Nova Scotia Sees a Sports Betting Launch in Time for Super Bowl Betting

In time for Super Bowl betting this past weekend, sports betting in Canada had expanded to every province. The single-game betting product Pro-Line from the Atlantic Lottery Corp. has now reached Nova Scotia. This province was the sole remaining jurisdiction that did not have single-event sports betting in the country.

The Atlantic Lottery Corp. is very enthusiastic about this expansion and the ability to offer new players their service. Since single-game sports betting was legalized in Canada in August 2021, provincial lotteries have expanded their sports betting offerings. Prior to this change in regulations, only parlay sports betting was allowed in the country.

The Atlantic Lottery Corp. has already been offering sports betting in the following provinces:

• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• New Brunswick

However, these Atlantic Canada provinces do not have a plan to expand to include commercial operators at this time. This is different from Ontario sports betting which is working to include commercial sports betting operators. The Ontario sports betting expansion is set to launch on April 4.

Nova Scotia is home to almost 1 million residents, which is slightly over 2.5% of the total population of Canada. Nova Scotia is the largest of the four provinces that comprise Atlantic Canada. The largest city in the province, as well as its capital, is Halifax. This city is home to a franchise for a National Lacrosse League.

Gray-and black-market operators, offshore operators who are operating illegally, have caused Atlantic Canada to lose around $100 million of revenue a year. Now that a regulated betting option is available through Pro-Line, bettors have a legitimate sports betting option to turn to. The launch of Nova Scotia sports betting allowed bettors in the province to capitalize on Super Bowl betting.

A few days ago, the first Canadian sportsbook partnership with the NFL was announced from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. In Ontario, the Ontario Lottery Corp.’s ProLine was able to offer a variety of Super Bowl betting options. Ontario has almost 15 million residents, a sizable market eyed by a lot of operators. It is the largest sports betting market in Canada.

The Responsible Gaming Council found that 42% of sports wagerers in Ontario were planning to bet on the Super Bowl. This includes 36% of people who plan to bet online with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. products.

With commercial operators getting a planned launch in Ontario on April 4th, operators are looking to expand into the area. A few days ago, three operators cleared a hurdle toward launching on that first day.

Regulators in Alberta are searching for two sportsbook partners to operate retail sportsbooks in the province. The potential is there to expand online eventually. Other provinces in Canada, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority is looking toward launching an online product, potentially this coming summer.

The sports betting market in Canada could be worth around $28 billion within a five year period, according to a report from Deloitte.

Written by Allie Nelson, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert.