888 Sportsbook Ontario is Live | Review & Updates Nov 2024

The Ontario sports betting market is ready to explode. Sure, single-game retail sports betting and online sports betting has been legal in Ontario since the end of August 2021, but it was only available through the government-run Proline+ betting website. As of April 4, 2022, private operators like 888sport - listed as 888 Holdings PLC on the London Stock Exchange - are live in Ontario. To that end, bettors will want to make sure 888sport Ontario sportsbook is part of their rotation.

The London-based 888sport Ontario sportsbook has markets on the most popular sports around the county. 888sport also previously had a partnership with Sports Illustrated, which was designed to give it more brand recognition, in addition to access to some of the best sports betting analysts in the industry. But, most of all, 888sport has great odds and a number of awesome features, like live betting and a bet builder, that make it one of the best in the industry.

With Ontario bettors having a number of different sportsbook options coming at them once they goes live, it can be difficult to know where to begin. That's why we are providing this 888sport Ontario Sportsbook review, to let bettors know what they'll have at their disposal once they sign up for a new account.

We'll let bettors know what to expect, what we like most about the sportsbook, and where we believe it can improve. Our goal is to allow sports bettors to make a more informed decision. 888sport Ontario is definitely worthy of your time. Keep reading to find out why we are that high on this particular sportsbook. You won't be disappointed.

You have question, we have answers! What do phrases like minimum odds, qualifying bet, bet slip, and cash out option mean? Here's a look at some of the features that the top online sportsbooks in Ontario will have. Not all sportsbooks are going to have each of these features, but the key is finding the ones that match up closest with your ideal sports betting experience.

User Experience: At its very core, the best online sportsbooks are ones that players enjoy using. After all, the perks like bonus bets and boosted odds don't mean much is the website and app are difficult to navigate, frustrating to load, and crash. You should enjoy moving from market to market, seeing your bet slip populate, and having the ability live streaming games in some cases.

Ease of Banking: Of all the reasons to use a legitimate sportsbook, the banking tops the list. Legal sportsbooks offer a plethora of different banking options, and withdrawals are processed in days instead of weeks. There's nothing more frustrating than your money being stuck somewhere without access to it. That doesn't happen at legal and licensed sportsbooks. 888sport states that it aim to process withdrawal requests "within 1 business day." It could then take 1-7 business days to hit your account.

Competitive Odds: The standard "juice" on odds is the price of doing business - what you pay in order to place a bet. In American odds, standard juice is -110; in decimal odds, which are used primarily in Canada and international, this would be 1.91. You get this by dividing 100/110. The 1.91 represents the return for every $1 you wager. It's 1.91 because you get your $1 and then .91 cents if you win. Most of the best Canadian sportsbooks allow you to toggle between American and Canadian odds. In any case, you want odds (the betting line, i.e. Raptors -3 points) and the "juice" to be fair and close to what other sportsbooks are offering. Qualifying bets shouldn't have a massive minimum threshold. Generally, you should expect to see traditional spreads and totals between -105 and -115, and futures odds should be similar when compared to other sportsbooks. It's why Bookies recommends shopping for odds at different sportsbooks so you always have the best odds to use.

Many Sports Offered: Different bettors have different wants and needs when they log on. It's why the best sportsbooks offer a range of different markets, from popular sports like football and basketball to some more obscure ones like rugby league, table tennis and snooker. Even if you don't veer from the traditional big four sports, it's nice to have options and is an indicator of a good sportsbook.

Safety and Security: Because you need to verify your identity, age, and location, having a strong sense of security with your sportsbook is critical. All legal and licensed sportsbooks will offer strong encryption (look for the https in front of the url) and tw0-factor authentication. That means you'll be texted a six-digit code to verify your identity when logging in. All of this will ensure your data and information is safe and secure.

Live streaming

Though an increasingly high number of games are shown on TV, there are still plenty of contests that aren't. Lucky for 888sport Ontario sportsbook bettors, there are a handful of live streaming options available on the website and mobile app. It's a nice touch that not all sportsbooks have, so we love to see them available here. Live-streaming options include the English Premier League, the NBA, Tennis, and horse racing, among other sports.

Stats hub

It's important to do your research before placing a bet. But it can be tough to sift through statistics, data, and trends. At 888sport Ontario sportsbook, bettors will have a stats hub in the majority of markets and games that show relevant stats and trends to help bettors make a more informed betting decision.

Recommendations

As you make more and more wagers at 888sport Ontario sportsbook, you'll receive recommendations based on your betting history. It's a really unique feature and one that we think most bettors will enjoy. You won't always need to dig through markets to see what's available and what you might like. 888sport Ontario will take care of that for you.

The Ontario market is a bit unique compared to others. Single-game retail and online sports betting launched on August 27, 2021 through the government-run Proline+ betting site. Prior to that, the Canadians could only legally place parlay wagers.

