Ontario Sports Betting

Ontario sports betting is fully underway in the province. Ontarians enjoy a greater degree of flexibility and control than the residents of any other area of Canada.

In the months following the debut of competitive sports betting in Ontario in April 2022, more than two dozen sportsbook companies have launched their apps in the province. The market is not at full capacity, either, so it’s a good idea to take stock about what’s going on in Ontario sports betting regularly. 

This page is your best resource for keeping tabs on the goings-on in the province.

Best Online Sportsbooks in Ontario

Although there are dozens of choices for placing a wager in Ontario, these online sportsbooks are the cream of the crop in the province. Click on the links below to get started with one of these top options:

Ontario sports betting at a glance

Ontario sports betting has been available since April 2022. The table below is a snapshot of all the ins and outs of placing a wager in the province.

Top QuestionsOntario Sports Betting Fundamentals
Is online sports betting legal in Ontario?Yes. There are now more than two dozen online sportsbooks active in Ontario.
Who is allowed to play in Ontario?Anyone over the age of 19 may place a wager in Ontario.
Do I have to be in Ontario to play?Yes. You must be physically inside Ontario in order to bet on an Ontario sportsbook app.
Do I have to live in Ontario to play?No. It is not necessary that you maintain a residence in the province to play. You need only be over the age of 19 and inside the provincial borders.
Are there any bets I cannot make?At this time, virtual sports are not permitted to be the subjects of Ontario sports bets.
What sportsbook apps are available in Ontario?DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet, and many more

Favourite Teams to Bet in Ontario

Though opinions may vary from household to household, there are a few big-name teams in Ontario that capture the hearts and minds of many residents. If your primary goal is to place bets on one of the hometown squads, then you may find the information you truly need on our team pages for those teams.

Top 12 Ontario sports betting apps

With so many sportsbook apps in Ontario, it can be difficult to sort through the crowd to find the highest quality options. So, here’s a rundown on the top sportsbooks that you can find in Ontario.

BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers

BetRivers Sportsbook is the sportsbook for Rush Street Interactive, a regional gaming operator in the US. Although its app is a bit clunky, BetRivers is a great app to go for its loyalty program and for its live streaming to observe your in-game wagering.

  • Best feature: iRush Rewards program
  • App ratings: 4.1 (iOS), 4.1 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of BetRivers Sportsbook here.

BetMGM Sportsbook

BetMGM Sportsbook is the sports betting brand for MGM Resorts, the international gaming giant. BetMGM distinguishes itself by offering more flexibility and opportunity for bettors than just about any other app. 

  • Best feature: Edit My Bet
  • App ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 4.4 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of BetMGM Sportsbook here.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the top sportsbook apps in Ontario thanks to its list of its same game parlays and live betting options. There are thousands of ways to bet on DraftKings each day.

  • Best feature: Live betting suite
  • App ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 4.5 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: May 18, 2022

Read our full review of DraftKings Sportsbook here.

Bet365 Sportsbook

Bet365 Sportsbook is one of the world’s leading sportsbooks and offers a terrific lineup of sports to bet. There is also a long list of in-game wagering options that you can enjoy on Bet365, along with its Edit Bet feature, which permits a certain amount of flexibility for pregame and in-game wagers.

  • Best feature: In-game wagers
  • App ratings: 4.6 (iOS), 2.1 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of bet365 Sportsbook here.

Sports Interaction

The Kahnawake-based Sports Interaction (SIA) Sportsbook provides Ontario bettors with another great sports betting option. SIA offers a solid range of markets and live betting opportunities. The free weekly Pick’em contests are a nice feature. So are the Piñata Picks where you get great odds (e.g., 25-to-1) randomly assigned to a particular wager.  

  • Best feature: Daily and weekly promotions
  • App ratings: 4.4 (iOS), 3.5 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: August 28, 2022

PowerPlay Sportsbook

Launched in 2018 and going live in Ontario in 2023, PowerPlay is another great option for bettors with a user-friendly design and generous VIP program. The site features comprehensive coverage of North American and European sports with tons of live betting options and helpful features like early cash-out. 

