The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the latest US league to expand its Ontario sports betting presence.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. announced last week its newest partnership with the NBA for ON sports betting. The partnership made OLG’s ProLine+ an official sports betting partner of the NBA in Ontario just in time for last week’s 2022 NBA Draft.
“We’re thrilled to offer wagering on the NBA Draft for the first time while bringing our valued sports bettors even closer to the game through exclusive content and gameplay,” OLG Chief Digital and Strategy Officer Dave Pridmore said in a release.
Earlier this year, OLG partnered with the National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. In 2021, the NBA expanded its partnerships with DraftKings and FanDuel to include Canada sports betting.
NBA Ontario sports betting partnership details
The new partnership will allow ProLine+ to integrate league marks and collaborate with the league on content for NBA betting. The partnership builds on a prior partnership between the NBA and OLG, which included a variety of co-branded content.
“This expanded relationship marks the latest iteration of our deeply valued long-term relationship with OLG,” NBA Associate Vice President of International Gaming & Data Ventures Kuljeet Sindhar said in the release.
Toronto Raptors Ontario partnership
In April, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment announced PointsBet and FanDuel as official sports betting partners.
MLSE owns the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, who continue to grow in popularity in Canada.
The Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championship and ranked sixth in league attendance in 2022.
OLG partnerships
ProLine+ launched in August 2021, when the Canadian Criminal Code changed to allow single-event sports betting. Commercial sportsbooks, including FanDuel and PointsBet, launched Ontario sports betting in April.
The NBA was the last of the big four to saddle up with ProLine+ in Ontario.
The NFL and NHL entered OLG partnerships in February and March, respectively. OLG and MLB announced their deal last week.
