As the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s deadline draws near, more and more operators are making final preparations to enter the local market. Just days before the deadline, Pinnacle has gone online in the province’s regulated sector. The company has now become part of the market which accommodates more than 20 other operators.
Ontario’s regulated market for private operators is the first of its kind in the country and it officially kicked off its online operations on April 4, 2022. Its purpose is to stop Ontarians from pouring billions of Canadian dollars on unsafe and illegal websites, and keep some of the revenue to the province and reinvest into sectors that will serve everyone.
Now Online
On Wednesday, Pinnacle, officially went online in the province. CEO of the company, Paris Smith, said the day is a significant milestone for the bookmaker. She said the operator wants to provide the best possible betting experience to Ontarian bettors on Pinnacle.ca. There they can find competitive odds on popular sports, responsible gambling tools, and much more.
The mobile sportsbook is quite popular in the sector for its lower margins and higher limits, and the company acquired its internet-gaming operator registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario in September. However, in order to make its debut in the province, it needed an operating agreement from AGCO’s subsidiary iGaming Ontario, which it now possesses.
Pinnacle’s new websites for Ontario went online just after 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. And despite the fact, that the new iGaming regime allows operators to offer both digital casino and sports wagering, the sportsbook has started out with just sports betting. It is expected to debut its online gambling titles sometime later in the year.
Shortly before making the switch to the regulated framework of Ontario, the operators gave some information to its bettors about the imminent migration. It stopped accepting wagers from around 11 p.m. ET on October 23, 2022, until 12 p.m. ET on October 26, 2022. It also warned its pre-existing bettors that futures bets may be voided due to the migration.
In its press release, the sportsbook said it will focus on delivering better odds to players, with its value-based odds. The company also stated that with its almost 25 years of transnational experience, this Wednesday’s debut into Ontario is not just an entry on a brand-new continent but it is also the first gaming license for the company in a regulated North American jurisdiction.
Making the Deadline
Pinnacle’s debut in Ontario came just days before the recently given deadline for going legal in the jurisdiction of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The regulator said that it gives illegal platforms a deadline of October 31, 2022, to become legal in the jurisdiction and join the regulated market. Otherwise, they might face penalties by the regulator.
