Should Sask. copy Ontario's model for online sports gambling? A gaming platform makes its case
CBC
One of the most visible players in Canada's online sports gambling market is lobbying the Saskatchewan government to adopt something similar to Ontario's model.
PointsBet Canada — which has an official sports betting partnership with the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs and Curling Canada, as well as an exclusive partnership with the NHL Alumni Association — was one of the first operators to sign up when Ontario launched its open, competitive online gaming market last April.
Prior to single-event sports betting becoming legalized in Canada in 2021, the Canadian Gaming Association estimated Canadians spent $14 billion annually on unregulated black market and offshore sports wagering websites.
"The one move that Ontario did, which I think has been very effective at handling that, is it provided a pathway to legitimacy or to regulation for the grey-market operators," said Scott Vanderwel, the CEO of PointsBet Canada.
The number of regulated operators in Ontario has been steadily increasing since the province opened its market. Entering this week, close to 70 websites were permitted to operate in that province — not including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's own online platform.
Some of those operators used to be considered part of the "grey" — or unregulated — market in Ontario and are still part of the grey market in other provinces, such as Saskatchewan.
In exchange for adhering to government standards of game integrity, player protections, and social responsibility — as well as agreeing to pay tax on their earnings to the Ontario government — the operators are now considered regulated entities that have the privilege of advertising their products.
Vanderwel said Ontario has a very effective approach.
"The main thing we're asking for is the Saskatchewan government, alongside other governments across the country, take a look at the Ontario framework and consider whether that framework, with local modifications, would be appropriate for their province," he said.
The Ontario government has also been urging consumers to only play on online gambling websites run by these regulated operators by searching for the iGaming Ontario logo on the sites in order to benefit from consumer protection measures.
Ontario is the only province in Canada to open up its online gaming market this way.
Saskatchewan, like most of the other provinces, has one operator whose revenues flow directly into provincial government coffers. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority launched PlayNow.com in November 2022 in partnership with the Saskatchewan government.
The provincial government and SIGA have the exclusive rights to the online gaming and single-event sports betting market in the province for five years.
When asked about this arrangement, Vanderwel said he thought it was the logical first move.
