BetMGM, Kambi Gain Regulatory Access To Ontario Market

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has granted BetMGM, the Kambi Group, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation regulatory access to the Ontario market.
BetMGM is now the 15th sportsbook operator to receive approval in Ontario; additional operators, such as Caesars and DraftKings, are expected to be approved shortly.

TORONTO – Ontario will feature at least 15 sportsbooks when the sports betting market launches on April 4.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario granted operators BetMGM and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation access to the soon-to-launch online market while also approving the Kambi group to supply their software services to online sportsbooks in Ontario.

More Operators Approved As Ontario Sports Betting Launch Date Nears

The approvals come as Ontario nears its self-prescribed legal sports betting launch date, with regulators looking to add licensees to create as full a sportsbook market as possible.

BetMGM, with its preexisting infrastructure and experience running sportsbooks in several American states, expects to be one of the first online sportsbooks in Ontario to launch.

In a business update memo issued on January 19 by BetMGM partners MGM Resorts and Entain, the company details its plan for further growth.

“Continued growth will be supported by investment in additional markets and product deployments,” read the memo.

Among these additional markets are four jurisdictions the company plans to launch in by the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2022.

According to the memo, BetMGM is “expecting to launch online sportsbooks in Illinois and Louisiana in the first quarter, as well as retail sportsbooks in Puerto Rico and both online sportsbook and iGaming in Ontario later this year.”

Entain also plans to apply for a separate Ontario sports betting license for another sportsbook they control, called Party.

Another entity to receive approval – the Kambi Group – is a software firm that provides a sportsbook platform service as well as risk management and betting odds tabulation services.

Sports betting suppliers and providers, such as software and risk management firms, must also apply for licensing in Ontario.

“I am delighted that Kambi has become one of the first sportsbook providers to obtain registration from the AGCO… This landmark achievement is a testament to Kambi’s expertise and exemplary track record in compliance, and we are excited to be in a position to deliver our market-leading sportsbook technology to our partners’ customers in Ontario from day one,” said Kristian Nylen, CEO and co-founder of the Kambi Group.

Another operator that received official approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently was the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation; however, this is somewhat of a formality.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s ProLine+ has been offering single-game sports betting in Canada since August.

Approvals Bring Number of Total Operators to 14 Ahead of Launch

At least 30 sportsbook operators have applied for licensing in Ontario. With the addition of BetMGM and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, there are now 15 confirmed sportsbook operators that have received approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Approved Sportsbook Operators – Ontario

BetMGM
BetRivers
Coolbet
FanDuel
Fitzdares
LeoVegas
LottoGo
PointsBet
ProLine+
Rivalry
Royal Panda
theScore
Unibet
WSOP
888

Additional Operators Expected To Be Approved

Several other notable operators have indicated their interest in similarly entering the market in Ontario, which holds almost 40% of the nation’s population and is the most populated province in Canada.

Chief among these are American state-regulated sportsbook market leaders DraftKings and Caesars, who have applied for licensing; these well-established operators are highly likely to receive approval in the near future.

Caesars seems confident that they will eventually receive approval – the book is already allowing users in Ontario to pre-register for their app ahead of approval.

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Jerad Paparella

Jerad has been a welcomed addition to the LegalSportsBetting.com writing team. Covering topics regarding the expansion of sports betting in the US, Jerad focuses on legislative efforts, bill signings and other methods for sports betting legalization. Finishing his education as a college baseball player, Jerad has first-hand knowledge of competitive sports, paired with years of personal sports betting as well. As a political science major at the University of Central Florida, Jerad covers the political, legal, and legislative aspects of sports gambling without any issues.