NHL Announces First Official Canadian Sportsbook Partnership

• The NHL and OLG announce that PROLINE+ will be the official sports betting partner of the NHL
• It’s the first partnership deal the NHL has entered into with a Canadian-based sportsbook
• The multi-year deal includes special co-branded promotions during select games

The NHL has forged its first partnership in the Canadian sports betting market and the sportsbook they’ve opted to partner with might be a bit of a surprise.

Instead of waiting for Ontario to open up to private sports betting sites on April 4, 2022, the NHL has agreed to terms with PROLINE+, the government-run sportsbook operated by Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG).

Under the multiyear agreement, the OLG will become an official NHL partner for sports betting. This role will encompass both its PROLINE+ digital sports betting platform and the new PROLINE product at retail lottery outlets across Ontario. As part of the partnership, the NHL is providing the OLG with distribution rights to the league’s official logos. They will also be holding cross-promotions across NHL digital and social channels.

The NHL and OLG announce PROLINE+ as the NHL’s First Official Sportsbook Partner in Canada. https://t.co/iisz7GvTFn pic.twitter.com/E7aqBx0vDw

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 9, 2022

“A partnership with a world-class organization like the NHL will help complement the ultimate sports betting experience for hockey fans,” Dave Pridmore, the OLG’s Chief Digital and Strategy Officer, said in a statement.

The OLG is serving as the presenting sponsor of the PROLINE+ NHL PreGame at the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. This is the official fan festival of the March 13, 2022 outdoor game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. The Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators are Ontario’s two current NHL franchises.

Last month, the OLG and PROLINE+ also reached a similar agreement with the NFL.

PROLINE First To Offer Single-Game Sports Betting In Ontario

PROLINE has been offering Ontario legal and regulated sports betting since the 1990s. There were limitations, though. Parlays were the only plays PROLINE was given permission to offer.

That changed once the Canadian Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act came along. This change in Canadian gaming was passed into law by the Canadian government last August. At that time, the addition of PROLINE+ was made. For the first time, the government was allowing the offering of online single-game sports betting among the OLG’s product offerings as part of the Canadian sports betting landscape.

“As a leading gaming entertainment operator for more than four decades with an excellent track record in Ontario, OLG is an ideal partner for the NHL to begin our transformative entry into this space in Canada and to further engage our avid Canadian fan base,” Kyle McMann, NHL Senior Vice President, North American Business Development, said in a statement.

Best Sports Betting Apps Coming To Canada

The OLG and NHL partnership includes unique and engaging NHL content to be delivered across OLG and NHL digital platforms. As well, there will be exclusive OLG and NHL events and promotions at retail outlets and online with PROLINE+. There will also be special co-branded promotions for sports betting enthusiasts held during select 2021-22 regular season games. Other promotions will run during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stanley Cup Final, and 2022-23 season.

While this is the NHL’s first partnership with a Canadian sportsbook, the league is likely to be forging more as private sportsbooks enter the Ontario sports betting market. In the US market, the NHL already lists partnerships with BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings, and PointsBet.