Although Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs fans are probably feeling very differently about their favourite teams’ current seasons, there is one thing people who belong to both fan bases can celebrate: the launch of several new legal online sportsbooks in Ontario.
On Monday, April 4, residents and visitors were granted the chance to sample some of the best Ontario sports betting apps.
Smart bettors have a set budget for their sports wagering. For that reason, spending part of your bankroll on a bad experience can feel like seeing your team miss the opponent’s open net. If you stick to the brands we’ve listed here, you’re much more likely to feel like you’re on a power play.
Best Ontario sports betting apps for NHL betting
Which of the seven apps we’ll discuss is the absolute best is a subjective consideration.
We’ll be covering:
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- PointsBet
- Unibet
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- theScore Bet
We aren’t going to rank these seven because many aspects of separating them are purely a matter of taste. Rather, we’ll inform you of why they rank in our top seven and let each bettor make their own decisions.
With that being said, it’s hard to go wrong with any of these seven online sportsbooks. In fact, we recommend you register for more than one, if not all seven. Remember, it costs absolutely nothing to sign up for an account.
Sports betting is one arena in which it can literally pay to not be the most loyal customer. If you have accounts at multiple sportsbooks, you can compare the odds and get the best “price” for your bets. That ensures you get the best return on your money if you do win.
Registering for an account is not only free but easy and fast.
BetMGM headlines with Gretzky, McDavid
Connor McDavid is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Wayne Gretzky in a lot of ways. But the young Edmonton Oilers star is already following the Great One in his choice for sportsbook partners.
Both inked up with BetMGM, which is one of the premier sports betting brands in the US.
Gretzky’s face is all over ads for BetMGM throughout the US, and McDavid’s is sure to follow in Canada.
Given those investments, you can believe that NHL betting will be a major focus of how BetMGM operates in Canada.
Specials on the app include bets on first, last and anytime goalscorers in a given game, extensive postseason awards betting, and a One Game Parlay feature, which has been very popular for Americans.
BetRivers ready for its shift
BetRivers might not be a Canadian household name, yet, but it’s working on that. The sportsbook’s parent company Rush Street Gaming makes its headquarters in Chicago and has been bullish on Ontario. In fact, it touted its status as the first US-based sportsbook to cross the border and get a sports betting license in Ontario.
NHL bettors should be pleased. Like with all the other apps on our list here, there is no shortage of available NHL markets on the app. The app itself is great, too.
BetRivers has become a strong brand in the US by making depositing and withdrawals a painless process. Depending on what funding sources you choose, you can make your deposits and withdraw any winnings in as little as a few seconds.
That makes managing your bankroll – a pillar of responsible and successful sports betting – much more simple. Diversifying your plays to maximize that bankroll is another sound strategy.
Caesars Sportsbook hoping to bank on name brand
Not many of these apps are well known to casual Ontario sports fans. However, Caesars Sportsbook has the built-in advantage of the Caesars Windsor casino in the province.
It’s also been all over the Las Vegas and boxing worlds for years, in addition to gambling circles worldwide.
It’s also a pretty nice sports betting product.
You can count on Caesars for daily promotions, including sometimes bonus bets given away after NHL games if your team scores three or more games, despite whether your bet wins or loses.
Upon regulatory approval, Caesars should be able to also offer several European professional leagues and a daily list of odds boosts as well.
A sampling of what was being offered in Michigan on Sunday: A win for the Anaheim Ducks in regulation against Edmonton and a Troy Terry goal parlayed pays +700. Plus, a Dallas Stars 4-2 win against Seattle on Sunday pays +1800.
PointsBet offers myriad options for bettors
Many NHL fans like to take advantage of customization options for their fan gear. For example, you can get a sweater of your favourite team with nearly any name and number on it. PointsBet offers a feature that plays on that same idea.
Though fans will have to wait a bit to take full advantage.
Points betting, as it’s called, is a unique way to bet on sports that pays you more the more correct you are in your wager. In essence, you can set your own lines for bets like the goal total on an NHL game. The risk to doing so, however, is that if the game really goes as you don’t expect it to in a big way, you can still lose your entire stake.
Points betting is not expected to be part of the PointsBet Canada rollout at first. But it should make its way here in time.
There are all the traditional markets for Ontarians who don’t want to try out points betting, too. On the app, you’ll find a very responsive customer service team should you have any questions as well. While you’re on the app, make sure to check out the many and frequently changing promotions as well.
Users of the next app on our list are well-advised to do the same.
Unibet preparing to get off the bench
On Monday, Ontarians will have access to a sportsbook popular with their counterparts in the United Kingdom. Unibet is somewhat of a unicorn because of its great user experience and generous promotions.
Unibet knows how popular the NHL is in the province, so bettors should expect to see many of them focus on the league. Taking advantage of them can be a smart play.
At the same time, though, there’s are some cautions. First, always read all the conditions of an offer to make sure you know what you have to do in order to take advantage.
On top of the promotions, bettors will find that signing up for an account at Unibet couldn’t be easier. All you need is your phone, a data connection, and a few moments. That goes the same for the last app on our list, too.
FanDuel set to face off in Ontario
FanDuel is the leader in terms of monthly revenue in many US jurisdictions with legal sports betting. Now, it’s ready to try to replicate that success in Ontario. It intends to take a localized approach to promote itself among Ontarians.
That could mean a lot of promotions and special betting markets on the Maple Leafs and Senators. There is also the potential for collaborations with the teams themselves, as neither has an official sports betting partner yet.
Whether FanDuel will close such a deal with either team remains uncertain at this point. What’s clear, however, is that the app didn’t become so popular in the US for no reason. Bettors have loved its same-game parlay feature, for instance.
With that feature, you can quickly build a custom parlay using bets from one contest. Want to make a parlay out of the goal spread, Auston Matthews‘ point total, and the Maple Leafs having the lead after the first period? It’s easy to do so on FanDuel.
With all this information, it should now also be easy to try out the new Ontario sports betting apps on Monday and thereafter. If the Maple Leafs do end up making a deep playoff run this summer, you’ll have all these great options to bet on it.
theScore Bet comes home
Ontarians are likely familiar with theScore as a sports media company. It has its headquarters right in Ontario; Toronto, to be specific. But did you know that it has operated an online sportsbook in multiple US jurisdictions for months already?
On Monday, Ontario will join that fold. People come back to use theScore Bet again and again in the US because of its competitive odds and easy-to-use app interface. Additionally, the app is accepting pre-registrations right now.
Why is it a winner for NHL betting, though? Glad you asked.
theScore Bet offers all the NHL action anyone could want. We’re talking playoff futures, single-game lines on every contest, live betting, and a robust menu of prop bets for every game. Naturally, it isn’t alone in that regard, though. The next app on the list has quite an array of NHL markets as well.
