New York Launch Sparks Online Ontario Sportsbook Speculation
- The launch of legal, regulated sports betting in Ontario is expected to be coming soon
- New York launched earlier this month and industry analysts anticipate similar impact when Ontario opens up to privately-run sports betting sites
- In first 10 days of online sports wagering, New York saw 1.2 million new sportsbook accounts created and 17.9 million sports betting transactions take place
If you’re wondering how the launch of wide open online sports betting is going to make an impact in Ontario, perhaps taking a look across the border to New York might offer a comparable.
Online sports betting opened for business in the Empire State on Jan. 8. An Ontario launch of privately-owned sports betting sites is expected to occur sometime during the first quarter of 2022.
Ontario Sports Betting Gold Rush to Follow NY?
As New York dragged its feet behind many other states in opening up to online wagering, the sports betting industry was gnashing its teeth in frustration. They anticipated that the Empire State was a goose just waiting to begin laying golden eggs all over the place. The early returns are indicating that they’ve been proven correct in that prognosis.
New York's historic mobile sports betting launch shows the strong demand for a legal, regulated alternative to the predatory offshore market.
Read more about NY's big opening weekend in @business: https://t.co/CGjaNmx1qU
— American Gaming Association (@AmericanGaming) January 20, 2022
Through the first 10 days of online sports wagering in New York, 1.2 million new sports betting accounts were opened. Those bettors have played 17.9 million sports wagering transactions. Analysts are projecting New York will hit $1 billion in annual sports betting revenue.
New York has a population of 20 million people, so it’s slightly larger than the 14 million who populate Ontario. In terms of population, New Jersey is a closer comparable to Ontario. Since launching online sports betting in 2018, the Garden State has grown into a powerhouse. New Jersey rivals Las Vegas, the perceived mecca of sports wagering, in monthly handle.
Major Ontario Sportsbooks Expected to Land in Near Future
All of the same major online sports betting sites that were successfully launching their product in New York last week are figuratively waiting at the Canada-US border, anxiously seeking their chance to sink their teeth into the lucrative Ontario market.
Best Sports Betting Apps Coming To Canada
| Sportsbook Apps To Launch In Canada | Expected Province Approval | Expected Launch Date |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel Sportsbook Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| DraftKings Sportsbook Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| BetMGM Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| Caesars Sportsbook Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| PointsBet Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| HardRock Canada | ON | Q1 2022 |
| theScore Bet Canada (Penn National) | ON | Q1 2022 |
| BetRivers Canada (RSI) | ON | Q1 2022 |
Though Ontario has offered online sports betting since late August 2021, it’s only been available via the government-run PROLINE+. Many bettors are waiting for the arrival of popular American sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and PointsBet to become Ontario sportsbooks. Bettors are anticipating more competitive odds and increasing promotional offers.
All of these sites will surely be looking to bring in famous Canadians to work as spokespeople and brand ambassadors. BetMGM already has NHL legend Wayne Gretzky under contract. PointsBet recently signed deals with the NHL Alumni Association and Canadian pop culture icons the Trailer Park Boys.
Already, PointsBet is airing ads on Canadian television featuring Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles playing hockey against former NHLers Paul Coffey, Mike Vernon and Stu Grimson. PointsBet recently signed an agreement to be the official sports betting partner of Curling Canada.
Ontario Sports Betting Promos Could Be Huge
Many Ontario markets get their American network television channels from Buffalo, New York. Last weekend, as they watched the Buffalo Bills game, they saw the influx of lucrative promotional offers being provided to New Yorkers in order to encourage them to sign up for new online sports betting services. It’s certainly not at all unreasonable to expect similar offers once these sportsbooks become part of the Canada sports betting landscape.
For instance, DraftKings is offering New Yorkers a bet $5, win $280 promo on this week’s NFL Divisional Round games. FanDuel is providing New Yorkers the option of a $1,000 risk-free first bet, or a bet $5, win $150 on any NFL team as a signup bonus to new players. BetMGM is delivering a combination of a $1,000 risk-free first bet and a chance to bet $10 on the New York Knicks and get $200 in free bets whether they win or lose. Caesars Sportsbook, meanwhile, is delivering to New Yorkers up to $3,300 in bonus offers.
PointsBet is the first of the major online sportsbooks to establish a Canadian-specific website. Currently, they’re offering Canadians who sign up in advance with their site an exclusive welcome offer that will be revealed when their site goes live in that province.
They’re also providing a spin to win contest on their site. It’s free to enter and the grand prize is a $1,000 fan pack from the favorite team of the winning Canadian sports fan.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
