In-person sports betting is now available at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Retail sports betting launched Wednesday with 21 kiosks now live on the gaming floor at Fallsview Casino Resort. An additional 15 kiosks will be operational at nearby Casino Niagara on Nov. 23, according to a press release.
Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara are both owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which is an Ontario government agency that conducts and manages gaming facilities, sales of province-wide lottery games, PlayOLG internet gaming, bingo, and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres.
Since 2019, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), a developer and operator of entertainment resorts in the United States, Canada, and South Korea, has managed the day-to-day operations of the two major Niagara Falls casinos.
“We are excited to be offering this highly-anticipated service to our guests,” said Niagara Casinos’ Vice President of Operations, Steve Weel, in the release. “People have been waiting for this for quite some time and now we are delivering.”
The Mayor of Niagara Falls, Jim Diodati, placed the first in-person sports wager at Fallsview Casino Resort, a $20 bet on the Toronto Argonauts to win the Grey Cup this Sunday.
Unfortunately, Fallsview Casino Resort does not currently have a sports lounge for bettors to watch games. However, there are plans to have a full sportsbook on the property by late 2023.
Casino Niagara is encouraging sports bettors to root on their bets at the LEV2L Sports Bar, where they’ll be able to watch live games on over 50 HD TV screens while enjoying food and drinks. The restaurant/bar has a capacity limit of 275 patrons.
“To now be able to offer sports betting for Fallsview and Casino Niagara guests is quite a thrill and a milestone that was a long time in the making,” said Richard Taylor, president of Niagara Casinos. “This day wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership of the OLG, the province of Ontario and the AGCO [Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario]. This gaming expansion will bring jobs, excitement, and other positive economic impacts to Niagara Casinos and the Niagara Region, and we can’t wait to hit the ground running.”
According to the press release, sports betting ambassadors will be available at both properties to answer any questions sports bettors may have regarding games, betting options, or how to use the kiosks. Sports bettors can cash their winning tickets at the sports betting windows during regular hours or the main cage when the sports betting windows are closed.
Online sports betting is also available using the PlayFallsview app, which launched in early August. The app is using Kambi Group’s retail sports betting solutions. That partnership between Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment and Kambi was expanded on in September to include retail sports betting kiosks for the two Niagara properties.
“We’re taking advantage of our Fallsview name, which is arguably the most recognized casino property in Ontario, and really building a product that reflects what Fallsview is, an extension of the property,” Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s President of iGaming Rich Roberts recently told Sports Handle.
“Think of this as Fallsview in your pocket. When you leave the casino, you bring the brand with you. And the goal is for the brand to bring you back to the casino. We want to give our retail customers that digital experience that they’re looking for. Whether it’s casino, table games, sportsbook, we’ll provide them with the content they want to enjoy when they’re off the property.”
Built on a cliff overlooking the world-famous Horseshoe Falls, Fallsview Casino Resort is the largest gaming resort facility in Canada with over 3,500 slot machines and 130 gaming tables, in addition to a 372-room hotel.
Retail sports betting already live at other Ontario casinos
On Oct. 31, the OLG announced it had reached an agreement on compliance with the Ontario government to pave the way for the launch of retail sport betting in Ontario.
Hours after that announcement, Great Canadian Entertainment, which operates 25 gaming, entertainment, and hospitality destinations across Canada, announced it was accepting in-person retail sports wagers at 10 of its Ontario casinos.
Four of its 12 Ontario casinos: Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel, Pickering Casino Resort, Elements Casino Brantford, and Shorelines Casino Belleville, have launched dedicated sportsbook lounges, where patrons can watch live games, enjoy food and beverage options, and place sports wagers at designated kiosks.
Six other GCE locations, including Casino Woodbine, Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, Elements Casino Mohawk, Elements Casino Grand River, and Elements Casino Flamboro now feature sportsbook kiosks within existing gaming areas.
A few days later on Nov. 3, Caesars Windsor launched 10 sports betting kiosks on its property. Construction is already underway on a retail sportsbook with an estimated completion date of early next year.
In Ontario, there are five major casino providers: Gateway Casinos, Fallsview Casino Resort, Caesars Windsor, Hard Rock Ottawa, and Great Canadian Entertainment.
Canada Sports Betting reached out to Gateway Casinos and Hard Rock Ottawa about their potential retail sports betting plans at their various venues across the province, but the requests have yet to be acknowledged.
Prior to Oct. 31, Ontarians could only place retail sports wagers using OLG’s PROLINE games.