That changed when C-218 passed in the Senate on June 23, 2021. Prior to that it had been approved by the House of Commons (the House of Representatives in the U.S.).

When the Ontario market opens to private operators, as soon as April 4, 2022, 888sport Ontario sportsbook (based in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange) is expected to be a major player.

888 Holdings was founded in 1997 by two sets of brothers. Entrepreneurs Avi and Aaron Shaked, along with Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak launched Virtual Holdings Limited. The first website, Casino-on-Net, went live in 1997. It launched 888sport.com in Europe in 2008, two years after it ceased online poker operations in the U.S. (due to the passage of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Act). 888sport was one of the first to offer sports betting in the U.S. after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.

The volume of sportsbooks in the Ontario market (there could be as many as 30 option) that could launch makes it critical for bettors to understand what offers are available at each and which sportsbooks give them the best opportunity to earn money and perks while playing the games they want to play.

There aren't many things we dislike about 888sport, but one nitpick is the registration process. Rather than simply punching in some personal information and verifying your age and location, there are a few additional steps that new customers will need to take.

1. Provide your name, province, email, birthday, and gender
2. Create a username, password, and security question and answer
3. Make a first deposit while also choosing your banking method
4. Verify your identity by uploading a government-issued state ID like a passport or driver's license

These steps certainly aren't difficult but it does take a bit more time than some of the other sportsbooks we've reviewed. But if the worst part of 888sport Ontario is that signing up takes a few extra minutes, we'll take that.

There are a number of different sports bets that players can make at 888sport Ontario sportsbook. Here are some of the more popular ones with examples of what each look like.

• Spread Bets: All sporting events have a point spread. Oddsmakers set a point spread to even the playing field between the favorite and underdog. Bettors can wager on the favorite to win by more than the set point spread, or for the underdog to lose by less than the point spread (or win the game outright). For example, if the Toronto Raptors are -6.5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Raptors would "cover" the spread if they won by seven or more points.
• Moneyline: The moneyline bet is only concerned with the final score. The point spread does not come into play. It costs more to bet on the favorite because they are expected to win, while the underdog has a higher potential payout. For example, if the Raptors are -300 favorites, it would cost a $300 bet to earn $100 in profit. If the Raptors were +200 underdogs, a $100 bet would yield $200 profit.
• Over/Under: All sporting events have a total created by oddsmakers. Bettors can then wager on whether the actual combined points scored in the game will be higher or lower than that set total. For example, a Raptors-Lakers game with a total set at 223.5 would go OVER if the final score was 115-110 (115+110 = 225 points). The over/under bet is typically the second most popular wager after the spread.
• Parlays: A parlay bet is a combination of traditional bets that produce better odds. The caveat is that all bets must be successful in order for the parlay to be a winner. For example, a parlay of three moneyline winners in the Raptors (-200), Lakers (-170), and Kings (+300) would produce odds of +850, but all three teams would need to win. Even if your parlay goes 2-1, it still loses.
• Player/Team Prop Bets: Prop bets are bets within a game on whether something will or won't happen. Player props include a certain player to score over or under a number of points, the first player to score a touchdown, or the last player to score a goal. Team props include the number of sacks a team will record a the first team to score 10 points. There are hundreds of game props for each game that bettors can use. There are even live betting options within these props.
• Future Bets: Future bets are wagers on whether something will or won't happen by the end of a season. They include league MVP, Rookie of the Year, or Defensive Player of the Year. An example of these types of bets is also something like this: Let's say you're a Raptors fan and you want to bet that Fred VanVleet will lead the league in assists, or you're a Bills fan and you want to bet that Josh Allen will win MVP. Team futures include season-long win totals, whether a team will make the postseason, or league champion. NFL futures are the most popular of the bunch.
• Alternate Lines: Alternate lines are different point spreads than the one created by oddsmakers that have different odds attached to them. For example, if the Raptors were -4,5 with traditional -110 odds, an alternate line might be -8.5 (tougher to cover) would be +250. Similarly, an alternate line of -1.5 (easier to cover) would be -200. These type of bets are all about how confident you are in the current line. If you think oddsmakers have made a mistake, you can bet the -8.5 and get a much bigger payout, and vice versa (the payout is less if you take a line of -1.5 rather than -4.5).

The word "markets" refers to the different types of sports that players can make bets on. The best online sportsbooks offer a variety of markets so that all bettors have something to choose from. That's great news for bettors at 888sport Ontario sportsbook considering it has a whopping 32 different sports covered that bettors can place bets on, including international sports and the most popular leagues in the world. Here they are:

• Australian Rules
• Badminton
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• GAA Football
• GAA Hurling
• Golf
• Greyhound racing
• Handball
• Horse racing
• Ice hockey
• MLB
• Motor racing
• NBA
• NFL
• NHL
• Novelty bets
• Politics
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Surfing
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Trotting
• UFC
• Virtual sports
• Volleyball
• Water polo

Bettors will have a handful of options to choose from when Ontario sports betting goes live.

