The latest addition to the market for online sports betting in Ontario is a company better known for card games, not covering spreads.
Even so, PokerStars announced on Tuesday that it is now officially live in “hometown Ontario” via the province’s regulated market for online sportsbooks and casinos.
The Flutter Entertainment-owned bookmaker says the registration it received from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario earlier this month allows it to offer poker, casino gaming, and sports betting to the province's punters.
“In many respects Ontario is our home market, given the first ever hand of PokerStars was played here over 20 years ago, so we are thrilled about the new regulated environment within which our players can play”, said Tom Warren, managing director of marketing for PokerStars, in a press release. “A lot has changed in that time, but our commitment to offering our players the most epic and thrilling experience in the market hasn’t – and we can’t wait to get started.”
Join the club
PokerStars is now one of the 30 legal sites for online sports betting in Canada’s most populous province, a list that includes Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.’s PROLINE product. Ontario’s iGaming market continues to grow, with expectations that around 70 brands could be taking bets when all is said and done.
Flutter already had a toehold for itself in Ontario, as FanDuel was one of the first entrants into the province’s regulated market back in April. Both brands also have a partnership deal with a name familiar to many Ontarians, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors.
In addition to the bustling market for sports betting, PokerStars will face competition in the province for its namesake business.
Several operators offering poker have already launched in Ontario. However, PokerStars is well-known in the province, with Flutter noting back in March that “PokerStars brand strength [is] evident with high brand awareness as the market moves toward regulation” in Canada.
“For players outside Ontario, PokerStars will continue to provide their current offering,” the company said on Tuesday.
