Ontario became the first Canadian province to launch legalized sportsbooks and online games/casinos last month.
Sports betting has been legal in the nation since 1985, but Ontario is the lone Canadian province or territory that has sportsbooks through the likes of BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet and Caesars.
The Toronto Blue Jays — the only Major League Baseball franchise based in Canada — reached a 10-year partnership deal with theScore Bet back in April. On top of that, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) struck deals with FanDuel, PokerStars and PointsBet Canada. MLSE owns the Maple Leafs, NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC of MLS and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
Major sportsbooks such as BetMGM in Ontario have incredible betting opportunities, allowing customers to place a variety of different bets in the major sports leagues like the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB.
The mobile and online sports betting industry has become a game-changer across the U.S. ever since the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) violated the country’s Tenth Amendment back in 2018.
The SCOTUS’ ruling essentially legalized sports betting across the United States. The states of New Jersey, Delaware and Mississippi moved quickly to legalize some form of it following the ruling. More than two dozen U.S. states have since legalized some type of sports betting.
It’s not just professional sports betting that is becoming popular north of the border. The eSports betting industry is also starting to take off in Canada. Call of Duty, Dota, Fortnite and League of Legends are among the many popular eSports games that hold prize money tournaments where customers can place wagers.
Top Esports Betting Sites in Canada
Websites such as ICE Casino, MRRex Casino and Casumo allow fans to bet on several different Esports games and tournaments.
On top of that, other prominent sportsbooks such as DraftKings allow customers to place fantasy-style games for Call of Duty and Dota. That said, GGBet is arguably the best website to place bets if you’re an eSports fanatic.
eSports betting essentially operates like real-life professional sports.
At any given point, GGBet lets you bet on games involving the marquee eSports: COD, Dota, Fortnite, Age of Empires and Valorant. You have the options to either bet on match winners, the point spread and the over/unders.
You can also place wagers on eSports games that reflect traditional sports, such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball, boxing, darts and hockey. If you love watching the top Madden or NHL video game players going toe-to-toe, for instance, you may love the idea of placing bets.
Call of Duty and Halo are also among the popular Esports betting games over at the BetOnline sportsbook. LIke GGBet, Betway offers customers plenty of different options for betting on Esports games and virtual sports such as League of Legends, COD and Fortnite.
The market for eSports should be massive. Back in Sept. 2019, it was reported that over 1.5 million Canadians watched eSports at least once every month. One can only assume that the number increased considerably during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, it was reported that 61 percent of Canadians were “actively gaming” in 2020. That’s also a number that likely increased during the pandemic.
Clearly, the eSports market is booming in Canada.
And with several upcoming eSport events (more on that below), the eSports betting economy is seemingly here to stay in Canada for the long run.
Upcoming Esport Events
Last month, it was announced that OverActive Media will host a Call of Duty tournament from June 2 to June 5 at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Center.
World-class Call of Duty players will be competing for $500,000 USD in prizes. This will also mark the first giant Call of Duty tournament to take place in The Great White North. Fans can purchase tickets to the event through TicketMaster.
Back in late April, it was also announced that the popular “Super Smash Bros.” tournament will take place at the Sheraton Toronto Hotel & Convention Center in Toronto from July 1 to July 3.
Some of the world’s top Super Smash Bros. players will pack the center and give ecstatic fans the opportunity to witness the best-on-best tournaments. The event will include a 24-hour venue for patrons.