We believe the combination of the user experience and incredible number of sports markets to bet on make 888sport Ontario sportsbook the top choice for bettors in Toronto.

Options like Bet365 Ontario Sportsbook, William Hill Ontario Sportsbook, and PointsBet Ontario Sportsbook all have their pros, but the established 888sport brand is simply too tough to beat.

It stands to reason that a partnership with Sports Illustrated might allow it to provide some exciting fan "experiences," in the future, the same way that Caesars is able to provide Super Bowl trip giveaways. Bettors are able to register for multiple sportsbooks, but 888sport Ontario sportsbook must be on your list.

888sport understands that not all bets will be made on the desktop website. That's why they've created a mobile betting app that all players can use on the go. The best part is that the mobile app is available to both Apple and Android users, so everyone has access.

What's more, all features and markets available on the website are also available in the app. It's essentially a miniature version of the desktop, and that consistency is the best trait a mobile betting app can have.

Simply search for 888sport within the Google Play Store (4.4 out of 5) or Apple App Store (3.8 out of 5) and download the app for free. You'll need to sign in (or register for a new account) but then you'll be up and running and ready to bet!

What makes 888sport Sportsbook App Stand out

• Mirror image of the desktop website
• Bets and odds populate quickly; no lag time
• Easy to navigate to find specific markets and live events

The 888sport Ontario sportsbook betting app is available to both Apple and Android users. Simply click into one of the stores and search for 888sport. Then download the app and log in or finish the registration process.

🗣️ Good: "Response time is great; app is easy to navigate"

🗣️ Bad: "Random app crashes"

What Android Users Are Saying

🗣️ Good: "Sharp looking app; good response times"

🗣️ Bad: "App will crash randomly"

SSL encryption software will keep your personal information and payment method safe and secure on the 888sport Ontario sportsbook. It's normal for players to wonder about the security measures that online sportsbooks take, but 888sport has never had an issue and we don't expect any breach to ever occur. Your information is safe, unlike when you wager with offshore sportsbooks that aren't regulated. It's the wild-wild west. You might bet your payment after you win a bet, but it might take three months, and you have no recourse if you don't get it at all!

One of the reasons we recommend using legal and licensed sportsbooks such as 888sport Ontario sportsbook is because banking methods are plentiful. Whether you're choosing a payment method of looking at withdrawal methods, 888sport has a number of great options. Here's what players have at their disposal.

Making a deposit

The minimum deposit with any of the below options is $10. No matter the method you choose, funds are available to be used almost immediately.

• Apple Pay
• ecoPayz
• e-check
• MasterCard
• Visa
• Wire transfer
• iDebit
• Instadebit
• NETeller
• Skrill

Cashing Out Your Winnings

So you've earned some cash at 888sport! Now it's time to get your money. Luckily, it's simple to cash out your winnings. Some of these options can take up to a week to process, but in our experience the time is much shorter. The options that are available for depositing are also available for withdrawing funds, which is a nice touch that gives bettors a number of options.

888 Sport Ontario Sportsbook Payout Options

If there's one area for improvement with 888Sport Ontario sportsbook, it's customer support. The top betting sites in Ontario feature a live chat support or telephone number to speak directly with someone. That currently isn't an option with 888sport Ontario sportsbook. Instead, the sportsbook offers a form that players can fill out if they have any issues. There's also an excellent FAQ page that answers non-urgent matters.

Still, we wish there was a way for players to speak directly to a customer support team member. The top Ontario sportsbooks will have them, but 888sport does not. Perhaps that changes in the future, but for now the options are limited.

In addition to the sportsbook, new customers will also be able to place bets at the 888 Ontario Online Casino. It's an excellent casino with more than 1,000 different slots and table games. Among poker platforms, the 888 brand plans to be one of the best Ontario online casinos available to Canadians.

When Ontario launches online sports betting on April 4, 888sport Ontario sportsbook should be one of your first stops. We love everything about the sportsbook, from its outstanding user experience to the number of available betting markets. Competitive odds and live betting options give all different types of bettors something to bet on.

The excellent mobile app is an added bonus and there are a number of banking methods available. Whatever you're looking for, 888sport Ontario sportsbook is the place to be once online sports betting launches in the province.

Responsible Gaming

Sports betting is fun, but it can be addictive, so it’s important to remember to play responsibly. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is committed to helping Ontarians understand the importance of responsible gaming. Here are a few tips to help promote responsible gaming:

Always bet what you can afford (or less) to lose

Avoid “chasing” your losses (i.e. betting more on the next game)

Set time limits on your gambling

Every sportsbook offers bettors the ability to put themselves on a self-exclusion list, which will prevent them from betting for a period of time. What’s more, Connex Ontario is committed to helping with mental health, addiction and problem gambling. If you, or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-866-531-2600 or visit https://www.connexontario.ca/en-ca/.