The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), Canada September 9 finalized regulations for private online sports and event betting. The Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming could take effect before the end of 2021.
In June, Canada’s Senate passed C-218, which amended the Criminal Code to make single-event sports betting legal. So far, no province has gone live with sports betting aside from lotteries. No private operators have taken wagers yet.
In the first five days of legal single-event wagering in July, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) accepted bets totaling more the $1 million.
.
Ontario is Canada’s largest province, with 14.8 million residents and so the opening of its sports betting market in the next few weeks is highly anticipated. Operators will be under contract with iGaming Ontario.
According to the AGCO, “In most cases, these standards are drafted at a high level of generality, with the aim being to capture the purpose behind the rule.” It continued, “This offers greater flexibility for regulated entities to determine the most efficient and effective way of meeting the outcomes required, which in turn helps reduce regulatory burden and support market innovation.”
Unlike its neighbor to the south, Ontario devotes a section that advises sports betting providers how they can market their services, including much on site credits, bonuses and other promotions.
Operators are not forbidden from offering inducements, but they can’t be advertised except on their gaming site.
Amanda Brewer, an advisor for the Canadian Gaming Association, told Sports Handle that the Canadian Marketing Association, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada and ThinkTV should put their heads together to agree on advertising standards.
“We hope that there is the opportunity to get all parties together sooner than later to begin the dialogue and get everyone on the same page,” she said.
The standards also seek to discourage match fixing through tough, all-encompassing integrity monitoring. Some of the standards are lifted from Colorado’s standards, which require operators to submit detailed information that enables state regulators to closely monitoring betting activity.
