France to the World Cup final was a popular bet Monday in Alberta, as three major sportsbooks announced that Les Bleus were at least part of the first bet on launch Monday in the Canadian province.
At Caesars and DraftKings, bettors made single-event wagers on France to advance, while on FanDuel, France was part of a parlay along with Argentina. The World Cup final is set for Sunday.
According to the CBC, a combined 22 sports betting and online casino platforms went live, some early Monday just after midnight. Among the sports betting platforms now live are bet365, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and theScoreBet.
On the Caesars platform, the first bet was for $1 (+1100) for France to beat Spain on penalty kicks Tuesday to advance. At DraftKings, the first bettor wagered $1 for France and Argentina to advance, and If successful, they would receive a $3.45 payout. The first bettor on FanDuel’s platform, meanwhile, took France to get through.
Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, placed a bet at 12:04 a.m. Monday on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, Gaming News Canada reported. Nally has spearheaded the government’s role in launching online gaming.
Familiar names for Americans
By all accounts, the launch was smooth. It is just the beginning, as more than 50 online gambling platforms are registered to operate in the province. The launch is the first in North America since Missouri went live with sports betting last December, and the first in Canada since Ontario went live in April 2022. Alberta and Ontario are the nation’s only two provinces with open, competitive markets.
At least nine sportsbooks that operate or previously operated in the U.S. — BallyBet, bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, and theScoreBet — were on the latest list of registrants. Many companies, including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Penn Entertainment (theScoreBet), launched both sports betting and iGaming platforms Monday.
BallyBet and PointsBet were were among the operators that did not launch Monday. Fanatics Betting & Gaming — which bought PointsBet’s U.S. division in April 2024 — did not register. The company is also not live in Ontario.
Nally said ahead of launch that he expects the province to take in more than $75 million in taxes and fees in the first 12 months.
Caesars Digital President Eric Hession called the launch “a defining moment for our digital business as we bring our three separately branded digital platforms online in a jurisdiction for the first time simultaneously.”
Penn Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive Aaron LaBerge noted the “incredible sports culture” in Alberta — home to two NHL teams and two Canadian Football League teams. Penn bought theScore and theScore Bet, founded in Toronto, in October 2021 and is the only American company to have a Canada-native platform. Penn also launched three platforms — theScore Bet, theScore Casino, and Hollywood Casino.
Complaints about too many ads
A common mantra since Ontario launched single-event sports betting more than four years ago has focused on the plethora of gambling ads that have flooded Canadian airwaves. In particular, there have been complaints about the volume of ads on Hockey Night Canada. On Monday, Albertans were already sounding the alarm:
Over the last four years, Ontario’s regulators have tweaked the province’s advertising guidelines, but they have not addressed the frequency of advertisements. A proposal that has slowly been making its way through Parliament would put a federal framework around gambling ads, but it also does not offer clear guidance on how much and how often gambling companies can advertise. In the U.S., the NFL limits the number of sportsbook ads to six per broadcast, but no other professional league has imposed a maximum.
In Alberta, gambling operators are allowed to offer promotions via their platforms or in messages to registered customers, but not via public airwaves or social media platforms.
Also on Monday, bet365 announced a new partnership with the CFL, making it at least the league’s second gambling partner. FanDuel had a partnership in place ahead of launch. Per a press release, bet365 “will connect with football fans through premium CFL content, broadcast-visible media, digital storytelling and select fan-facing experiences.”
