A Memorable Start: The Inaugural Day of Sports Betting in Ontario Was Full of Excitement

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As the Chair of the iGaming Ontario Board, Dave Forestel noted, it was quite fitting to kick off the formal event for the Canadian Gaming AssociationOntario sports betting at the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Forestel remarked on Monday morning, 'It's quite suitable that this initial official gathering occurs here. Ontario has much to offer this market, especially given its sizable population and competitive tax rates on revenue share.'

'Players will have access to an extensive selection of games from the licensed sportsbooks. Additionally, the thriving capital markets in this region could greatly contribute to the future success of gaming in Ontario,' he expressed.

By the conclusion of Tuesday, 17 gaming platforms successfully completed their registration and received approval to operate in Ontario, with 13 more still in the approval process, includingDraftKings Sportsbook Ontario .

Dani Lipkin, who serves as the director of global business development at the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange, emphasized the significance of these regulations at the event, stating, 'This will create employment opportunities and position Ontario as a leader in technology within the gaming sector.'

'We are immensely proud to be celebrating this launch this morning,' he added.

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"It’s Exciting What We Have Here\"

During the TSX event, John Levy, the founder and CEO of theScore, which just launched in Ontario on Monday, shared that the digital development of his company began in 2012 when they sold their television division to Rogers. This launch marked the conclusion of one phase and the inception of another for Levy.theScore Bet 'Sports betting has always been intertwined with the passion that fans have for sports,' he stated. 'We recognized this early on and catered to the younger audience with our TV network, aiming to fulfill a niche that our competitors were overlooking.'

'Within just 18 months, we grew to around 150 employees. Now, we have expanded to over 600-700 employees. We are fortunate to be part of this robust market in Ontario, and the potential growth and ancillary benefits from this development are tremendous,' he noted.

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‘Ontario Got It Right’

Paysafe has been facilitating payments for OLG's iGaming platform OLG.ca since 2015.PointsBet Canada 'We previously had a well-established gray market operating in secrecy, and now we're bringing it out into the open,' Levy remarked. 'Our company, along with others, will thrive in this environment where the gray market was quite prevalent. Yet, many individuals preferred not to gamble with those untrustworthy firms and sought out trusted companies instead.'

'Ontario has set a commendable example. In the U.S., we have learned from both successful and unsuccessful markets,' he added.

According to Paul Burns, the President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, it seemed like the majority had positive experiences on Monday.

'I've been hearing good reports; there were no significant issues reported by those participating today,' he shared with OntarioBets on Monday afternoon. 'Only minor inconveniences were noted.'

Ultimately, what truly matters is the fact that Ontario now has a fully operational and regulated digital gaming and sports betting market.

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Levy expressed that when all factors are considered, Ontario is likely to be the 'most attractive' jurisdiction in North America.

New Level of Engagement

We shall wait and see. The crucial takeaway is that sports enthusiasts now have access to a legal avenue for deeper engagement with their passion. Retaining customers over the next year will be essential for these sportsbook companies, as Levy pointed out on Monday. The competition will be heavily focused on product offerings and customer service.

Following the launch at the TSX, a lively day unfolded filled with office celebrations, confirmations from sportsbooks about their launches, and evening social gatherings, with discussions about the companies that began operations that day.Ontario sports betting apps A representative from PointsBet revealed that just 50 seconds after midnight ET on Monday, they became one of the pioneering private sportsbook companies to accept a legal bet, shortly thereafter placing a $500 two-leg parlay on North Carolina besting Kansas and the Maple Leafs triumphing over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Now, it's time for action. According to Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, Ontario is expected to generate gross revenues of $989 million CAD in its first year, with forecasts of $1.86 billion CAD by 2026. It's time to be realistic.

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Mark Keast
Mark Keast
iGaming Reporter

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