Ontario Sports Betting to Launch Private Sportsbooks on April 4th

An exciting announcement regarding the launch of Ontario sports betting has just come out. iGaming and online sports betting in the province is now expected to launch in just a few weeks, on April 4th, 2022. There is a new subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) called iGaming Ontario (iGO). iGaming Ontario is working with the government to open the online gaming market to private sportsbooks.

iGaming Ontario released this official announcement that confirmed the target launch date. More details will be made available as the launch date comes closer. But, since the launch of single-game sports betting in Canada this past summer, the state of Canada sports betting has drastically changed.

As of this writing, starting on April 4th, private gaming and private sportsbook operators that are registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario will be able to launch in the province. However, any operator that wants to launch needs to have an agreement in place prior to launch with iGaming Ontario.

The Executive Director of iGaming Ontario, Martha Otton, has some assurances to consumers as to what they can expect of the April 4th launch. Some of these are compliance with applicable laws including anti-money laundering rules and regulations, the prevention of access to those who are underage, and other measures to ensure more responsible gaming. 

The news was also confirmed by the Canadian Gaming Association. The President, Paul Burns, stated his belief that this was another achievement and milestone for the gaming industry in Ontario. He is excited about the ability to create more investment and job creation in the province, in addition to the regulated iGaming market for consumers in the province.

He also mentioned that they now have the opportunity to be able to safeguard the economic benefits of this expansion for this launch. Now that private Ontario sports betting apps will be able to launch, many interested operators are eager to take advantage of this opportunity. Many of the best known sportsbook operators around are eager to throw their hats into the ring.

Some of the private sports betting operators who are expected to launch in the province around the April 4th launch are: 

• DraftKings Canada
• FanDuel Canada
• Caesars Sportsbook Canada
• BetMGM Canada
• PointsBet Canada
• theScore bet Canada
• BetRivers Canada

Ontario has been expected for a long time to be the first province in Canada to launch private sportsbooks. And, with this April 4th expected launch, that is set to happen. Other provinces, such as Alberta and British Columbia, are expected to launch private sportsbooks soon as well.

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