Single-Game Canada Sports Betting Starts Today

• Single-game sports betting is now available in some Canadian provinces.
• Several provincial lottery-run sportsbook apps are already taking bets.
• DraftKings, FanDuel may not be licensed for months.

Single-game Canada online sports betting is legal as of today and several provinces in the Great White North are already offering betting services through their lottery-run products.

The Senate of Canada approved Bill C-218 by a vote of 57-20 with five abstentions this past June to usher single-game sports betting into the country. Each Canadian province was given the power to regulate and legalize single-game sports betting on its own, similar to the 2018 process in the United States when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibiting states from authorizing sports betting.

The Private Member’s bill, sponsored by Saskatoon-Grasswood Conservative MP Kevin Waugh, amended the Canadian Criminal Code to remove language that required sports bets to be placed across multiple events. Until its approval, Canadian residents could only legally wager on multi-leg parlays.

Where is Single-Game Sports Betting Available Today?

So, Canadians can fire up their DraftKings and FanDuel apps this morning and expect to place bets on single-game events today, correct? Sadly, this isn’t yet the case, as it could be months before the larger sportsbook operators receive single-game sports betting market access in Canada.

However, several provinces have made single-game sports betting available through their own lottery-run products as of this morning.

• British Columbia is currently offering single-game online sports betting through its PlayNow lottery app.
• Manitoba is currently offering single-game online sports betting through the same PlayNow lottery app. The app was developed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
• Quebec is offering single-game online sports betting through its lottery-run Mise-o-jeu+ app and in-person sports betting at its Mise-o-jeu retail locations.
• Ontario is offering single-game online and in-person sports betting through its lottery-run ProLine+ app and retail locations.

Ontario Will Be a Sought After Prize

Ontario, the most populous Canadian province, should be the crown jewel of the country’s sports betting program. Representatives from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario have said the province hopes to have its full sports betting market up and running by December of this year, meaning partnerships with third-party sportsbook operators such as DraftKings and Fanduel and retails sportsbooks for residents.

Regulatory standards need to be approved before independent retail sportsbooks can begin to operate in the province. There are currently 24 gaming locations in Ontario, with Caesars operating a casino and hotel in Windsor.

The AGCO currently has applications for iGaming licenses on its website, but nothing yet for sportsbook licenses.