Ontario Sports Betting Sites 2023 - Legal Update

The Ontario sports betting industry has recently undergone huge changes. While online Ontario betting hasn’t been expressly illegal, recent years have had a significant positive impact on the state of the market. Ontario single-game betting has recently become legal, and a new government branch is coming to market to help oversee things.

This branch is known as iGaming, started to operate on April 4th hits, it helps oversee the legal betting sites in the province. It helps Ontarians ensure they are playing on safe, trusted betting sites. Before iGaming, Canadians could only use offshore betting sites that operate in legal gray areas or the OLG Proline Multi-bets, which aren’t bettor friendly.

With the arrival of iGaming, Ontario online betting is safer than ever before. Everyone from the new betting sites to longstanding operators will be able to file for licenses with iGaming, and gambling will be offered in a safer, more government-regulated way.

These changes to online betting will impact betting trends and change the market in a significant way. Let’s explore these changes, what to expect from them, and dive into what the future might hold for Ontario Sports Betting.

What you can find in this article?

• Best New Betting Sites in Canada
• Legal Ontario Betting Sites
• Betting in Ontario
• Ontario Sports Betting Legality
• Before You Start Betting
• Who Will Be Able to Bet in Ontario?
• Single Betting in Ontario
• Who is Eligible for a License?
• Ontario Betting FAQs

Here are some of the top sports betting Canada websites that have recently entered the Ontario and Canadian markets.

While many sportsbooks have already announced their intent to apply to be fully licensed in Ontario, there are several brands that already got the full iGaming licences in Ontario.
Let’s look at some of the best Ontario sports betting sites offered by fully registered and approved and some that are likely to be licensed or in the process of becoming so:

Sports Interaction: Sports Interaction has a unique place on this list because they’ve been legal in Canada since their inception. Sports Interaction has serviced Canadians for years because they are a Canadian brand. They exist on Mohawk territory, founded by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. They are known for their top-notch design and huge welcome offer. They are a natural source for legal sports betting in Ontario.

888Sport: 888Sport has announced that they’ve secured their iGaming license, giving them entrance to Ontario. They are a massive global operator, with a ton of betting promotions that make them stand out. They have a great design and layout and a large sportsbook that covers a wide variety of markets.

BetMGM: BetMGM is the new Canadian offering from Vegas powerhouse MGM. Their new sportsbook is iGaming licensed and certified and has an incredible interface and user-friendly features. They also offer a top-notch mobile app sports bettors are going to love. It is a great new addition to the Ontario betting marketplace.

Leo Vegas: LeoVegas is one of the biggest gambling companies on the market, a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut. They are known for their massive welcome offers, easy-to-use website, and customer-centric experience. LeoVegas typically gets new licenses when they enter a foreign market, and that is the case in Ontario, as they are now iGaming licensed.

Betway: Betway is one of the top Ontario sports betting sites, even as it has operated without a Canadian license. This is all set to change, as they’re believed to be transitioning to the iGaming system. This is great news for their users, who use this sportsbook in large part due to its awesome interface, top-notch betting offers, fun features, and smooth experience.

Royal Panda: Royal Panda is a major operator that is owned by LeoVegas. It is an up-and-coming operator that has a lot to offer to Canadian bettors. For starters, it is iGaming licensed and regulated, so safety is not a concern. They have a large sportsbook with a lot of fun offers and stand out as an exciting Ontario betting option.

Unibet: Unibet is a website that has gotten its iGaming license and is emerging as a premier option for Ontario bettors. They have a solidly designed website, fun features like odd boosts, and even mobile apps. There are a lot of aspects of this website that bettors are likely to enjoy.

PointsBet: PointsBet hasn’t arrived in Ontario yet, but they have secured iGaming licensing and are set to launch in the near future. Bettors are going to find a lot of enjoyment with this Australian operator. They have a massive sportsbook, a mobile app, and fun betting twists that keep punters engaged.

Bwin: Bwin is an Austrian sportsbook that is making the move to Ontario now that the market is available to them. They’ve secured an Ontario iGaming license and have arrived. They have a great-looking website, a bet builder feature, and a large sportsbook. There’s a lot to enjoy with Bwin for bettors.

BetRivers: BetRivers is another major operator that has recently entered the Canadian market by securing its iGaming Ontario license. It is a website that has a perfect design and a lot of fun features, including live streaming and house specials. They also offer an exciting mobile experience for bettors.

Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars is a famed staple of the Vegas betting scene, and now they are iGaming Ontario licensed and actively involved in the Canadian market. Their website is simple but effective with a clean design, and they also have a great mobile app. They are a safe and trusted operator Ontarians will come to love.

