On August 27, 2021, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) legalized single-game sports betting in Newfoundland and Labrador, because they are serviced by the ALC as it pertains to legal sports wagering. Pro-Line is available online and offline, but sports bettors on The Rock can also place legal wagers through offshore sportsbooks, which offer better odds and betting options with less wagering limitations compared to Pro-Line.
Newfoundland And Labrador Sports Betting
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador offers sports betting and gaming enthusiasts the opportunity to play paper-based lotteries and sports betting games, and at VLTs located in privately-owned liquor-licensed establishments across the province. However, there are currently no land-based casinos in operation, either by provincial crown corporations or First Nations.
Charitable gaming activities are available in Newfoundland and Labrador, including bingo, ticket lotteries, games of chance, card games and monte carlo-style events. In addition to these provincially-operated and regulated gaming options, players in Newfoundland and Labrador are also taking advantage of the growing number of offshore-based online sportbooks, poker rooms and casinos.
Gaming Laws In Newfoundland And Labrador
Gaming and sports betting activities in Newfoundland and Labrador are governed by the province's Lottery Licensing Regulations, which were established by the province's Minister of Government Services and Lands in 2002.
According to the regulations, Service Newfoundland and Labrador (Service NL), a provincial government ministry with multiple responsibilities including public health and safety, and consumer protection, is also responsible for managing and regulating gaming in the province, including the regulation and licensing of charitable gaming activities in the province.
Service NL represents the province as a shareholder in the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) which operates ticket and video lotteries in Canada's four maritime provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. ALC is also responsible for the regulation of video lottery terminals (VLTs) located in licensed establishments across the province.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation
Founded in 1976, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), also known as Loto Atlantique, was established to operate all lottery games in Canada's four maritime provinces. Jointly owned by the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, ALC is headquartered in Moncton, New Brunswick and employs over 600 people across Atlantic Canada.
The ALC is a member organization of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which operates lottery games across Canada. Acting on behalf of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the ALC works in conjunction with the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation to offer popular lottery games, including Lotto 649 and Lotto Max, and paper-based and online sports betting games, including PRO-LINE and the ProLineStadium.com sports betting portal.
Sports Betting In Newfoundland And Labrador
ALC currently operates paper-based and online sports betting games in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador under the following brand names: PRO-LINE, PRO-LINE Fantasy, PRO-LINE Futures and Stadium-Bets. Online sports betting games are available for play via ALC's ProLineStadium.com web-based portal.
PRO-LINE
PRO-LINE is an odds-based sports betting game that allows players to predict outcomes on two- to eight-event parlays. Wager formats available to parlay on a PRO-LINE bet include moneyline, point spreads, and point totals. All selections must be correct for the parlay to be declared a Sportsbook. The minimum wager is $2, while the maximum wager on a PRO-LINE ticket is $25.
Sports available to wager on include professional and college football, professional and college basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey.
PRO-LINE Fantasy
PRO-LINE Fantasy is an odds-based sports betting game that allows players to parlay between two and five player/team props selections. The minimum wager is $2 and the maximum wager is $25.
PRO-LINE Futures
PRO-LINE Futures is an odds-based sports betting game that allows players to wager on a single selection from a games list. For example, a games list may provide the option to select a tournament, division or league champion from a list of all active participants. The minimum wager is $2 and the maximum wager is $100.
Stadium-Bets
Like PRO-LINE, Stadium-Bets is an odds-based sports betting game that allows players to predict outcomes on two- to eight-event parlays. Wager formats available to parlay on a Stadium-Bets wager include moneyline, point spreads, and point totals. However, Stadium-Bets wagering is only available online via ALC's ProLineStadium.com portal. The minimum wager is $2 and the maximum wager is $250.
No Single Team Sports Betting
Since single-team sports betting is illegal under Canada's criminal code, no single-team sports betting games are available in Newfoundland and Labrador. ALC's parlay offerings also offer significantly poorer odds compared to online sportsbook options operated off-shore, with the house edge on PRO-LINE wagers estimated at over 30 percent, compared with single digits for online sportsbooks.
Poker And Casino In Newfoundland And Labrador
There are currently no land-based casinos in operation in Newfoundland and Labrador, either by the province or on First Nations lands.
VLTs are operated on behalf of the province by ALC, which claims payout percentages as high as 93 percent on all its VLT games. ALC manages the operation of VLTs at licensed establishments, with maximum wagers pegged at $2.50, and maximum prize payouts limited to $500.
Other Gaming Options In Newfoundland And Labrador
While gaming operations are strictly controlled in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, gaming and sports betting fans still enjoy many alternatives to the limited options available from the Service NL and ALC.
Online Sportsbooks
Online sportsbooks such as Sportsbook have a growing customer base in Newfoundland and Labrador. Established for many years, and known for their superior customer service and the availability of a wide variety of betting options with competitive odds, the online sportsbooks represent the biggest competition to Newfoundland and Labrador's paper-based sports betting offerings.
In addition, since they operate offshore, online sportsbooks can offer single-game betting options and more sophisticated and competitive live betting options not available to sports betting fans playing PRO-LINE, as well as betting lines that change in real time and are in line with major land-based sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
Major online sportsbooks like Sportsbook also provide players with a complete online casino experience and online poker rooms, which are not available from ALC or Service NL-licensed operators. In addition, comprehensive coverage of horse racing is offered through many online sportsbooks, with action available both at Canadian racetracks as well as major racetracks around the world.
