The report says Ontario sports betting reached C$1.03 billion in June, up 35% on the same month a year earlier. Active accounts climbed 30% to 1.32 million. Those accounts do not equal individual bettors, since one person can hold more than one.
The timing stands out: June betting typically eases as the NHL and NBA seasons end. The report says sports wagering instead rose from May, with businesses expecting interest in Team Canada and the first World Cup hosted in Canada to bring in newcomers. A survey cited in the report found 46% of Ontario residents expected to bet on the tournament, including 9% making their first wager.
That influx has also sharpened criticism of gambling’s growing visibility. The Canadian Mental Health Association launched a public-service campaign on the tournament’s opening day, warning about the harms of normalizing sports betting. The question is not only how many people place a wager, but how betting becomes part of the routine around watching football.
Operators are also eyeing what comes after the final whistle. The report quotes DraftKings sportsbook chief Tim Whitehead describing the World Cup as “um dos eventos que atravessa a mídia esportiva e chega ao mainstream e à cultura pop.” Businesses hope that broad appeal can help move new customers toward other digital products, including online casinos. Ontario’s online casino market also recorded a major month, the report says.
The next test will be whether the tournament’s betting audience lasts beyond the final. For football fans and regulators alike, the post-World Cup push to retain customers may prove as consequential as the surge itself.