Ontario Sports Betting Sites 2024 - Legal Update

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

Ontario’s new iGaming market started to operate on April 4th, 2022, with a clear goal in mind – to help 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 grey areas or the OLG Proline Multi-bets, which often don’t have bettors’ best interests in mind.  

With the arrival of iGaming, Ontario online betting is safer than ever before. Every betting site operating in Ontario, from newcomers to longstanding operators, will be able to file for licenses with iGaming, allowing players to enjoy a safer, more regulated gaming environment. 

Any changes to online betting practices, especially large-scale ones, impact betting trends and change the market significantly. We’re here to help you explore these changes, help you make sense of them, and discover what the future might hold for Sports Betting in Ontario.  

In the wake of the new iGaming market, new betting sites have entered the Ontario market. We’re here to help you make heads and tails of this surge in options. Here are some of the top new sports betting websites that have recently entered the Ontario and Canadian markets:  

Since the iGaming revolution, many sportsbooks have already announced their intent to apply for a full license in Ontario, while others already have their full iGaming licenses.

Let’s check out some of the best Ontario sports betting sites who are either already licensed or in the process of becoming so: 

Sports Interaction: Sports Interaction has a unique place on this list because it’s been legal in Canada since its inception. This all-Canadian betting site has offered its services to Canadians for years. Sports Interaction resides on Mohawk territory and was founded by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. This site is known for its top-notch design and huge welcome offers, and is many players’ obvious first choice for legal sports betting in Ontario.  

888Sport: 888Sport has announced that it has secured its iGaming license, and thus permission to operate in Ontario. This is a massive global operator, with a ton of betting promotions that make it stand out. The site boasts a great design and layout and a large sportsbook that covers a wide variety of markets.  

BetMGM: etMGM is the new Canadian brand from Vegas powerhouse MGM. This new sportsbook is licensed and certified by iGaming and has an incredible interface and user-friendly features. It also offers 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 known for its massive welcome offers, easy-to-use website, and customer-centric experience. LeoVegas typically gets new licenses when it enters a foreign market, and Ontario is now different – they are now iGaming licensed. 

Betway: Betway is one of the top sports betting sites in Ontario, even though it has operated without a Canadian license. This is all set to change, as Betway is believed to be transitioning to the iGaming system. This is great news for its 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 owned by LeoVegas. It is an up-and-coming operator that has a lot to offer to Canadian bettors. 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 has also gotten its iGaming license and is emerging as a premier option for Ontario bettors. It has a solidly designed website, fun features like odd boosts, and a great mobile app. The website itself has plenty of features to explore and enjoy.

PointsBet: PointsBet hasn’t arrived in Ontario yet, but it has secured iGaming licensing and is set to launch in the near future. Bettors are bound to enjoy this Australian operator thanks to its massive sportsbook, convenient mobile app, and fun betting twists that keep players engaged.  

Bwin: Bwin is an Austrian sportsbook that is making the move to Ontario now that the market is available. It has secured an Ontario iGaming license and is now available to players in the district. It has a great-looking website, a bet builder feature, and a large sportsbook. 

BetRivers: BetRivers is another major operator that has recently entered the Canadian market by securing its iGaming Ontario license. It’s website is perfectly designed and boasts a lot of fun features, including live streaming and house specials. It also offers an exciting mobile experience. 

Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars is a famed staple of the Vegas betting scene, and now it is iGaming Ontario licensed and actively involved in the Canadian market. The website is simple but effective with a clean design, and there’s also a great mobile app. This 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. This operator has a great website with excellent odds for bettors and several standout areas. It has been ranked as one of the top sportsbooks for mobile betting and has 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. This is a premier option that is now finally available to Ontarians after years of operating just outside of the Canadian border.  

Rivalry: Rivalry is an exciting new option that's 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 – it has excellent e-sports betting coverage, on top of great markets for a wide range of sports.  

theScore: Most Canadians are familiar with theScore, a Toronto-based company that displays score updates and sports news, and has recently entered the betting industry as an iGaming licensed sportsbook and betting app. The app has a clean interface that is familiar to users, as well as an array of betting options.  

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

ComeOn!: Our full ComeOn! review is coming soon. 

PowerPlay: We expect this larger operator to procure its license soon, if it hasn’t already. It is one of the best live betting sites available, with plenty of exciting features. 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. 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 plenty of fun features. Bet99 also offers extensive player props that many bettors will enjoy, and a solid assortment of payment options. It is currently awaiting its iGaming license, having already applied for one. 

Betsafe: Betsafe, which has also applied for an iGaming license, is a huge sportsbook with plenty to offer Ontario gamblers. Its website boasts an array of distinguishing features for players to enjoy, such as same-game parlays, live betting, and even statistics and info.  

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. It also offers a variety of banking options, accepting cryptocurrency among other payment methods. TonyBet is in the process of receiving its iGaming license. 

