Ontario Sports Betting
When it comes to regulated, legal Ontario online sportsbook sites, there is plenty of choice in Canada’s most populous province. In fact, there are more legal Ontario online sports betting sites than anywhere else in North America. And, more are coming soon.
Already Ontario players have access to more than 30 Ontario sportsbook apps. DraftKings, BetMGM, Unibet, Caesars BetRivers, PointsBet, and Bwin are just a few of the sites legally accepting bets in the province.
PlayCanada has all the latest info on the best Ontario sports betting apps and welcome offers.
Read on for the details you need to get started.
Best online sportsbooks in Ontario for October 2023
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Ontario sports betting updates
Updated: Sept. 12
The NFL season is here, and there are plenty of ways to bet on it at Ontario sportsbooks
theScore Bet has launched an ad promoting a more streamlined betting experience
Ontario sportsbook Rivalry first to offer parlays on esports
Betting on Canadian horse racing now available on bet365 Ontario sportsbook app
Latest news
Ontario sportsbook options
| Online Sportsbook | Play Now | Our Review |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM Sportsbook | Click for details | BetMGM Ontario review |
| BetRivers Sportsbook | Click for details | BetRivers Ontario review |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Click for details | Caesars Ontario review |
| DraftKings Sportsbook | Click for details | DraftKings Ontario review |
| TonyBet Sportsbook | Click for details | TonyBet Ontario review |
Top sports betting sites in Ontario
So far, more than 30 online sportsbooks launched in Ontario since April 4, 2022, with even more to follow. The list includes Ontario’s top sportsbook apps:
1. BetMGM Sportsbook
Another big name in US gambling, the BetMGM Sportsbook app brings dependable software, solid lines, and plenty of odds boosts and offers to Ontario. Expect a good variety of banking options and quality customer service.
- Best feature: Banking
- App rating: 4.8 out of 5; 61.6K ratings on the Apple App Store
- Launch date: April 4, 2022
2. BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers Sportsbook aims to compete with the big sports betting names in Ontario thanks in large part to its loyalty program. The lines are competitive and the software dependable.
- Best feature: iRush Rewards loyalty program
- App rating: NA; BetRivers has different sportsbook apps for the different locations where it is available
- Launch date: April 4, 2022
3. Caesars Sportsbook
One of the biggest names in North American gambling is even bigger following its acquisition of William Hill. Ontario now has access to the Caesars sports betting app with its reliable software, competitive lines, and lineup of bonuses and promotions.
- Best feature: Caesars Rewards loyalty program
- App rating: 4.6 out of 5; 10.4K ratings on the Apple App Store
- Launch date: April 4, 2022
4. DraftKings Sportsbook
With roots in daily fantasy sports, the DraftKings Sportsbook app will bring a variety of betting options to Ontario, highlighted by its live betting. The sportsbook app also offers a solid interface, competitive lines, and various promotions.
- Best feature: Live betting
- App rating: 4.8 out of 5; 255K ratings on the Apple App Store
- Launch date: May 18, 2022
More sportsbook apps on the way in Ontario
And along with those options, some other potential sportsbooks will have local ties or are just waiting for AGCO and iGO approvals. Here is a snapshot of upcoming sports betting sites:
- BetRegal
- BuddyBet
- Golden Nugget
- Hard Rock
Key Ontario sports betting takeaways
| Is sports betting legal in Ontario? | Yes. Ontario has its Proline+ product. Additional online sportsbooks launched on April 4, 2022. |
| Available sports betting apps | PointsBet, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers and more. |
| What’s next? | Additional sportsbook apps are expected to launch over the coming weeks and months. |
| ON sports betting rules | The AGCO has released standards and requirements for sport and event betting embedded within the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. |
| Age to bet on sports | You need to be 19 or older to bet online in Ontario. |
| What constitutes a sports bet in Ontario? | Any bet on sports, competitions, matches and other types of activities that meet certain criteria will count as sports bets. |
How to choose the right online sportsbook in Ontario
Ontario’s online sports betting market is going to deliver choices. You can now decide what sportsbook or combination of mobile betting apps works best for you. We recommend signing up for as many legal sportsbooks as you can. Take advantage of any welcome bonuses and promotions each has to offer, then decide for yourself if you want to stick with each sportsbook, based on your experience and preferences.
Just make sure each sportsbook you sign up with is legal in Ontario. It should carry the iGaming Ontario seal and licensing info if it is. Here are some other things to consider:
- The variety of bets. In other words, make sure it has sports you actually want to bet on and types of bets that suit you.
- Whether it has a welcome bonus you might actually use. Check to make sure it’s easy to meet the requirements of any such offer.
