Ontario Loses DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports Contests As Legal Betting Launches in April
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images. Pictured: Scottie Barnes
Legal online sports betting is coming to Ontario, but it appears daily fantasy sports are on the way out. At least from the two biggest operators.
With sports betting set to launch in the Canadian province on April 4, both FanDuel and DraftKings announced they will no longer offer free or paid daily fantasy contests in Ontario beginning April 1.
The biggest reason for FanDuel and DraftKings exiting the space was the inclusion of DFS in the gambling bill. Calling DFS a skill or game of chance has been a debate in sports betting laws in other states, such as New York.
That means contests would be limited to Ontario-only, meaning players in Ontario can only play against others in Ontario. That, along with the $100,000 licensing fee and 20% share of revenue due to the province, has dissuaded the major players.
"There are legal issues unresolved around having international liquidity in Ontario which we [hope] are resolved in the coming months," Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns said in an interview with Covers. "This is the most significant barrier to offering DFS."
DraftKings and FanDuel are expected to be two of the nine sportsbooks that will launch online in Ontario on April 4.
Find the full details on the launch, expected sportsbooks and how to get started by reading our Ontario sports betting page here.
Some sportsbooks, such as theScore Bet, are taking pre-registrations now ahead of the official launch date.
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