As Ontario prepares to launch commercial sports betting on April 4, single-event sports betting quietly launched in Nova Scotia two weeks before the Super Bowl.
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) — an interprovincial lottery jointly owned by the government entities in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) — expanded its Pro-Line sports betting platform to include single-event wagers for players in Nova Scotia on February 11, according to ALC spokesman Greg Weston.
Specifically, the shareholders in ALC are the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NLGC), the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC), the PEI Lotteries Commission, and the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
By offering [single-event wagers], ALC will keep more sports betting revenues within our region while offering world-class responsible gambling features to players.
The Nova Scotia expansion effectively made single-event sports betting live in all 10 Canadian provinces.
ALC was founded in 1976. It is a Crown corporation in Canada, meaning it is owned by the monarchy of Canada.
“ALC is excited to offer this sports betting experience to those Atlantic Canadian adults who choose to play, both online and at retail locations,” Weston told Canada Gaming Review. “By offering this option to Pro-Line players, ALC will keep more sports betting revenues within our region while offering world-class responsible gambling features to players.”
Players in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI were offered single-event betting on Pro-Line in late August 2021, shortly after such wagers were officially legalized in Canada. The Parliament of Canada passed Bill C-218, which amended Canada’s federal Criminal Code to allow single-event sports wagering, on June 22, 2021. It took effect on August 12, 2021.
The five-and-a-half-month delay in offering single-event wagering in Nova Scotia stems from the province holding elections five days after C-218 took effect. The provincial government, then led by the Liberal party, decided to let the next government make the decision on whether to ultimately allow single-event wagering in Nova Scotia.
“Nova Scotia’s new provincial government needed to assess and discuss offering single-event sports betting in the province,” NSGC spokeswoman Jillian Moore told Canada Gaming Review.
The Liberals went on to lose the August 17 election to the Progressive Conservative (PC) party. Deputy Premier Allan MacMaster (PC-Inverness) told the CBC in October 2021 that the new government was considering allowing online casinos in the province — an idea that had gained traction under the Liberal regime.
“We’re a new government, we want to talk about these things,” MacMaster told the CBC. He added that such a platform, operated by the ALC, would be good for players in Nova Scotia who are currently “not assured of payouts. God knows who they’re gaming with on the internet and there are also no protections in place for people who may be going through a period where they are problem gaming.
“There’s always been debate over if you’re going to have gambling, if the government is going to be offering it, what are you going to do to help those who might fall into problem gambling situations? And the impact it would have on not only them but their families.”
While the ALC offers Pro-Line, a similar platform is also offered by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) in that province under the name PROLINE. OLG launched PROLINE+, an online sportsbook that supports single-event sports wagering, on August 27, 2021, after C-218 took effect.
“While most Canadian lotteries have different names for their sports betting products, both Ontario and the ALC market their sports betting products under Pro-Line,” Weston said. “We have been providing sports betting in Atlantic Canada at retail locations through this brand name since 1994.
“ALC looks forward to continuing to build on our success in recent years delivering new Pro-Line options and features that enhance our players’ experience.”
