Canadians have long been avid bettors, and in recent years the opportunities to have fun wagering have only increased. This is due to a more liberal operating environment, following Canadian legislation passed in response to the USA opening up and its betting sites proving highly attractive to Canadians. This has seen more domestic casinos and other betting sites arise in Canada, particularly in Ontario. But this is far from the first time betting operations have been established in the province, which saw the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) launch a lottery in Ontario back in 1975.
About the OLG
It was back in February 1975 that the OLG was first founded, but it was created as the OLC (Ontario Lottery Corporation), with the first lottery being launched in April of that year. By August, Ontario was reaping the benefits of the organization’s presence, with the first lottery profits of some $6m being paid to the province. During the course of its first year, the profits would hit $43m. Over the years the OLG (as it became) released an array of new lottery games for players to enjoy, and real world casinos opened up in increasing numbers in the province.
These decades of experience have seen the OLG change significantly, including launching an online app, redesigning its website, which now offers a very wide array of games indeed (detailed below), and an emphasis on responsible gaming as epitomized by its creation of the PlaySmart facts and advice service.
PlaySmart is, in part, an encyclopedia for players and aims to support safe and responsible betting. This includes basic explanations of how various games work, from table game classics like roulette and blackjack to slots, lottery, and sports betting. For newcomers to wagering, this is a concise, clear, and risk-free way to learn the ropes before staking any hard-earned cash. Other tools available from My PlaySmart enable individuals to tailor their time and money budgets to suit their preferences and needs, to help stop an overly enthusiastic gamer from betting too much. In addition, the tools include the option for a PlayBreak ranging from a single day to three months, if a player feels their betting is getting out of hand or they simply want some time off. Longer breaks can also be facilitated by registering at the OLG’s My PlayBreak program. While the OLG is effectively an old timer in the betting world, the provision of these responsible gambling tools is very much in line with modern casinos which aim to cultivate an environment of sensible betting.
Signing Up at the OLG
There’s a lot to like about the OLG, not least its commitment to responsible gaming, and players who want to register will find it a piece of cake. The Sign Up button is located on the upper right of the OLG’s website, and clicking it will kick off the process of account creation. This will open the first of several pages for data entry, with the first page covering basic information such as e-mail address, name, and setting up a username and password. After doing this and checking the details are correct, click Done and move onto page two.
The second page is where more real world contact details will be entered, including street address and telephone number. At this stage, security questions can also be chosen. After checking and then clicking Done, the player moves onto page three: preferences. This has the option for playing in English or French, and whether or not to receive promotional e-mails from the OLG. Players can also select their welcome bonus from a short list, or enter a promo code if they happen to have one. Players may also choose not to opt for any introductory promotion at all. There are three boxes to be ticked, essentially confirming the player has read the terms and conditions, are creating this account on their own behalf, and that information entered is correct.
Page four is a review stage where players should run their eye over their details and just double check they’ve entered everything correctly. This includes personal information, security questions, and username. Clicking Submit will confirm the details are correct. Now the player must verify their account by logging into their e-mail and opening the verification e-mail from the OLG. Then click Activate and the account is verified, enabling the player to log in and have fun. It may be necessary (if a Required Info e-mail is received) to present the OLG with some documentation to more robustly confirm an individual’s identity. These documents might include an Ontario Photo Card or driver’s license, or a Canadian passport, or utility bill.
Available Games
The OLG is well-known for its lottery, and it has plenty of games in this category, in addition to casino slots, table games, live tables, and sports betting. The allure of winning a huge lottery sum is pretty obvious, and the OLG caters to this appetite with a large number of individual games and the easy option to purchase ticket packs covering multiple games. Lotto Max has huge jackpots well into eight figures (the jackpot at the time of writing was estimated at $70m), while the Daily Grand offers a top prize of $1,000 a day for life. The Pick 2, 3, or 4 games offer more modest prizes of $99, half the prize pool, or $5,000 respectively for those who prefer a better chance of a smaller prize.
The OLG also has many casino games which can be searched directly or found in categories such as Recent, Slots, Tables, or Live Casino. Jackpot slots that offer large prizes (often six or even seven figures) include the likes of Powerbucks Power Hits, Bison Rising OLG Riches, and exclusive slot MegaJackpots Jungle Tower. There’s an extensive array of slots to play, and 11 regular blackjack games in the table games section. Players also have seven roulette variations and a single craps game to play, with 20 non-blackjack card games (poker, baccarat, and video poker). Live dealer games are a popular twist on classic table games, and present players with a real dealer and real table via livestream. At the OLG site, players have 15 live dealer games, including options such as Teen Patti, Lightning Baccarat, Craps, and French Roulette. The site also has seven gameshows in the live section, including Sweet Bonanza Candyland and Monopoly Live.
Casino betting is not the only type of wagering that has expanded in Canada (and especially Ontario) in recent years. Interest in sports has also risen, and the OLG has a dedicated sports section for players who want to access that. Known as Proline Plus, bettors can take their pick from popular Canadian and international sporting categories, with the NHL, NFL, and NBA among the leading choices. Other sports/leagues covered include the MLB, soccer’s English Premier League (and many other national leagues), golf, Formula 1, MMA, and tennis.
Provincial Variation
Canada’s newly liberal approach to online casinos was made in response to moves by the USA, and just like its southern neighbour this is done on a local level. Because of the provincial authorities handling affairs in this area there’s a natural degree of provincial variation within the country when it comes to domestic online casino provision (in addition to the large number of international online betting sites that accept Canadian players). Just as players must be 18 and in Ontario for OLG lottery games, or 19 and a resident of Ontario for casino games, other provinces have more or fewer online casinos and other betting sites depending on how local authorities see gambling. In Quebec, for example, Loto Quebec EspaceJeux is the only legal online gambling platform. It’s thanks to Ontario’s generally progressive and pro-betting perspective that residents of Quebec have not just the EspaceJeux but a large number of other online casinos are accessible now.
The OLG has been around for well over four decades and remains highly popular thanks to its various lottery games, newer casino diversions, and firm commitment to a responsible approach towards betting.
