AN ONLINE SPORTSBOOK IS COMING TO SASKATCHEWAN IN 2022

Dave Schwab Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

Canada recently decided to legalize single-game wagers on sports. This was a major change from the previous law. The only legal form of betting were parlay wagers on sports and sporting events. This new legislation became law on Aug. 27.

Part of the plan was to let each Canadian province decide how it would implement this major change in policy. Ontario is the biggest province in Canada in terms of population. It hit the ground running to bring single-game wagers to sports fans north of the border.

In the case of Saskatchewan, this is going to take some time. The good news for sports bettors in that province is that a plan is now in place.

The change will not happen overnight. However, a new online sportsbook is expected to launch in 2022. This is tied to a revised agreement between Saskatchewan and its First Nations. The provincial government has come to terms with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).

FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The existing agreement has been amended to include provisions for an online sports betting site. The new agreement will form the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).

While currently operating seven casinos in the province, SIGA will now be able to operate an online gambling site as well.

SIGA’s new site is expected to launch in 2022. It will offer online casino games and online sports betting. There will be a 50-50 revenue share between FSIN and the province.

SIGA Chair Chief Reginald Bellerose offered the following comment:

“The additional revenue share opportunities from online gaming and sports betting will only increase SIGA’s ability as a non-profit to positively impact employment, economic growth, positive community relations and financial self-reliance of First Nations in the province.”

Legal sports betting in Saskatchewan is currently limited to the Sport Select game. This is offered through the Western Canada Lottery Corp. (WCLC).

Through this game, parlays on sporting events can be placed at an authorized lottery retailer. There are no online capabilities tied to this gaming product.

WCLC is currently working on a single-game wagering option in light of the recent change in law. However, no time frame has been set for its implementation. Other Canadian provinces with lottery and gaming agencies have been able to quickly institute the change.

Meanwhile, SIGA has already signed a letter of intent with SaskGaming. This creates the basic terms for running the new online casino and sports betting site. The next step is to solicit proposals for the development of this new gaming app.

SIGA has been granted an exclusive five year deal for its new online gaming site. During that time, the province will not launch any competitive gaming sites or apps.

Written by Dave Schwab, our US Sports Betting Industry expert. You can learn move about Dave's expertise here.

Dave Schwab

Dave Schwab has been covering the sports betting industry for the past 12 years as the main focus of his specialty marketing company for online content. This endeavor followed a previous career in the field of sales and marketing in the wholesaling sector.Most of his weekly pieces focus on the rapidly expanding legal US sports betting industry. However, he still does extensive work covering betting angles that can provide a competitive edge to avid players. Dave believes that it is always a challenge to take past results and current form to try and correctly determine a future result. Sports brings out the unpredictability in what should be a fairly predictable outcome based on the stats, facts and recent trends in a particular matchup. More from Dave Schwab