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Sports Betting at The Beer Stores? Ontario Government Hasn’t Said No

Richardson Lilliana

Updated as of June 14, 2024 at 3:33 PM EDT • Read time: 1 min 31 sec. Link to Twitter and Google News articles.

Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, talks to a media member during the Detroit auto show in Detroit as we look at the possibility of people being able to place wagers at beer stores in Ontario.
Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, talks to a media member during the Detroit auto show in Detroit.

Could Ontario extend the same rights to sell alcohol to retailers to include sports betting as well?

Could The Beer Store pose competition for the top sports betting sites?

The Ontario government has announced plans to further modify the province’s retail alcohol market by expanding the sale of beer, cider, seltzers, wine, and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages to corner and “big-box” stores.

This change follows the initial decision by the Ontario provincial government to permit the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores in 2015. The latest update, scheduled to take effect on August 1, will expand supermarket offerings to include coolers, ready-to-drink beverages, and 30-packs of beer.

According to the Government of Ontario, this new, more open marketplace will gradually introduce up to 8,500 new stores where consumers can purchase products, marking the largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience since the end of prohibition nearly 100 years ago.

However, The Beer Store and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), Ontario’s traditional retailers of alcoholic beverages, will have to make tradeoffs in order to implement these changes.

The tradeoff 

Because of the growth of retail alcohol sales, the provincial government will be giving The Beer Store up to $225 million to assist with the expansion. The new agreement between The Beer Store and Ontario guarantees that the government will not prevent the retailer from selling additional products, enabling The Beer Store to better compete with grocery stores and gas stations.

Lottery tickets are among the products allowed for sale.

The Beer Store is not allowed to sell cannabis, cigarettes, or liquor. This means that sportsbooks like PROLINE could potentially be available in The Beer Store, allowing sports bettors to place wagers while getting their drink of choice.

The government has not denied or confirmed their decision yet. It will hinge on whether PROLINE, found at convenience stores and authorized retail locations in Ontario, is classified as a lottery ticket or other product.

If this were to happen, The Beer Store could function as a brick-and-mortar sportsbook for customers looking to enjoy a cold drink while placing bets on sports events.

LCBO, which is government-owned unlike The Beer Store, has no intention of selling lottery tickets at their locations.

Written By:
Richardson Lilliana
Rob is a Publishing Editor at Underscoreg Review. He’s been with the team since early 2024, with this being his first full-time role in the sports betting industry. Before joining UnderscoregReview.com, he contributed to various sports outlets, including FanSided and Pro Football Network. During that period, he spent five years working full-time as a local community journalist, after attending Durham College for journalism and Wilfrid Laurier University for history. He previously hosted an NFL draft and college football-focused podcast where he had the opportunity to interact with future NFL players such as Maxx Crosby and Quinn Meinerz. Rob has spent multiple years working as a freelance podcast producer for numerous sports-related podcasts while making guest appearances on several college football shows. He’s also made guest appearances on SportsTalk Mississippi on several occasions to talk all things NFL draft. Rob values the way sports betting acts as a catalyst for telling stories and growing interest in certain sports, particularly FCS football, WNBA, and mid-major college basketball. He’s always been drawn to the more obscure teams and conferences in major college sports, but most of all, Rob loves using stats to find the best player props to back.