CoolBet: CoolBet has officially arrived in Ontario with its iGaming license, and this is good news for Canadians. They have a great website with excellent odds for bettors and several standout areas. They have been ranked as one of the top sportsbooks for mobile betting and have a top-notch design.

FanDuel: FanDuel is a massive sportsbook that just arrived in Canada and has secured its iGaming license. It is well-known for its excellent website design, massive sportsbook, and daily fantasy features. It is a premier option that is now available to Ontarians after years of operating just outside of the Canadian border.

Rivalry: Rivalry has recently entered the Ontario market with an iGaming license, and it has a lot to offer. If you like e-sports, this is the sportsbook for you. They have excellent e-sports betting coverage and also offer great markets for a wide range of sports. They are an exciting new option.

theScore: Most Canadians are familiar with theScore as a Toronto-based company that displays score updates and sports news. They’ve now entered the betting industry as an iGaming licensed sportsbook and betting app. They have a clean interface that is familiar to users and an array of betting options.

DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings is one of the bigger sportsbooks in America, and now it is set to arrive in Ontario. Their Ontario offerings haven’t kicked off yet, but DraftKings is deep into the iGaming licensing process. They will have a lot of great features to offer bettors, including a smooth website, single-game parlays, and odds boosts.

ComeOn!: Full review is coming soon!

PowerPlay: There isn’t a ton of information on whether PowerPlay has procured a license, but the reasonable expectation is that this large operator will. It is one of the better live betting sites available, with tons of options. They also take crypto deposits and withdrawals, which is something many bettors will enjoy.

BetVictor: BetVictor is a major sportsbook that first launched in England in the 1940s as a bookie. It has evolved to become a great online betting site with a top-notch app. It has an excellent website design and great live betting. BetVictor has applied for licensing with iGaming Ontario and will likely receive it soon.

Bet99: Bet99 is a sportsbook that has been operating in Canada for some time now. It has an excellent website design and a lot of fun features. They offer extensive player props that many bettors will enjoy. They also have a solid assortment of payment options. Bet99 is currently awaiting the iGaming license they’ve applied for.

Betsafe: Betsafe is a huge sportsbook with a lot to offer gamblers. They have a website with an array of distinguishing features, so gamblers will find a lot to enjoy here. With same-game parlays, live betting, and even statistics and info, Betsafe is in-depth and exciting. They’ve applied for their iGaming license.

TonyBet: TonyBet is a longstanding operator that many Canadians are already familiar with. It has a huge sportsbook with comprehensive coverage of just about every major league on the planet. They also have in-depth banking offerings and accept cryptocurrency and more. TonyBet is in the process of receiving its iGaming license.

Neo.bet: Neo.bet is a betting site that is known for expanding its licensing. They were one of the first operators to get a license in Germany, and they are currently in the process of getting their iGaming license confirmed. Neo.bet is simple and effective. They have great bonuses and a massive sportsbook with a huge supply of odds. Some might not like their plain layout, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Pinnacle: Pinnacle is a large global sportsbook with a substantial number of Canadian users. They are en route to becoming a strong Ontario sports betting option. They are currently undergoing the process of having their iGaming license put in place. Pinnacle is a longstanding operator that has been servicing fans since the 90s, and they provide an excellent experience to bettors.

We’ve given you a small breakdown of the Ontario sports betting situation, but let’s jump into the nitty-gritty of it all.

Up until recently, single-game sports betting wasn’t legal in Canada. People were allowed to make parlay bets on multiple games through the Ontario Lottery, but they couldn’t place single bets. Bettors could use offshore betting sites without any fear of punishment for single bets, which we’ll refer to as gray area betting. It wasn’t illegal, but it also wasn’t legal or Canadian government regulated.

However, that all changed when Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, passed. This bill gave provinces the ability to determine whether single-game sports betting was legal and determine how and when it would be legalized. Naturally, many provinces jumped at the opportunity to earn revenue from gambling and oversee the industry.

It has taken some time for the Ontario government to make it happen, but Ontario is still the first province to have the infrastructure in place. iGaming is that infrastructure. iGaming was launched almost immediately in the summer of 2021. It was launched by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and its purpose is to protect consumers, regulate the market, and ensure legal growth and provincial returns.

iGaming is a turning point for single-game sports betting in Ontario, and it is set to launch for good on April 4th. Buckle up because Ontario betting will never be the same.

Is Sports Betting Legal?