  • Best feature: Range of international markets
  • App ratings: n/a (iOS), n/a (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: June 7, 2023

BetVictor Sportsbook

BetVictor was already a familiar sports betting brand in Canada when its online sportsbook went live in Ontario in 2022. The site offers a nice range of betting markets covering the most popular North American and European leagues and sports with competitive odds and a solid live betting platform.

  • Best feature: Bet Builder, a parlay-construction tool
  • App ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 3.6 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: June 7, 2022

PointsBet Sportsbook

PointsBet Sportsbook is an Australian provider that has made tremendous inroads into the North American continent in recent years. In addition to its broad list of betting options, PointsBet offers a unique wagering style – its namesake, points betting – which adds a level of excitement and intrigue to standard bets like the spread and totals wagers.

  • Best feature: Points betting
  • App ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of PointsBet Sportsbook here.

TonyBet Sportsbook

Originating in Estonia in the early 2000s, poker pro Antanas “Tony G” Guoga acquired the site in 2009 and after years of serving Europe it launched in Ontario in 2022. TonyBet covers a nice variety of markets with a robust live betting platform and handy “combo bet” option for parlays. 

  • Best feature: Special sports betting tournaments 
  • App ratings: 4.9 (iOS), n/a (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: December 2022

Unibet Sportsbook

Unibet Sportsbook is a European brand with decades of experience under its belt. You will not find another sportsbook with a broader list of live betting options. Its processing times for banking are also quite short, and you can move your money quite quickly into and out of your account without much difficulty.

  • Best feature: Live betting suite
  • App ratings: 3.4 (iOS), 3.9 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars

Caesars Sportsbook represents one of the most prestigious gaming brands in the world, Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment also owns the Caesars property in Windsor. Caesars Sportsbook has more experience than almost any sportsbook app, thanks to its decades of experience and its acquisition of venerable sports betting shop William Hill.

  • Best feature: Loyalty program
  • App ratings: 4.6 (iOS), 4.3 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of Caesars Sportsbook here.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook represents the daily fantasy sports pioneer of the same name, but is a force in its own right. The FanDuel app offers one of the smoothest experiences with its speed and navigation of any sportsbook app. FanDuel is also one of the primary progenitors of same game parlays in this part of the world.

  • Best feature: Navigation
  • App ratings: 4.7 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
  • Ontario launch date: April 4, 2022

Read our full review of FanDuel Sportsbook here.

Other apps in Ontario

Several other apps have been approved to operate by iGaming Ontario and AGCO. While they may not bear as many advantages as the books listed above, they are legal, licensed, and regulated entities nonetheless. So, here are some of the other options you have at your disposal in Ontario. As more apps join the province, look for the list below to be updated.

  • 888 Sport
  • Bally Bet
  • Bet99
  • Betano
  • Betway
  • Bet Victor
  • Bwin
  • CanPlay Casino
  • Coolbet
  • LeoVegas
  • NorthStar Bets
  • Partysports
  • Pinnacle
  • PowerPlay
  • Play Fallsview
  • PokerStars Sports
  • Rivalry
  • Royal Panda
  • TonyBet
  • TheScore Bet

How to choose the right sportsbook for you

The list above might seem a bit overwhelming. After all, even if a particular brand is familiar to you, you may not know if their sportsbook app and presentation are the right fit for your needs and preferences. So, as you explore the different app options in Ontario, here are some elements to consider:

  • Market diversity – Each sport listed on an app is known as a market, since each sport has many different games for wagering under its umbrella. You should consider whether a potential app has a long list of sports available for wagering and that it has as many different games available to bet as possible.
  • Wager diversity – At the same time you check the list of sports, you should examine whether the app offers several different types of wagers. Every app is going to have the standards, but you likely want to find a book with a deep roster of parlay and in-game options, too.
  • Odds fairness or advantages – Don’t accept the offered odds at a given sportsbook as gospel. Instead, compare the odds for the same wager at as many different apps as you can – within reason, anyway. An app that consistently offers better odds than the pack may be worth your time irrespective of its other attributes.
  • Bonus availability, generosity, and functionality – Check to see whether there are any offers and, if so, how worthwhile they are for you to use. 
  • App navigation – There is a time element associated with sports betting, and an app with clunky or slow navigation may mean the difference between snagging a golden opportunity and missing out on value. Furthermore, nothing is more aggravating than being unable to find the information you need or the bet you want to make when you’re cruising around your chosen sportsbook app.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea what to observe when you’re considering a new app. Remember, though, that everyone has different tastes and preferences, so as long as you are playing on one of the legal and licensed apps in Ontario, there’s no wrong answer.

One last thing to mention is that it is unlikely that you should limit yourself to a single app. Instead, the prudent maneuver is to maintain accounts at a stable of apps, where you prefer certain types of wagers on one app but other wagers on another. At the very least, you should be able to shop the odds on your chosen bets freely.

Types of sports bets in Ontario

Although the exact offers and terms for each sportsbook’s betting options might change, the types of wagers listed below are, more or less, universal to every app you try. Here are the most common flavours of bets that you’ll find in Ontario:

  • Point spreads – A point spread bet is a prediction about the margin of victory in a game. The sportsbook estimates the winner of the contest and its eventual margin of victory, and you wager whether you believe the winner will exceed this estimate (beat the spread) or the loser will lose by fewer or win outright (cover the spread).
  • Moneylines – A moneyline is simply a wager about which player or team will win the game. The trick is that the book offers different payouts for successful predictions, where the player/team favoured to win pays out far less than a successful bet on its counterpart.
  • TotalsTotals bets, which are also known as the over/under, are wagers about the combined point total that the two individuals or teams will score during their contest. The outcome of the match itself is irrelevant, but bettors must decide whether they believe the sportsbook’s estimated total is too high or too low.
  • Futures – Futures are wagers on the outcome of a series of matches, rather than one individual one. Tournaments, match series, or entire seasons are the usual fodder for these bets, and they often pay out quite well due to their riskiness.
  • Propositions – Propositions, or prop bets, are wagers about events ancillary to the direct outcome of the game. Rather than responding to an estimate about which team will prevail or how they will do so, a prop bettor is betting on a particular statistical achievement or potential micro-outcome during the game.
  • Parlays – Parlays are combination wagers that fold several single bets into one amalgamated collage. Each element in a parlay is called a “leg,” and players usually choose between 2 – 20 legs for their bets. Parlays require perfection to pay out – each leg must prove to be correct to be a winner. Thus, parlays are both high-risk and high-reward bets.
  • In-game wagers – An in-game wager is a type of proposition bet that is often the most numerous of all wager types during a match. An in-game wager asks the bettor questions about statistical achievements or potential microevents that the progress of the game itself suggests. Because these wagers deal with extremely ephemeral events, they often come and go within minutes on an app. However, they can often increase the number of wagers available for each individual match to be more than 100.

Some sportsbook apps may have a unique style of wager that is not one of these. One of the most prominent examples is PointsBet, which attaches a high-risk element to point spreads and totals in the Points Bet. However, few sportsbooks won’t have each type of wager listed in the bullets above.

Advantages of betting online in Ontario

If you’ve never bet on sports online before, you may be grousing about Ontario’s decision to launch as an online-only market (for the moment). After all, nothing can replicate the excitement of a rowdy sportsbook, with its giant televisions, colourful display boards, and celebrations (or shared mournings) with other bettors.

However, betting online in Ontario bears quite a few advantages over its retail counterpart, and there are many reasons why you should not cast your view askance at the virtual version.