- The features and promotions available. Look for odds boosts, early cash-outs, same-game parlays, parlay insurance and any other feature or promotion you might actually take advantage of.
- How easy it is to use the software. If betting is more than a click away, consider looking elsewhere.
What you can bet on in Ontario
In Ontario, you are able to bet on single-game moneylines, point spreads, totals and props involving major sports leagues like the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, English Premier League, and NCAA football and basketball. You can also combine multiple bets on these sports and others into parlays and teasers and bet on team and player futures. More obscure sports like curling, rugby, table tennis and more may be available for betting, as well.
What that means is you can bet on hometown favourites with up-to-the-minute Raptors odds, Argos odds, Tiger-Cats odds, Leafs odds, Jays odds or Senators odds, for example. Plus, you can bet on the nearby Buffalo Bills or Detroit Lions in the NFL, or your favourite footballers from across the pond playing for Manchester United, Liverpool and more.
Common sports bets
| Bet | More Information |
|---|---|
| Moneyline | Pick straight-up game winners at currently posted odds. |
| Spread | Pick game winners while factoring the book’s spread into the final score. |
| Over/Under (Total) | Pick whether the total score will add up to more or less than a line that the sportsbook sets. |
| Parlay | Get better odds by stringing together multiple individual bets. All legs must win. |
| Prop | Bet on player and team stat lines or specific game circumstances. |
| Futures Bet | Bet on season-long or postseason accomplishments of teams or individual players. |
Sports and events to bet on
| Ontario Betting Options | Examples |
|---|---|
| Major Sports | NFL, CFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS |
| Major Events | Super Bowl, Grey Cup, Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA tournament, MLS Cup |
| Props | Touchdowns, goals, scoring, batting, pitching, passing, receiving, rushing |
| Futures | Super Bowl, conference winners, division winners |
| Live Betting | Standard in-game lines and props |
Betting futures
Futures betting has landed in Ontario. That means you’ll now see Raptors futures odds, Leafs futures odds, Blue Jays futures odds and more, on everything from these or any teams making the postseason or winning their division, conference, or even a championship in the upcoming or ongoing season. Odds are available starting in the offseason, and they will change alongside a team’s chances of winning.
You can also bet on player futures related to stats and accomplishments. That means you could bet on Blue Jays ace José Berrios winning the Cy Young or Leafs sniper Auston Matthews scoring over 40 goals. Or you could bet on Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver Brandon Banks winning the CFL Most Outstanding Player award again or Raptors star Pascal Siakam averaging more than 30 points a game for the entire season.
Ontario sports betting shifts to an open market
Legal sports betting has been available in Ontario for the better part of the past 30 years. It’s just that it was limited to lottery-style parlay-only betting via the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.’s PRO-LINE product. Traditional single-game wagering was not available.
In his 2020 provincial budget, Ontario Premier Doug Ford proposed establishing a competitive market for legal online gambling. Additionally, Canada passed the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act in 2021, allowing individual provinces to regulate single-game sports betting.
On July 7, 2021, the province launched iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario that will regulate the new competitive online gambling and sports betting markets in Ontario.
In late August 2021, Proline+ launched, giving the province its first legal online sportsbook with single-game wagering. Plus, iGaming Ontario announced a timeline for commercial online sportsbooks to launch in the province.
There were delays in the licensing process. But on Jan. 28, 2022, iGO announced the expanded market would launch on April 4, 2022. The first apps to launch in Ontario included BetRivers, PointsBet, BetMGM and several other sites.
Ontario sports betting FAQ
Yes, you can place a bet online in Ontario via the provincial lottery’s Proline Plus site as well as multiple sportsbook apps including BetMGM, BetRivers and theScore Bet.
A parlay is a bet involving a minimum of three different bets from different games. The only way to win the bet is to get all your picks correct. That’s hard to do with any kind of consistency.
On the other hand, single-game parlays allows you to pick bets from a single game or event and parlay them together. This increases your action and potential payout on multiple bets on a single game.
You must be 19 years old to place a bet online in Ontario.
At this point, no. In fact, there really isn’t an official answer here just yet. While Ontario has a lot of casinos, the OLG is legally responsible for the casinos while the operations are handled by private companies. The AGCO and OLG have not announced any brick-and-mortar plans, so things are still in flux. For now, no casino has formed any partnerships. It’s safe to say land-based sportsbooks are on their way, though, as soon AGCO, OLG, and operators get their ducks in a row.
No, you must be inside Ontario when you place your bets. Ontario sportsbook apps employ geolocation software (or use the GPS available on your mobile device) to verify that you are in the province when you place your bet. Anyone outside of the province who attempts to bet online using one of the legal apps will be denied.