With Ontario sports betting still on adding online operators, land-based casinos will soon open up sportsbooks as well.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. announced last week that casinos in the province will begin to introduce retail sportsbooks. The OLG launched retail sports betting at lottery retailers in August 2021, as well as ProLine+ for online ON sports betting.
“We are proud to have worked closely with the gaming industry and our partners in the Ontario government on this next phase of growth in Ontario’s gaming market,” OLG President and CEO Duncan Hannay said in a release. “Sportsbooks in casinos will offer a diverse and integrated entertainment experience for players, give our service providers a stake in the sports gaming market, and bring more jobs and economic benefits to host communities.”
Ontario retail sports betting framework
OLG owns the 28 casinos in Ontario, but contracts out management of the properties. Great Canadian Gaming signed a deal with Kambi this month to run 10 casino sportsbooks in Ontario.
Mohegan Gaming operates three Niagara-area casinos, including Fallsview Casino Resort. Mohegan partnered with Kambi to launch PlayFallsview into the online market.
In September, Kambi expanded the relationship with Mohegan to provide sportsbook support at Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.
Ontario casinos protested commercial sports betting
In January 2021, before April’s commercial online sports betting launch in Ontario, Great Canadian Gaming said iGaming would hurt the casino industry. The province’s largest land-based casino operator claimed it would cut tax revenue by $2.65 billion over five years.
Great Canadian Gaming asked for but did not receive several concessions. The protest also did not delay the April 4 commercial launch.
Could retail sportsbooks help Ontario numbers?
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario released the revenue figures from the second quarter of commercial online gaming last month. Operators took a relatively light CAD $6.04 billion (USD $4.4 billion), generating CAD $267 million ($192 million) in revenue.
The report does not separate sports betting from iCasino. Despite Ontario’s substantial population, the revenue does not match up to smaller US states with both iCasino and sports betting.
| State/Province | Population | April-June Online Gaming Revenue (USD) | July-September Online Gaming Revenue (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 14.6 million | $124.4 million | $192 million |
| New Jersey | 8.9 million | $557.2 million | $611.6 million |
| Pennsylvania | 12.8 million | $520.9 million | $545.3 million |
| Michigan | 10 million | $465.2 million | $485.2 million |
The known Ontario sports betting figures, however, do not include OLG numbers.
While retail sportsbooks will add options for Ontarians, it likely will not boost handle much. In US sports betting states with mobile sportsbooks, online generally accounts for more than 90% of the overall handle.
