Proline, the sports betting brand of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), has become the first sportsbook partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Canada.
The five-year agreement makes the OLG and Proline an official retail lottery and sportsbook partner of the NFL, with the aim of delivering an exclusive sports betting experience to Ontarians.
The partnership will include providing a range of football content across OLG.ca and the NFL’s digital platforms, as well as events and promotions at Proline retail locations and online with the new Proline+ online sports betting brand.
Ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl LVI, Proline will also offer a series of special bets for the game, including expanded proposition bets and novelty bets such as what the coin toss will be, and which team will score the longest touchdown.
In addition, a new weekly online sports video series called ‘Game Plan’ will launch and offer previews of games. The first episode will go live today (February 9) and focus on Super Bowl LVI.
“We are so excited to announce this partnership given that Proline is the only platform for sports bettors in Ontario to place legal, single event wagers and other exciting bets on the Super Bowl at both retail outlets and online at Proline+,” OLG chief digital and strategy officer Dave Pridmore said.
“This exciting collaboration with a world-class organisation like the NFL creates new sports entertainment experiences that give sports fans all across the province an incredible opportunity to get closer to the sport they love through exclusive, one-of-a-kind gameplay.”
NFL director of corporate partnerships Gavin Kemp added: “As the sports betting landscape continues to evolve, we are excited to partner with OLG in Ontario with the opening of the sports betting market in Canada.
“OLG will bring NFL fans in the province a whole new experience in sports gaming entertainment. We look forward to working together to create new responsible and innovative ways for football fans to share in the action of the NFL.”
Last week it was confirmed that Ontario will open its legal igaming market on April 4, iGaming Ontario (iGO) the subsidiary of Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) that will oversee the market has announced.
This will conclude a process that dates back to April 2019, when the province’s government announced plans to end Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s monopoly on igaming, opening up the market to private operators. It then moved forward with these plans in November 2020, with legislation introduced and passed in 2021.
AGCO released its final igaming sports and event betting regulatory standards in September of last year, including changes to advertising standards and integrity rules.
Single-event sports betting officially launched in Canada on August 27, but is currently only offered by provincial lotteries.