BetRivers Set To Join Ontario Sports Betting Mix


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Ontario sports betting

Ontario sports betting regulators continue to add to the slate of sportsbooks ready for launch.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario approved BetRivers for iGaming Operator Registration, according to a Rush Street Interactive release Thursday. BetRivers will be among the sportsbooks ready for the April 4 launch of ON sports betting.

“The receipt of our registration in Ontario is an important milestone that demonstrates our commitment to operating only in legalized markets where we pay local taxes, and we are grateful for the trust of the AGCO,” RSI CEO Richard Schwartz said in a statement.

RSI building Ontario database

In October 2021, RSI launched a free-to-play game for Canada sports betting at BetRivers.net.

“Our free-to-play social gaming platform has experienced strong traction in Ontario to date, and we look forward to offering those players similarly entertaining and responsible experiences when our real-money offerings come April 4,” Schwartz said.

The platform is the same as the real-money offerings from RSI. Canada is the third country with RSI gaming, joining the US and Colombia. With BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse, RSI is active in 13 US states.

Ontario sports betting options grow

Ontario was the first province to announce a plan for a commercial online gaming market. Regulators worked through the rules and earlier this year announced the April launch for commercial operators.

The AGCO began approving operators in late January. The registered operators ready for April 4 include:

Lottery head-start in Canada

Lawmakers changed the Canadian Criminal Code last year, granting provinces the ability to regulate single-event sports betting. Prior to the change, provincial lotteries could offer parlays.

The lotteries began rolling out the single-event betting products in August 2021. Ontario Lottery and Gaming‘s ProLine+ was among the first lottery products to launch.

Last month, the NFL partnered with ProLine+ as the league’s first Canadian sportsbook partner. This week, the NHL announced a similar partnership with ProLine+.