This summer is one for the history books, as Canada was able to introduce the long-awaited wagering on individual sporting events, making the upcoming fall sports season much more exciting. The OLG has conducted a survey on its new PROLINE+ that was the first online entity in the country to offer the new products, and hear the players’ opinions on the new legislation.
The survey was compiled by Hill and Knowlton Strategies, and a total of 1,000 Ontario residents were questioned between August 16 and 23. All participants were of the legal age and had previously wagered on sports events online or at a sportsbook, lottery kiosk or other land-based location that offers such services.
Enjoying a Great Start
David Pridmore, Chief Digital and Strategy Officer at OLGsaid that the Crown is pleased to be the first jurisdiction to bring a secure and premium online platform that corresponds to their sports wagering needs. He explained that the launch of the platform accumulated over CA$6 million in betting volume, and the corporation is convinced that the numbers and interest will continue to rise as the season goes on.
According to the survey on PROLINE+ 37% of the bettors and 44% of the consistent bettors were interested in wagering on novelty options. This includes award show results, such as the upcoming ones this weekend for the best television in entertainment. Locals say that they are happy to wager on the platform that provides safe and responsible gambling with its player tools and educational materials.
Also, the survey shows that one in three frequent sports bettors has had a problematic experience while placing a bet on a grey market online app or platform in the past. Overall, half of the province’s sports bettors place a wager at least once a month, and almost one in four wagers once a week. A quarter of sports bettors and half of the frequent bettors admit they bet more during the unprecedented situation in comparison to before.
The survey also finds that more than half of Ontarian sports bettors believe that sports wagering is a great source of entertainment and makes matches more fun to watch. Over 45% of the frequent bettors claim that sports provide them a topic for discussions with friends. Additionally, more than half of the survey say that they prefer wagering on PROLINE+, knowing that their funds will be used to finance the province’s economy.
Now Live
OLG’s new sportsbook platform PROLINE+ officially commenced operations on the first day of the enactment of Bill C-218, which legalized single-sports betting in the country. Players can now place pre-match bets or live bets during the matches from all kinds of devices. There is also a built-in event tracker along with a Cash-Out feature that enables players to cash out before the end of the game.
Impressive First Results
The introduction of single-event wagering in Ontario has enjoyed a flying start. For the first week of the new betting option, the province has reported CA$1 million in revenue on its PROLINE+ platform. The OLG informed that over 74% of the betting volume has been placed under single-game betting. The agency is optimistic that this is only the begging of a great chapter for the local industry.
Source: “New PROLINE+ Survey Shows 62% of Ontario Bettors Are Keen to Place Legal Single Bets”, Yahoo Finance, September 16, 2021
