Ontario Sports Betting Legislation - Why Should You Care?

Is Sports Betting Legal in Ontario?

Multiple sports-books in Ontario are formally opening their doors for business, making the province the first in the country to roll out its legalized sports betting program. Because the province of Ontario has a population of approximately 14.57 million people, it is anticipated that the province will collect $800 million in gross revenue through sports betting this year. This is scarcely a risk for the provincial government.

Bets on sporting events can now be placed legally in Ontario. Residents of the province have been able to place bets on local favorite teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto Raptors since the April 2022 launch of legal betting. Ever since the launch of legal betting, the ever-growing list of Ontario sportsbooks has been accessible in the province. There, gamblers can choose the preferable bookies and place bets.

Offshore Sports Betting

Although this country has always offered opportunities to gamble on sports, including the lottery game Pro-Line, a legitimate way to bet on a single game at one time had never before existed.

Therefore, throughout the course of numerous generations, there has been a growth in the black market for illegal bookmakers in this country. Anyone who wanted to illegally place a bet on a match appeared to possess a friend who had a friend that could put them in line for an opportunity to do so.

Over the past few years, an increase in the number of Canadians who have access to the internet and smartphones has made it possible for them to place sports betting bets with offshore businesses.

As stated by the Canadian Gaming Association, due to the ease with which it can be accessed, betting on a single sporting event has grown into a sector that generates $14 billion annually in this country.

Due to the fact that the loser of every wager is required to pay an additional 10 percent on top of the amount that was bet, illegal bookies or offshore firms have reaped millions of dollars in annual earnings. Because of this, any "bookie" or firm involved is, on average, guaranteed to make that amount of revenue regardless of who ends up winning the game.

If potential gains were instead funneled into the coffers of the government, they can be put to beneficial use, such as enhancing the nation's healthcare system or enhancing the nation's infrastructure.

It has been almost seven months since the great commercial experiment in sports gambling and betting in Ontario commenced, and it is time for erstwhile operators of the gray market to get going or step away from the business.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has set the date of October 31 as the deadline by which those formerly gray-market operators must convert to the regulated market or face sanctions from the provincial government.

What Are Some Of The Drawbacks Of Legalization?

Addiction to gambling is the first 

The government is offering online aids, such as an online self-assessment survey, in an effort to reduce the severity of that problem. All sports-books must, in the meantime, provide customers with the ability to self-regulate their betting by establishing deposit limitations and loss caps.

Another disadvantage is that it takes a toll on the athletes themselves

Even though he apparently bet on Atlanta to win as part of many parlays, National Football League officials have decided to suspend Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the entirety of the season for wagering on his team's games. But if the participants rig the games, the entire system is rendered useless, which is one of the reasons why some people believe that single-game betting was prohibited in the first place.

Even while it is technically possible for match-fixers to be convicted in Canada under the rules that are currently in place, it appears that every attempt to utilize those statutes to pursue match-fixers who have influenced Canadian sports has been unsuccessful. The provincial regulators and governments cannot intervene on their own to make governed sports betting safe and functional. It is really up to the federal government to take measures to safeguard not only the regulated system as well as the underlying sporting events. The federal government cannot act alone to make governed sports betting safe and functional.

Conclusion 

Only time can reveal the true significance of the conclusion of the transition era. If the enforcement of restrictions on advertising is any indicator, it is likely that the regulator in Ontario will seek out, and then fine, anyone who violates rules after the 31st of October.

When the next set of figures is published, we will be able to determine what impact the conversion has had; however, it will probably be a few more cycles before we get an accurate representation of the size of Ontario's market.

Regarding the feedback on the promotional activity, it would appear that the regulators continue to be concerned about the prevalence of content related to sports betting in Ontario, and they desire to hear from those who have an interest in the matter prior to actually determining whether to issue new guidelines or to stand pat.

Gambling can result in addiction, don’t let it get out of hand, go celebrate library month instead and take a break!