Welcome Bonus and Promotions in Ontario

The official opening of Ontario’s legal iGaming and sports betting market for private businesses is approaching fast. However there are some difficulties to it. Licensed operators have no permission to give away sign up offers and welcome bonuses. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario, which are in charge of regulating the sector in the province, have banned promotions and welcome bonus from sports betting industry. In the cutthroat realm of internet sports betting, bookies frequently offer signup bonuses to entice new clients to join their sites.

Risk free bets are one of the most typical incentives which online sports betting sites usually give out. This prohibition will also apply to any new online casinos operating in the state. With a population of over 13 million people, Ontario is the most populous province in Canada. And the province’s legalized iGaming industry has piqued the interest of industry leading online sports betting sites and online casinos. The Ontario government has announced that the new system will begin April 4, 2022. Therefore the operators are currently working on their welcome bonus offers.

No Sports Betting Bonus and Free Spins in Ontario?

Sports betting companies will have a tougher time attracting Ontario gamblers to sign up. Sign up bonuses and risk free bets are often used as bonuses on initial deposit to attract potential consumers. However they won’t available to tempt new customers under the new regulation. As a result, Canadian sports betting sites will need to be innovative in order to attract users. The AGCO and iGaming Ontario, the two gaming regulators in the province, have not authorized operators to promote offers such as risk free bets or welcome bonus. The Canadian Gaming Association’s president and CEO, Paul Burns, recently shed light on how such marketing towards qualifying deposit will function in the province.

Mr. Burns stated that gambling sites might publish such exclusive offers, as well as give them to players in their databases. However, in his words, they may not use such marketing in their advertising. He also said that any online casino with a valid license from the gaming regulator cannot offer bonuses with or without wagering requirements. President and CEO added that by eliminating the welcome bonus, competitors in Ontario’s market will be solely judged on their betting site and not on who can give the greatest sign up bonus or free spins. In his own words, it will be “quite different” from what gamblers have seen in the United States. And licensed betting sites will need to get creative in order to win new players without welcome offer.

Sports Betting Sites and Online Casinos Have to Become More Creative

Providers have already taken measures to adapt to the new market in the promotional period, because they cannot advertise the industry standard sign up bonus codes in this Ontario. For example, BetRivers Canada provides the opportunity to test out their sportsbook and online casino with play-for-fun alternatives. PointsBet Canada has collaborated with popular cultural figures. They managed to get the Trailer Park Boys onboard as brand ambassadors.