Ontario awards first igaming and sports betting licences

Regulators from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) have awarded the first licences to operate igaming and sports betting in the Canadian province.

PointsBet Canada and Toronto-headquartered Penn National Gaming subsidiary theScore have been confirmed as the first recipients of licences to operate in the market which launches on April 4.

The duo are the first licensees to be confirmed following the announcement of the delayed launch earlier this week. Under current Ontario licensing standards, operators must pay an application fee of C$100,000 (£58,000) per site, as well as an annual fee of C$100,000.

Supplier fees are much cheaper and start at C$3,000 for a gaming equipment provider, rising to C$15,000 per annum for a manufacturer of gaming equipment.

TheScore has made no secret of its ambitions to expand into the Canadian market and was the first operator to secure both certification of its products in Ontario as well as RG Check iGaming Accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).

Prior to launching its internet gaming services on April 4, theScore Bet must satisfy all remaining regulatory requirements and execute an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, AGCO’s regulated igaming operator.

iGaming Ontario was set up by AGCO to “conduct and manage” igaming within the province and companies operate gaming sites in the market on behalf of the province in accordance with these agreements.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the first operators to receive an internet gaming operator certificate of registration from the AGCO as we prepare for Ontario’s new regulated market,” theScore CEO John Levy said.

“We’ve been and will continue to be at the forefront as regulated internet gaming is introduced in Ontario and are beyond excited to be able to bring theScore Bet to our home market on April 4.

“Finally, the countdown to launch has begun,” he added.

In August, theScore opened an 80,000 sq ft space in the Waterfront Innovation Centre, an office and retail development property in downtown Toronto.

As with its fellow licensee, US operator PointsBet is also heavily leveraged in the Canadian market, having set up a Canada-based subsidiary and executed many Canada-facing media partnerships over the last 12 months.

PointsBet Canada CEO Scott Vanderwel welcomed the licence award as a “momentous step” in the firm’s delivery of a localised Canada-facing sportsbook to Ontarian players.

“Since day one, we have remained genuine to our promise of building a Canadian sportsbook, with Canadian employees, for the Canadian market,” he explained.

“In just 60 days, PointsBet Canada’s unmatched speed and ease of use, unrivalled in-game betting capabilities and unique local partnerships will bring Ontario sports fans a new, responsible and dynamic form of sports betting and entertainment,” Vanderwel concluded.

Ontario promises to be a very competitive market, with US industry heavyweights FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings all readying prospective expansions into the province.

At a recent industry event, PointsBet Canada CCO Nic Sulsky alluded to the operator’s potential strategy in Canada – that of not trying to outspend the top three operators when it comes to marketing, but instead to rely on superior products.

“Let’s face it, PointsBet is a challenger brand. We have to outthink folks, we can’t necessarily outspend them,” Sulsky said.

“Product is going to win. Brand is important, connecting with audiences is obviously important. But as this market evolves and matures — and let’s face it, we’re not even in the top of the first inning in Ontario from a regulated perspective — I think products will win out,” he added.