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Ontario Prepares for Single-Sports Betting Future

On Tuesday the provincial government of Ontario has announced that the legislature is currently developing a brand-new institution that will take over the management of online betting. This new entity will be named iGaming Ontario and it will be a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The province is hopeful to have it up and running by the end of the year.

The creation of the new gaming regulator aims towards overseeing all officially regulated online betting offerings in the state. The news for which, comes right after Bill C-218 has been passed by the Canadian Senate and has received Royal Assent. The legislation would allow individuals to bet on a single sporting event, and it is believed that it would elevate the countryā€™s gaming industry.

iGaming Regulator

Ontarioā€™s Attorney General Doug Downey stated that the arrival of iGaming Ontario will be a pivotal milestone in the governmentā€™s practices, as it would provide people with the ability to wager in a safe and regulated market. He continued by saying that the province is determined to continue cooperation with gaming advocates and regulatory partners to guarantee that Ontario will become world-leading for online gaming.

The new and subsidiary entity of the AGCO will operate individually with its own staff and board members but it will be still regulated by its holding commission. And the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will continue to conducts and offers its separate online solutions on lottery and wagering products on its own platform.

Danish consultant Birgitte Sand will be the one to supervise and lead the project of the new Ontario online regulator. The government informed that along with Ms. Sand it will continue to meet with iGaming industry representatives, First Nation Communities, organizations, and social responsibility groups to negotiate and finalize the details surrounding the new entity.

The local government is hopeful to see the new online gaming regulator iGaming Ontario up and operation by this December. However, details such as who will run the entity and how exactly it will work are yet to be revealed. The province is optimistic that the new iGaming market will provide great new opportunities for local businesses and an improved and safer gaming environment for fans.

Plan is Needed

Shortly after the passage of Bill C-218, week Niagara Fallsā€™ Wayne Gates, Windsor Westā€™s Lisa Gretzky, and Windsor-Tecumsehā€™s Percy Hatfield sent a letter to Premier Ford about a plan of operations for the legislation. The MPPs claim that the government should act quickly on the legislation as it can provide huge growth possibilities for the border casinos as it can provide thousands of new jobs.

Royal Assent

Last week Bill C-218 or also known as The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act has officially become a law in Canada after receiving Royal Assent. In order for the legislation to into power, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet must set a date for an order-in-council. Once this is concluded, provinces from the country will be able to offer the long-awaited betting on individual sports events.

Source: Freeman, Joshua ā€œOntario creating new entity that will manage single-game sports bettingā€, CP24, July 6, 2021