Can OLG compete in Ontario’s licensed gambling market?

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Ontario’s legalization of online sports betting has led to the entry of some of the world’s biggest and best betting brands in the province. The likes of Betway, Bet365, Caesars’ Sportsbook and 888Sport are now active participants in the market, which has left an even smaller slice of the pie for Ontario’s Lottery and Gaming Commission to compete.

Can OLG, and their dedicated online sports betting website Proline+ compete in this now operator laden market, or will it the government run lottery fall by the wayside?

How can OLG compete?

Fanduel have their daily fantasy sports, Bet365 have their world-renowned name and reputation, and LeoVegas has their award-winning mobile app and casino platform. How can Ontario’s humble lottery corporation contend with these titans of industry? This is a question that leaders at OLG must be struggling over as they see the list of legal iGaming operators in Ontario grow by the day. 

One thing that OLG can provide, that no other licensed offshore bookmaker can provide, is the assurance that you’re dealing with a completely legitimate operator. The platform is government run, and there are in-store betting locations that users can access if they run into any issues. 

This review of Proline+, OLG’s sports betting offering, highlights that the platform excels with regard to the safety it can offer its users. Proline also offers learning resources that are on display for players that are not well versed in the practice of placing bets on sports. Ontario’s players may also appreciate knowing that the profits generated from sports betting on Proline are funnelled into gambling rehabilitation programs, which is another aspect that only OLG can boast in the Ontario gambling market. 

The truth, unfortunately, is that these separating features are not necessarily what many gamblers in Canada care about. If these aspects were listed as odds, lines and features, more players would maybe look more favourably on OLG, and Proline+ in particular. 

Where does OLG fall short?

According to the same review that was used as a source above, OLG’s sports betting offer falls short. They simply don’t have the same innovative features that can be found on other commercial betting sites that are now available in Ontario. Along with that is the fact that the odds on offer for some sports on Proline+ do not measure up in terms of value.

The case is similar with OLG’s casino and lottery platform. The interface, along with the games on offer, is just not quite as sophisticated as the likes of LeoVegas, Royal Panda, and the other online casinos in that are now available in the province as well. 

If one were to weigh up the differences between what OLG is able to offer that can’t be offered on other platforms, and what OLG cannot offer, one can see a bit of an imbalance. Softer aspects like safety and learning resources are not given the same importance by many online gamblers in Canada. 

What about public opinion surrounding OLG?

Public opinion surrounding OLG could be better. With that said, public opinion surrounding the majority of gambling websites could probably improve. If one were to take OLG’s reputation in particular, people could read Reddit forums dedicated to how much they prefer other gambling websites.  Reviews on Trustpilot indicate that people do not think OLG is the safe and fair operator that it claims to be (these reviews are usually written by sour users who have lost money). 

There are some that understand that OLG’s cause is a good one, but for OLG to truly be able to turn the tide and compete in Ontario’s regulated sports betting market, they will need to appeal to the public. To do that, they will need to improve their offering of sports, lottery, and casino. 

On one of the Reddit forums concerning Proline OLG, users talked about how gamblers should wait for Fanduel Sportsbook, a brand that had not even entered the Canadian market by that time. The reason Fanduel is looked upon so favourably is that it has built a reputation of providing quality service. 

If OLG can do the same, they may be able to compete.

Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca

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