With the Ontario market just a few weeks old, some trends are starting to emerge. The market went live April 4.
A survey by OntarioBets.com which specializes in research and review of sportsbooks and online casinos found that 35 percent of provincial residents say they make sportsbooks wagers at least once a week, compared to 39 percent who never do. Those statistics are expected and about average said Max Bichsel, vice president of OntarioBets.com.
He added, “I think the unique part about Canada, in general, and more specifically, Ontario, is before regulated sports betting and regulated online casinos there was a grey market that was available … it already existed whereas in a state like New York nothing did. I think that’s why you’ve seen a fairly muted acceptance of sports betting because it didn’t require acceptance, it was already occurring within the bounds of the province.”
The survey also showed that the top choice among those surveyed was the NBA (28 percent) compared to the NHL (22 percent), NFL (13 percent), Major League Baseball (8 percent) with English Premier League and CFL bringing up the rear.
One of the first sportsbooks to launch in Ontario, FanDuel, decided to making a lasting impression with responsible gambling. The action was unprecedented, claims the operator.
It sent an email to Sports Handle that said, “Nowhere in the world has this ever been attempted, and we’re very proud to have delivered a safer gaming message during a key moment of acquisition and still rank among the top three operators in the market.”
FanDuel accounted for 20 percent of the sportsbook app downloads in the province the first 10 days. Only theScore Bet and bet365 beat it. The latter two sites have a hometown advantage since they have done business, although not in sports betting, in the province for several years.
TheScore is based in Toronto, where it offered a sports news app with more than 4 million users.
There are now 22 online gaming websites live in Ontario. One that hasn’t yet joined but will soon is DraftKings, considered FanDuel’s biggest rival in the U.S.
FanDuel General Manager Dale Hooper told Sports Handle, “Ontarians probably didn’t know that single-event betting was illegal or that they were playing in the gray market.” Hooper added, “Over the long term, when you’re building a brand, it comes from a position of trust and a foundation of trust. For us, we take responsible gaming very seriously. We don’t want any of our loved ones to place a bet they can’t place. Safety in the industry and ensuring we make it safe, sustainable, and fun is really important.”
This led to the decision to do something never done before. The first five days of the market FanDuel ran ads on responsible gaming.
This contrasted with some other operators, two of which were fined by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario for advertising guideline violations.
Nevertheless, FanDuel is happy so far with its market share. “It has been a great launch,” Hooper said. “People in Ontario were certainly ready and eager to try the new brands and operators that have come into the market. We’ve been very happy with their energy, feedback, and their focus on giving us a try. We’re really happy with where we’re at.”
A new entry into the Ontario online gaming market is the 1X2 Network, which recently obtained a license. This will allow licensed operators to be able to offer online gambling games from the 1X2 Gaming and Iron Dog Studio, such as Wolf Strike, Blazing 777s, Battle Maidens, Battle Maidens Cleopatra, Book of Ba’al and Phoenix Inferno.
1X2 Network already provides games to Loto-Québec. The company’s account management and marketing director Roy Kimber, commented, “Ontario promises to be one of the largest online casino markets in North America, so it made absolute sense for 1X2 Network as a leading provider of premium slot and table game content to enter the province.”
