FanDuel readies for launch in Ontario

FanDuel is readying to join the Ontario sports betting and iGaming market as soon as the regulator flips the switch on Monday, April 4. The long-anticipated roll-out of regulated gambling spearheaded by private companies is finally here and there is no shortage of applicants who are ready to vie for the biggest share of the market.

FanDuel is naturally one of them. The world-class casino and sportsbook company is prepared to cater to the tastes of Canada’s most passionate sports fans, FanDuel Group CEO Amy Howe commented in a statement. The launch of the market in Ontario marks a turning point in North America.

Ontario is billed as the largest iGaming market to date in the North American region and it is expected to generate a massive amount of revenue and income for state and private companies alike. Following months of issuing licenses, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has now shortlisted dozens of fitting applicants.

FanDuel will benefit from the technological expertise of IGT which has developed the software which will power the sports betting platform used by the brand. The company will also be launching an online casino that will feature some 250 games, including live casino experiences.

As the company prepares for a launch, FanDuel is temporarily suspending its operations in the province ahead of the official go date on Monday. FanDuel wants to make sure that it gets it all right. Ontario is expected to be big – how big exactly nobody knows, but the province’s 15 million people are the biggest concentration of potential gamblers in a single jurisdiction in North America.

The way the United States and Canada regulate gambling is on a per-state/province basis, which means that there are no unifying laws across the nations, although certain good practices are always followed. Ontario will vie directly with New York, a state that has just recently launched its own sports betting industry.

New York is similarly planning to add iGaming and expand into the online gaming vertical. In the meantime, Ontario is in no shortage of excellent companies that are already readying for their own launches. Besides FanDuel, others, such as BetMGM, Rush Street Interactive, and theScore will be joining.

These companies have been competing in most of the United States so far, but they will now have the opportunity to try their hand at Ontario. FanDuel is happy with the product it can deliver to Canadian players, Howe’s statement suggests.

Image credit: FanDuel