Fanatics Goes Live in Ontario, Alberta to Come

Fanatics has launched its online casino platform in Ontario, becoming the province’s 49th licensed brand.

The U.S. brand is best-known as an online sportsbook and only launched its casino in 2024. However, Fanatics has gone for a soft launch of its online casino in Ontario for now.

A sportsbook is due to follow, with COO Scot McClintic saying in December that Fanatics “definitely want to be in Canada.”

The Fanatics casino offers slots and table games from Playtech, IGT and more as part of the bundle.

However, with an established brand already active in the U.S., a huge buyout of PointsBet, plus a brand tie-up with the Toronto Raptors, Fanatics is primed for a bigger Canadian launch. Alberta could be next in line if the Fanatics launch goes well.

Fanatics in After One-Month Launch Wait

Fanatics secured an iGaming Ontario license last month as it sought to expand north from its traditional U.S. base.

The Fanatics sportsbook or casino serves customers in 22 U.S. states. It also held off from launching in Ontario, despite its broad presence south of the border.

As neighboring provinces Manitoba and Quebec haven’t expanded online gambling regulation, Fanatics will need to geofence its brand in Ontario. Only players within province boundaries are permitted to access the sportsbook and casino.

While it was thought a launch may take up to six months, Fanatics has opted for a quick soft launch now.

Fanatics Brings it Up to 49

Under Ontario’s iGaming expansion since 2022, over-18s have had access to the types of leading slots and table games that gamblers in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have had for years.

Fanatics becomes Ontario’s 49th online gambling operator, joining heavy hitters like DraftKings and FanDuel. The list of iGaming Ontario casinos also includes 888, which operates a casino, sportsbook, and poker site in the province.

Ontario iGaming Booms with Summer of Spend

Fanatics enters Ontario as the market there heated up over a scorching summer. Fired by the FIFA World Cup (held partly in Canada), Ontario sports betting topped CA$1 billion in the province.

More operators and a solid regulatory platform are fueling the growth. A successful World Cup on home soil didn’t hurt, either. Plus, customers now have much more choice when it comes to platforms. Though iGaming Ontario’s own state-run platform still exists, it’s easily dwarfed by the big Canadian, American, and European brands.

iGaming Ontario reported an even bigger surge in revenues for July as the World Cup came to a conclusion.

Total wagers year-over-year were up 31%. There was also a 44% increase in the number of player accounts created.

Ontario Move on the Heels of US Expansion

Fanatics’ move into the Ontario iGaming industry follows a day after the company announced a new rollout south of the border.

The gambling giant has rolled out a unified app for its sportsbook, casino and prediction market in the U.S.

In a legal quagmire caused by prediction markets, the app will be geofenced depending on regional restrictions. Therefore, you can access sports betting in Washington D.C. while also accessing Fanatics casino games in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.