You’re probably asking yourself, is Ontario sports betting legal? The answer to this isn’t as simple as the question. For all intents and purposes, it has been a legal gray area for years. It was not legal or government-regulated, but bettors were legally allowed to use gray areas like offshore or tribal betting sites. But the past year has changed that. It is now legal and up to the Ontario government. With iGaming going live on April 4th, it will be entirely legal, regulated, and legitimate.

What is iGaming Trying to Achieve?

The answer to this is easy. People are going to bet anyways and do in high volumes. It wasn’t fully legal, but there were hundreds of thousands of Ontarians that did it regardless. iGaming allows the government to oversee this market and likely receive a significant share of the revenue. In other places where gambling was legalized, the state received billions of dollars in revenue.

For users and bookmakers, it’ll make things safer and more clear. We’ll know exactly what is legal and what isn’t, and there will be no concerns about scamming. iGaming is set to mandate several different things for player safety and work to create a better environment for players.

All in all, this is good for everyone. The government will be able to tax the operators and receive their fair due, players will have a safer and more secure system, and operators will enjoy the benefits of a growing user base as more Canadians sign up.

There’s a lot to know about betting, and our many sportsbook reviews should give you some insight into the industry. However, we’ll give you some quick insights into gambling below.

There are a few things to know about sports betting before you get started. For starters, legality is hugely important. If you are betting with an operator that isn’t legal, there is a significant increase in the chances of it being a scam. You don’t want to lose your money, so always check if a sportsbook is legal first.

The other factors to consider are whether the operator aligns with your interests. Does it support the payment methods you want? Every sportsbook has different methods, ranging from Interac to cryptocurrency. Ensure they have the options you are looking for before you get started.

With gambling, it is always critical that you stay safe, and iGaming will help bettors ensure that they don’t gamble in a problematic way. iGaming will ensure that every licensed operator has systems where gamblers can set deposit and betting limits to avoid harmful habits.

Just because betting will be legal in Ontario doesn’t mean that everyone will be able to do it. For starters, there are still rules around betting legality in Ontario that bettors need to know. For Ontario sports betting, the minimum age to bet is 19. This is different across Canada, so check for your province if you live outside Ontario. As well, to legally bet on Ontario sports betting sites, you must register for an account and include all your personal information.

You’ve heard us mention Ontario single-game betting, but what exactly is that? When single-game betting was legalized in August of 2021, it changed everything. Let’s take a look at why.

Single-game betting is exactly what it sounds like. It is a bet placed on a single sporting event. For example, if the Maple Leafs were playing the Senators, and I wanted to bet on that game, that would be a single-game bet.

Until recently, this wasn’t legal in Canada. The only types of betting that were legal were multi-game betting, and this wasn’t done online. Multi-betting is parlay bets, bets that are placed on several games at once, with all the bets within needing to hit in order for the bet to cash.

This wasn’t done online, either. Bettors would have to purchase Proline or Proline+ tickets from convenience stores and gas stations. The proceeds from these all went to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, or the OLG. This wasn’t great for gamblers for several reasons.

For starters, the OLG would provide some unfavorable odds for bettors because they didn’t have other options. That is why the array of sports betting sites is so good for bettors because competition forces them to offer good deals to bettors. As well, since the only bets available were parlays, bettors were often forced to make risky bets.

With the legalization of single-game betting, Ontario sports betting is now likely to take off in a major way. Before, bettors would have to utilize gray area offshore platforms for their single-game betting. This will no longer be the case.

Now that Ontario betting is legal, there will be an array of sports betting websites that turn their attention to our province. It is likely that Canadians are going to have more gambling options than ever before now that legality is on its way. But iGaming is a legitimate government-controlled organization, and they don’t hand out Ontario gambling licenses to anyone. So who is eligible for an iGaming license?

There are a lot of different things that dictate eligibility for iGaming licenses. Most large gambling companies, such as 888Sport or Betway, which are already licensed in several locations around the world, will already live up to these licensing standards. However, many gambling companies won’t.

There are a list of rules and regulations that iGaming uses to ensure they’re only licensing safe and respectable companies. Here are some of the things that iGaming considers:

• Game Design and Features
• Policies and Culture
• Design and Advertising
• Employee Training
• Self-Exclusion and Breaks In Play
• Supporting Informed Decision Making

There are more than just these factors, but those are some of the primary ones. There are lists of regulations imposed by both iGaming and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

iGaming doesn’t make it easy to obtain a license, which is a good thing. This supports an environment where only trusted and respectable operators can thrive in Ontario, which is great for bettors.