Neo.bet: Neo.bet was one of the first operators to get a license in Germany, and they are currently in the process of getting their iGaming license confirmed in Ontario. The site is simple and effective with a clean, no-frills design that many users have come to love, not to mention its fantastic bonuses, massive sportsbook and huge supply of odds.  

Pinnacle: Pinnacle is a large global sportsbook with a substantial number of Canadian users, sure to become a strong option for Ontario-based bettors. They are currently undergoing the process of having their iGaming license put in place. Pinnacle is a longstanding operator that has been providing fand with a top-notch betting experience since the 90s. 
 

Up until recently, single-game sports betting wasn’t legal in Canada. Bettors could legally make parlay bets on multiple games through the Ontario Lottery, but they couldn’t place single bets. Many chose to use offshore betting sites for single bets, which can be referred to as “grey-area betting” – it wasn’t illegal, not was it fully legal or regulated by the Canadian government.  

This 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 in their jurisdiction and determine how and when it would be legalised. Naturally, many provinces jumped at the opportunity to earn revenue from gambling and oversee the industry.  

It has taken the Ontario government some time to make it happen, but it eventually became the first province to have this regulatory framework in place – namely, iGaming. iGaming was launched in the summer of 2021 by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, with the purpose of protecting consumers, regulating the market, and ensuring legal growth and provincial returns.  

Founding and launching iGaming has been a turning point for single-game sports betting in Ontario, and it will never be the same again.  

The meaning of iGaming regulation extends beyond the province government and the sportsbooks and directly effects the players themselves - in fact, the implications  for players are possibly the most significant. Even when betting wasn’t fully legal, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians engaged in it at their own peril. iGaming allows the government to oversee this market and likely receive a significant share of the revenue – which can amount to billions of dollars, if the experience of other governments is any indication.  

For users, just like for bookmakers, iGaming licensing makes things safer and clearer. You’ll know exactly what is legal and what isn’t, allowing you to bet simply and easily, without having to worry about scamming or legal grey areas. iGaming is set to regulate several different elements relating to player safety and work to create a better environment for bettors.  

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.  

Now that betting is legal in Ontario, the province will lightly gain the attention of an array of sports betting websites looking for new customers, causing Ontarians to have more gambling options than ever before. But iGaming is a legitimate government-controlled organization, and they don’t hand out Ontario gambling licenses to just anyone.  
 
Several different criteria are examined by iGaming to ensure they’re only licensing safe and respectable companies. Most large operators that are already licensed in several locations around the world, such as 888Sport or Betway, will already have demonstrated these licensing standards. However, many gambling companies won’t. 

Some of the standards that iGaming considers include:  

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

These are not all of the relevant factors, but they are the primary ones.  

As you can see, iGaming doesn’t make it easy to obtain a license. This supports an environment where only trusted and respectable operators can thrive in Ontario.

There’s a lot to know about betting. You can check out our many sportsbook reviews or in-depth information, but here are some quick insights to check out before you get started: 

Legality is hugely important. Betting with an illegal operator places you at significant risk of getting scammed. Before trusting a sportsbook with your money, always make sure it is legal and regulated.  

Other factors to consider have to do with the way the specific operator aligns with your interests. Does it support the payment methods you want? Does it provide you with the offers you were hoping for, or the app features you care most about? Every sportsbook is different methods – ensure you can find what you are are looking for before you get started.  

Another crucial element, especially with gambling, is to ensure that you stay safe. For Ontarians, iGaming will also be there to help bettors ensure that they don’t gamble in a problematic way. iGaming aims to ensure that every licensed operator has systems in place allowing gamblers to set deposit and betting limits and avoid developing a harmful habit.  

The legalisation of betting in Ontario doesn’t mean that everyone will be able to do it – Some of these new rules regulate who exactly can bet legaly in Ontario. The minimum age to participate in Ontario sports betting is 19. This differs across provinces, so make sure to double-check if you live outside Ontario. Legal betting at Ontario sports betting sites also requires that you register for an account and include all your personal information, so make sure that you go through this step before starting. 

When single-game betting was legalised in August of 2021, it changed sports betting in Ontario for good. Here’s why:

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

This sort of bet used to be illegal in Canada – the only type of betting that was legal was multi-game betting, and this wasn’t done online. Multi-betting, or parlay bets, are placed on several games at once, with all the bets within needing to hit in order for the bet to cash.  

To do this legally, bettors were required to purchase Proline or Proline+ tickets from convenience stores or gas stations. The proceeds from these bets went to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, or the OLG. This wasn’t great for gamblers because the OLG would usually provide them with unfavorable odds for bettors. That is why the huge array of sports betting sites available after legalisation is so good for bettors – competition forces better deals.

Another pre-iGaming issue was that, since the only bets available were parlays, bettors were often forced into riskier bets than they would’ve liked. Since the legalisation of single-game betting and the removal of these issues, Ontario sports betting has taken off in a major way.