Ontario online casinos have only been legal and regulated for a little more than two weeks, but there has already been a big money jackpot awarded to a very happy player.
BetMGM Casino Ontario announced Thursday it awarded a jackpot of $643,412.32 Canadian dollars (a little over $500,000 in U.S. dollars) to a BetMGM Casino player in Ontario.
It was the first major BetMGM jackpot winner in the province since Ontario sports betting and iGaming went live on April 4, according to a news release.
“After many years of awarding record jackpot prizes in the states, BetMGM is thrilled to award its first major payout to a player in Ontario,” Matthew Sunderland, vice president of gaming for BetMGM, said in the release. “In 2021, BetMGM awarded the largest prize in U.S. online casino history. We’re proud of today’s announcement and look forward to many more years of providing life-changing jackpot prizes to Canadian players.”
Getting Rich on Viking Riches Game
The winner cashed in on the jackpot after placing a CA$1 wager on Viking Riches, an exclusive BetMGM game built by Entain’s Win Studios, the release said.
The BetMGM Casino Ontario’s other exclusive games — MGM Grand Millions, Bison Fury, and Mirage Mega Magma — feed what is the largest state-by-state in-house exclusive progressive, according to the release.
The BetMGM Casino app is accessible in Canada on both iOS and Android, as well as via desktop at www.betmgm.ca.
On April 18, BetMGM Ontario announced the opening of a live dealer studio, built in partnership with Evolution, and that it was expanding its Ontario online casino games portfolio.
Market Off to Strong Start
By all accounts, since launching on April 4, the Ontario sports betting and iGaming markets are off to strong starts. Ontario sports betting app downloads and reaction from bettors and players in the province indicate that the market is thriving.
BetMGM Sportsbook and its online casino were live on the first day in Ontario.
Knowing that NHL betting will be popular, BetMGM has partnerships with Hockey Hall of Fame member Wayne Gretzky and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who both appear in BetMGM marketing campaigns.
FanDuel Sportsbook Ontario and BetMGM Sportsbook Ontario were recently named sports betting partners of the NHL.