Survey: 62% of Ontario sports bettors keen on single bets through OLG's PROLINE+

A new PROLINE+ survey shows that 62% of Ontario bettors are keen to place legal single bets, with over half of respondents stating that betting on a game adds fun to the live sports experience.

The survey was conducted by Hill and Knowlton Strategies with a total of 1,000 Ontario residents consulted between August 16-23. The fall sports season is set to make history for Ontario, as it is the first in which sports fans have the legal option to bet online on single event sports through Ontario Lottery & Gaming’s (OLG) PROLINE+ online betting platform.

The study, conducted ahead of launch (legal single event wagering went live in Canada on August 27), further proves the growing enthusiasm in single-sport wagering since legalization in Canada. Since the launch of OLG’s new digital sportsbook, single event bets account for 77% of all wagers to date.

Just under half of Ontario’s sports bettors place a bet at least once a month, with almost one in four wagering at least once a week. Just over a quarter of all bettors, and half of frequent bettors (those who bet once a week or more), said they bet more often during COVID-19 than before the pandemic, partly due to it helping offset not being able to go to games.

“Since we launched our online sportsbook PROLINE+ in late August, we’ve already processed more than $6 million in bets, and we’re expecting even more interest in the platform as more sports and leagues start new seasons and as our player base continues to scale,” said David Pridmore, OLG Chief Digital and Strategy Officer.

The plus side of #sportsbetting is here with NEW PROLINE+ online betting. With Single Event Betting & more. Register now.

— PROLINE & PROLINE+ (@OLGproline) August 27, 2021

Other key findings of the survey show that 37% of bettors and 44% of frequent bettors are interested in betting on novelty markets, which include award show results.

Moreover, the survey also shows more than half of bettors are keen to place said bets on OLG’s PROLINE+ “because all of the proceeds are invested in provincial priorities,” states a press release. 

The platform, the only legal sportsbook in Ontario, also promotes responsible gambling, player tools and educational material via OLG’s PlaySmart program. This is particularly important as the survey found one in three frequent sports bettors in Ontario claimed to have had a bad experience placing bets on a grey market online app or website in the past.

“We are hyper-focused on the needs of our players and will continue to look for new opportunities, new sports and new markets,” said Rhea Jankowski, Director, Digital Sports Marketing and Operations at OLG. “We know our customers and want to give them what they want.”

In terms of what motivates them to bet, more than half of Ontario bettors surveyed said betting is a great source of entertainment, while 45% of respondents claim betting gives them something to talk about with friends.

Betting has also proved to be a source of engagement: 47% of frequent bettors admitted they wouldn’t watch as many games if they weren’t wagering. In addition, bettors are more likely to return to events. A total 24% of those surveyed said they will attend more sports games in the next 12 months than before the pandemic.