Home Blog An agreement between bet365 and Woodbine Entertainment brings horse racing wagers to Ontario's market.

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An agreement between bet365 and Woodbine Entertainment brings horse racing wagers to Ontario's market.

Last update: February, 2025

Lisa Cheban
Written by: Lisa Cheban Content writer
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In Canada for the first time, bet365 and Woodbine Entertainment Group are working together to offer horse racing betting betting services in Ontario. Prior to this, local laws prohibited betting services from offering such options.

On August 16, 2023, Woodbine Entertainment's CEO, Jim Lawson, announced that bet365 now welcomes bets from Ontarians on horse races, including high-profile events like the King’s Plate Stakes.

The collaboration announcement has been in the making for over a year. Woodbine Entertainment is now established as Ontario's primary provider for lawful pari-mutuel betting solutions. sports betting businesses.

Following the recent announcement, Woodbine has entered Canada's unique and swiftly growing competitive sports betting market. Since its launch in April 2022, this market has been on a trajectory generating exponential revenue. online casino Globally, horse racing contributes around 8% to sports betting, and we anticipate a similar trend in Ontario. It's a fresh opportunity to connect with younger bettors, a demographic of great interest for industry sustainability,” shared Lawson.

Currently, Canada’s gambling laws prevent licensed bookmakers from taking horse racing bets. Only Woodbine has that capability, a notable void filled amid various market challenges.

With Woodbine’s previous departure from the provincial scene, horse racing bets were limited to in-venue and select online platforms controlled by Woodbine, namely HPIbet and Dark Horse Bets. When Ontario finally regulated horse racing as a betting option, platforms like bet365 had to temporarily exclude it.

Prior to legitimizing single-event sports betting in Canada, Woodbine was instrumental in keeping horse racing segregated from the broader legislation. However, Lawson emphasized Woodbine's desire for sportsbooks to offer horse wagering in cooperation with them.

Now that online horse racing bets are accessible via bet365 in Ontario, Woodbine Entertainment manages the backend operations. The horse racing sector certainly benefits from its share of the wagers. Just recently, bet365 Ontario began showcasing horse racing odds branded with 'Operated by Woodbine Entertainment Group.'

The pari-mutuel system works by pooling bets together, with payout odds determined by splitting the pool after deducting the house's cut. This system is pivotal in maintaining cost-effectiveness in organizing horse racing events and determining odds.

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Article written by

Lisa Cheban