  • Convenience – The biggest advantage is the most obvious. You can place a wager anytime and anywhere in Ontario where you can find a wifi signal and access the internet. You don’t have to get dressed, get into your car, or even get out of bed. You can take a break from your daily life and have a wager in place within seconds.
  • Safety – Betting online in Ontario is also much safer. For one thing, you don’t have to shoulder the risks of inclement traffic and weather, which are both considerations throughout the year. There is also safety in your transactions, as every bet you make leaves a digital trail and you can track your money’s movements. If anything goes wrong with an online sportsbook app, you can always contact AGCO for help.
  • Bonus opportunities – Depending on the sportsbook you choose, you may be able to find opportunities to take advantage of bonuses or promotions that it has available. These offers can put extra bets into your pocket and give you greater value for your wagering dollars.
  • Wager flexibility – Online sportsbooks offer a degree of flexibility within wagering that you cannot find in person. For one thing, you will be hard-pressed not to find a particular game that you want to bet. You can also place almost any type of wager on your selected sport. Furthermore, you will have the option to place bets after a game is already underway, and some wagers might become eligible to be settled early and in your favour, prior to the end of the game.
  • Responsible gambling controls – Finally, you don’t have to rely on your willpower necessarily if you are struggling with a gambling problem. You can enact deposit limits, deposit frequency limits, betting limits, and time-on-app limits with your sportsbook account, and these limitations cannot be circumvented once they are in place. Even if you’re having a weak moment and would like to gamble beyond your capacity, you simply won’t be allowed to do so with the tools that the apps offer.

Ontario responsible gambling resources

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) mandates that responsible gambling resources be available to all players in the province. Sportsbooks must ensure that they have practices in place to assist problem gamblers and that their staff members are trained in detecting problem gambling and making sure that the least harm is done to problem gamblers and their families.

In fact, AGCO’s requirements are so comprehensive that they affect a wide range of businesses and practices associated with gaming in the province. For instance, we at The Win Column are unable to provide specifics about bonuses or advertise in certain ways that AGCO has deemed inappropriate to its responsible gambling goals. Of course, we support responsible gambling and are more than happy to comply, but this requirement just goes to show the depth of AGCO’s commitment.

AGCO also mandates that each operator be able to offer problem gamblers breaks in their play, where they are unable to place a bet during the stated period of time. In a sense, AGCO is inserting an informal self-exclusion procedure into its standards that comes before AGCO’s own outright self-exclusion.

Finally, AGCO prohibits its licensees from offering bets or games that are confusing or hard to understand for players. Sports betting operators must also be sure to allow players to view their odds and offers without having to make any kind of purchase.

Problem gambling affects every jurisdiction on the planet, and there will always be some Ontarians who take things too far, unfortunately. All of the resources and requirements provided to you in Ontario are readily given and are available 24 hours a day. However, only you or those closest to you can choose to take them, so make sure that you choose the road to recovery over the road to ruin that problem gambling portends.

Ontario sports betting FAQ

Can you bet on sports online in Ontario?

Yes. You can bet on sports online in Ontario. 

Do you have any choice about the app that you use?

Yes. There are more than two dozen active sportsbook apps in Ontario, and more are expected to launch in the near future. You have an abundance of choice about the app(s) you can use to place your sports bets.

What physical sportsbooks can I visit in Ontario?

The only physical sportsbooks that you can use in Ontario at this time are at lottery retailers throughout the province. However, provincial regulators recently announced that land-based casinos in Ontario are soon going to be able to offer their own in-house sportsbooks. 

Can I place a bet on an Ontario sportsbook from Quebec?

No. Regulations prevent Ontario sportsbooks from accepting wagers from Quebec or any other province aside from Ontario. You must be physically inside the province to place a wager.



You must be 19 or older and inside Ontario to play. Gambling problem? You can call Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 around the clock, or visit connexontario.ca to get connected with a trained counselor who can unite you with the help you need.

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