THIS WEEK IN SPORTS BETTING NEWS – DECEMBER 24TH, 2021

Chris Altman Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

ONTARIO WILL LAUNCH COMMERCIAL SPORTS BETTING IN 2022

Ontario, along with the rest of Canada, now has access to single-event wagering on legal sportsbooks. The province will also be among the first to open up their commercial sports betting program, allowing interested parties to purchase licenses for offering online sportsbooks to users there.

In most Canadian provinces, the provincial lottery authority provides a sportsbook that offers single-event wagers, such as PlayAlberta or the BCLC’s PlayNow.

With the decision to open up the market in Ontario has come some challenges, which have delayed the proposed launch of commercial licenses from 2021 to sometime in 2022.

One main obstacle for Ontario to offer commercial licenses? The addition of so-called “gray market” or “offshore” books into the list of eligible operators that can apply for a license.

Unlike other jurisdictions or in the US, some betting companies previously operated in the “gray area” of sports betting by offering their services without being headquartered in the country. These are also called “offshore” books, and Ontario will allow those providers to apply for a legitimate license in the province, which has caused some serious complications.

Ontario is well on the way to legalizing sports betting for commercial operators, but it’s not likely that bets will be available in time for the NFL’s Championship in February 2022.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFERS AT LEGAL US SPORTSBOOKS

This holiday week, many well-known US sportsbooks are extending special deals to their users. These deals can not be redeemed if you’ve already secured a welcome offer, but if you’re looking to do some safe, legal betting during the holidays, take a look at the following providers and their seasonal deals:

FANDUEL

FanDuel’s holiday offer is a pretty solid one: place a $5 bet on your preferred NFL or NBA team to win on the moneyline. If your team wins, you’ll net a $150 cash bonus to your account. You can withdraw this amount as real money as well, setting the offer apart from its competitors.

DRAFTKINGS

From now until December 26th, 2021, if you place a $5 bet on your preferred team (NFL or NBA) to win on the moneyline and they score a point, DraftKings will add a $150 bet credit automatically to your account! While this isn’t a cash offer like FanDuel’s, it’s still a solid way to add some extra value to your sports betting wallet.

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

Caesars is offering a holiday deal that’s a bit easier to secure: bet $10 on any NBA or NFL game played on the 25th or 26th, and earn $100 in bet credit if that team scores a point! Win or lose, you’ll guarantee yourself at least $100 in betting credit if your team makes it on the board. Use code VIBONUSHOLIDAY to net this bonus.

While not as large as the other offers, this deal is basically a guaranteed $100 (unless you bet on the Jets v. Patriots: the NY team famously scored zero points in a game versus the Pats in 2019.

FOX BET

FOX Bet isn’t breaking the bank with this holiday deal, but hey, it’s something: bet on any football game on Christmas Day and you’ll net a free $5 bet. A pittance, for sure, but FOX Bet focuses more on competitive odds and being an industry leader for news and stats than it does offering lucrative promotions to its users.

Remember, all of these deals take the place of a welcome offer, so if you’re already a user of the above platforms or you want to secure both the holiday deal and the welcome offer, you won’t be able to.

OHIO PASSES ONLINE BETTING BILL INTO LAW

It wasn’t looking promising for Ohio to legalize online sports betting by the end of the year, but in a surprising push, lawmakers were able to compromise and secure Gov. DeWine’s signature this week.

HB 29, the bill to legalize online sports betting in the Buckeye State, wasn’t set to pass in its previous form. However, last week, lawmakers were able to compromise on a few key points of the bill, leading to its passage.

One of the main arguments stalling the bill was the availability of licenses to interested parties. Now, amendments to the bill have made it so a gambling operator can apply to offer a second “skin” (essentially, a branded betting platform) if they can prove that there is economic benefit in doing so. Other caveats to the bill include three license types (A, B, and C) available to sporting venues, lottery kiosks, and other vendors.

Betting is expected to be available by 2023, when the text of the bill takes full effect.

Written by Chris Altman, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert. You can read more about our author’s expertise here.

Chris Altman

Chris Altman is a sports betting writer and content expert with almost a decade of experience. He's covered everything, but his current focus is on reviewing sportsbooks and online casinos and keeping tabs on sports betting legislation. Chris has been with VegasInsider since 2019 and has freelanced in the sports betting content industry for years. More from Chris Altman