When the Canadian government legalized single-event sports betting in 2021, it allowed provinces to license new sportsbooks, change local gambling laws, and protect their citizens.
Three years later, Ontario has licensed over 60 online sportsbooks and casinos. Alberta, B.C., Quebec, and other provinces provide online gambling through province-owned websites.
Online gambling generates more than $4 billion according to research firm Statista. Over 50% of Canadians support sports betting legalization. In fact, more than 1.5 million have opened betting accounts in the last three years.
Many sports bettors in Canada are also sports fans. That’s not a surprise. However, here are some surprising facts on how legal sports betting is transforming sports in Canada:
Streaming Sports through Betting Apps
The best sportsbooks in Canada do more than offer betting odds. They also provide sports streaming. You can watch the NGL, the NBA, and Canadian football through your preferred betting app.
Betting companies don’t charge you to watch live sports. However, they need you to spend money on games. You can join 10 dollar deposit casino Canada sites if you don’t want to spend a lot.
A $10 investment is a small price to pay for the chance to watch live sports and play your favorite games. That being said, don’t cancel your sports streaming package now that you’ve discovered sports betting. Not every betting app offers this service. Secondly, most sites have a limited selection of sports you can stream.
Many sportsbooks stream one or two big games to increase engagement among their customers. Let’s say there’s a golf tournament, basketball, and football in a day. A bookie could stream the most in-demand game of the day.
While betting apps don’t offer many live games, they don’t charge you. All you need is to place a few bets weekly and you can watch some of your favorite sports at no cost.
Increased Sports Viewership
Sports viewership in Canada has increased drastically since 2021. The explanation is that many sports bettors have become more active in supporting sports. The best part about it is that betting fans engage a lot more with their favorite sports and leagues.
The average football fan might watch a game every weekend. However, a bettor could watch two or three games in a week. What’s more, gamblers tend to watch the entire game. They also stay to learn about stats and other facts.
In the US, sports leagues like the NFL and the NBA actively encourage betting now that this fan base is highly engaged. The league features sports analysts who provide vital betting data for its betting fans.
In baseball, sports gamblers are 36% more likely to buy a ticket than the average fan. They also read more baseball articles and stream more games than casual baseball fans.
To be fair, engaging with sports is the best way to succeed in betting. You need to watch games, read sports news articles, and keep up with team updates. Doing this gives you ammunition to make informed betting decisions.
Higher Revenues for Leagues and Franchises
Gone are the days when the NBA, NHL, and CFL hated sports betting. These days, all the major sports leagues in North America work with sports gambling companies for revenue generation.
The NBA has a deal with both FanDuel and DraftKings. The league generates $167 million from its gambling deals every year. The NFL makes more than a billion dollars from betting endorsements.
The league has been accepting money from sports betting companies since 2021. DraftKings, Caesars, and FanDuel partnered in 2021 to negotiate a five-year, $1 billion deal with the NFL.
Major League Baseball makes a billion dollars from its betting deals while the Canadian Football League nets over $200M through similar partnerships.
Around the world, sports betting companies are always willing to spend big money on endorsement deals. Sports is a huge business with hundreds of millions of engaged fans. This translates to invaluable exposure that can elevate a brand’s revenues and reputation tremendously.
Enhancing the Fan Experience
Sports leagues in Canada have been looking for great ways to keep their fans engaged for years. Some of them use kiss cams. Others invite fans to participate in micro competitions like throwing hoops.
Sports betting is giving franchises new ideas. In the CFL, most teams show each team’s odds from a partner sportsbook. They also highlight help data like each team’s past performances, H2H records, and lineups.
Another way sports increase engagement is by providing betting booths. Around the US, you can find a betting booth at major stadiums in Las Vegas, Chicago, and Washington DC.
Sports betting sites spice up the experience by supporting live betting. You could be watching a game in the stadium. And still, you can place bets on the next team to score, total points before the half, or the next player to receive a yellow card.
Increased Growth for Minor Sports
Before sports betting became legal in Canada, it was difficult for minor sports like eSports and MMA to grow. Sports betting is increasing exposure to these sports. Some betting companies also help fund and promote upcoming sports.
Take eSports as an example. It refers to competitive video gaming. Despite launching in the 70s, eSports never took off until a decade ago. That’s when streaming networks like Twitch and YouTube began to give eSports a platform.
It didn’t take long for sportsbooks to show their interest in eSports. Some bookies began providing eSports betting markets in 2015. They also sponsored esports leagues to legitimize and improve the quality of esports games.
Sponsorship money from betting companies goes a long way in promoting upcoming sports. They use the money to improve facilities, pay athletes, and market competitions.
Beyond paying for advertising, betting sites also help popularize upcoming sports through betting odds. You might not be a big table tennis fan. But if you check great odds on Chinese table tennis, you’re likely to show some interest.
In Conclusion
Sports betting is transforming spots. People are watching more sports. In turn, leagues and franchises are generating higher revenues. More money means higher salaries for athletes, increased growth for sports, and better experiences for fans.
