WCLC Implements Single-Event Wagering

After a slight delay compared to other Canadian lottery agencies, the Western Canadian Lottery Corporation has also added single-game wagering to its offerings. Now, lottery retailers at Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the country’s three northern territories are all offering the recently-introduced wagering on individual sporting events. The new betting vertical was added on SPORT SELECT on November 1, 2021.

Prior to the addition of the new single-event betting option, SPORT SELECT allowed wagering on sports but only in parlay style. Now, after Bill C-218 was enacted as a law in Canada at the end of this august, the country is able to elevate its gaming industry to a new level, as it adds another layer of options for sporting and gambling fans.

Advancing Wagering Options

Spokesperson for the Crown corporation, Kevin van Egdom says that the new single-event wagering product is one that is designed to improve and modernize player experiences. The new offering is now available to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Mr. van Egdom explained that the agency has been working on the refresh of SPORT SELECT for quite some time and the new product comes at a great time.

As of right now, the single-event wagering options are rather limited since only the lotteries are the only ones to legally offer it. Nova Scotia is still waiting for the offering to debut, while other provinces like Ontario will be launching a competitive iGaming market for private operators, which is expected to officially launch in the first quarter of 2022.

In order for residents to wager on single-event betting on SPORT SELECT, they can either visit a lottery retailer to file a selection slip or place their bets online. Then they will have a QR code, which they must take to a retailer to get scanned and receive a ticket. Participants can wager on point spread, props, and totals, there is also a CA$100 limit on the wagers.

Mr. van Egdom elaborated that all these types of wagers can be done on a single ticket if all the picks are from different events. He also added that single-event wagers are made on SPORT SELECT, and eligible events are showcased on the game lists. The new offering also provides real-time betting odds that will be up-to-date when a player decides to buy a ticket.

Contract Extended

During the summer, the WCLC informed that it will be granting a contract extension to its long-term partner International Game Technology, which is a world-renowned gaming company. This is the third contract for the gaming provider over the last five years, and according to the new deal, it will supply the Crown with over 700 CrystalDual® 27 video lottery terminals for its land-based properties.

First iLotto Program

Back in April, the Crown agency managed to drastically improve its online offering as it signed a partnership agreement with Scientific Games. The latter, which is a prominent gaming supplier helped with the launch of the company’s first even iLottery gaming program for the provinces under its jurisdiction. The name of the program is Subscription Spot and it is available on its official website.

Source: Zochodne, Geoff “Single-Event Sports Betting Quietly Added to Lottery Game in Western Canada”, Covers, November 9, 2021