legalized Sports Betting

Bill C-218 completely changed the game for Canada. When Parliament received this application to legalize sports, we quickly saw efforts for the country to earn their cut of the action. It took over three years from when the United States overturned the PASPA act to happen, but finally, Canada approved sports betting on leagues.

This was a crucial step for Canada since the majority of Canada’s biggest teams belong to the U.S.-based sports leagues. This undersold aspect was the most critical lynchpin to legalization. 

In the simplest terms, single-game sports betting was legalized. Horse racing has still not been approved, though. This was almost as good of news as could possibly come. 

On June 23, 2021, C-218 was passed. Canada’s Governor General approved the motion for Royal Assent as a representative of the Queen. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set the date for launch on August 27 in Canada despite initial speculation that it would be late 2021.

After this crucial step, the focus came onto the provinces. Individual provincial governments had their own say for approval. This process goes from the regional legislature, to an infrastructure review. This is where the single-game betting was approved for online-run sportsbooks for the most prominent provinces. 

Online Ontario Sportsbooks

Despite clearing the C-218 bill in mid 2021, Ontario’s process of legalization took until April 4, 2022. Operators, or online sportsbooks, were preparing for this moment. For example, PointsBet was approved first for their app and website, and then Fanduel and the Score Bet were shortly after. Getting into this space early was key.

That doesn’t mean those are the absolute best places to get great offers. However, time served in the game usually helps. These are reputable, serious places to open accounts with, and we highly recommend jumping on their introduction offers. 

In total, there are more than 10 AGCO-licensed operating sportsbooks in Ontario, Canada. We’ve used and reviewed each of the best sportsbooks available, and will provide a thorough breakdown of our top choices for bettors.

FanDuel

Right after Ontario, Canada approved legal sports betting, FanDuel received clearance to operate. It’s impressive they continue to be at the forefront of the industry in Northern America.

Between impressive app access and a smooth website, FanDuels’ user experience is intuitive even for novices. The app is responsive with unique props and future bets. 

PointsBet

Newer to the online gambling world compared to their peers, PointsBet is offering an innovative app and website for Canadians. New customers found this out on April 4, 2022. They were willing to take a fresh approach to the market and have since benefitted from not being a traditional platform for users.

Draftkings Ontario

Draftkings of course simply understands their clientele. The positive is their origination, but the negative is they clearly still have the interface of a data company. They started out in stats and scores as opposed to sports betting and it shows.

Regardless, Draftkings Sportsbook Ontario is worth checking out. They’ve made their own push for being the best bookie in Ontario through reliability and fast payouts. You simply must accept that their clunkiness is out of inexperience and should improve over time.

Caesars Sportsbook

Already a known and successful presence in Windsor helps Caesar’s brand recognition in Canada. Having an international commodity join the battle for the top sportsbook in Canada is of course good for customers. Caesars ups the game with their own promotions for new clients.

The simultaneous release of their Caesars sports betting app and acquisition of William Hill was a loud warning to their competitors that the company is serious about gaining traction within the industry. 

BetMGM

If you’re wanting  a familiar face, then look no further than BetMGM. Officially launching on April 4, 2022, along with the other elite sportsbooks in Ontario, Canada, we’ve seen more of the same from BetMGM. It’s not the prettiest app but it’s sure effective at getting the job done.

The nice part of BetMGM is you can also venture into iGaming and the casino realm. This is a great feature for new users and more experienced folks wanting to venture into a different challenge. We highly recommend checking out BetMGM.

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