Government-owned lotto corporations in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia are evaluating bids from business seeking to provide a "national" sports betting platform that will take on offshore and unregulated online betting operators.

- Lottery corporations in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia published an RFP in March seeking a "nationwide" innovation platform for sports wagering

• The lottos are now reviewing quotes to offer that platform and strategy to announce the winner at a later date
• The winning bidder will be contacted to power a single brand name, PROLINE, that lottery games will utilize to use in-person and online sports wagering, the latter in competition versus overseas and uncontrolled operators
  
  The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) released a request for propositions (RFP) in March for a "National Sports Betting Solution."
  
  That technology is being looked for to power a single, familiar sportsbook brand name - PROLINE - that the lottery games can utilize to offer in-person and online sports betting.
  
  Bettors might then expect a consistent level of service from this PROLINE, whether they're in British Columbia or Prince Edward Island. ALC currently utilizes the PROLINE branding for its online sports betting efforts, while BCLC utilizes its PlayNow platform, which is also utilized in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
  
  An ALC spokesperson validated to Covers on Tuesday that the RFP closed on May 5 which submissions are now being evaluated.
  
  "The results of the RFP process will be publicly posted when an effective supporter has actually been recognized," they included in an e-mail.
  
  The winning bidder will supply ALC and BCLC, along with Loto-Québec (LQ) and possibly other interested lottos, with sportsbook innovation the government-owned corporations can utilize to take on the offshore and that continue to be prominent in Canada.
  
  Those "grey market" operators have been a thorn in the side of government-owned lottery game corporations for several years, as they represent a huge portion of all online gambling in Canada. On Monday, Manitoba's lottery game was even granted an injunction versus among those offshore operators, the Antigua and Barbuda-based Bodog.
  
  Looks like a Manitoba court has actually granted the regional lottery and video gaming corporation an injunction versus overseas sportsbook Bodog. Potentially precedent-setting advancement in Canada, which has a big "grey market" for online gaming: pic.twitter.com/052Js8ZBzf
  
  Having a single sportsbook brand in several jurisdictions could also make it much easier for the lottery games to hammer home the point that PROLINE is the only authorized site in their respective provinces.
  
  Here's the situation
  
  Trying to make that point today can be challenging, as overseas operators are quickly available in jurisdictions where they are not authorized to do business. Bettors may not know or might not care about the legal status of a site.
  
  Complicating matters even more is Ontario's launch of a competitive iGaming market in 2022 that authorized dozens of private-sector sports wagering and gambling establishment gambling websites to run. Advertising by those sites can overflow into other provinces, such as B.C., where the sites are not licensed. Alberta is preparing to release a comparable iGaming market.
  
  BCLC has voiced issues about Ontario-licensed brands advertising themselves beyond the latter province, and is stressed over what an Alberta launch will do. It's also been declared Ontario-licensed sites are nudging players from outside the province towards affiliated sites that are based abroad.
  
  What ALC and BCLC are looking for might enable them, and others, to point consumers to a single authorized brand name, PROLINE.
  
  "The Operators are working together to select a single Supplier with which they will each work out an agreement to offer an innovation platform along with the trading and liability management services that will enable each of the Operators to use sports betting through the Supplier; collectively considered the National Sports Betting Solution," the RFP released in March stated. "This joint effort aims to provide a best-in-class national sports wagering item under one brand name 'PROLINE,' which numerous Canadian Lottery Corporations have actually utilized since 1992."
  
  The government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., which went from being the province's only authorized sports wagering and iGaming operator to one of 50, is getting a new sportsbook tech company: Kambi.
  
  OLG's transition from FDJ to Kambi anticipated to be carried out in H2 of 2025. pic.twitter.com/rPzyyh3tE0
  
  The RFP includes that additional provincial operators will deserve to join the "collective," if and when they so pick.
  
  Notably, Ontario's government-owned lottery game and gaming corporation already uses the PROLINE brand for its retail and online sports betting efforts.
  
  Kambi? Could be!
  
  Kambi Group PLC stated in February that it is taking over as the sportsbook tech supplier for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) from FDJ Group.