Pro-line betting is a type of sports betting lottery run by various certified corporations in Canada. Since it’s quite popular, many people are interested in learning more about it. Thankfully, once it has been explained clearly, it’s rather easy to understand.
There’s a lot of information about Proline betting online which can be long and boring so we wanted to make life easy for you and write an article containing all the important details about proline betting. Therefore, by the end of this piece, you’ll learn everything there is to know about Proline betting, so you can decide whether you want to participate in it or not.
All in all, in this article, you’ll learn:
What proline betting is
How proline betting works
How to place a proline wager
What the advantages and disadvantages of proline betting are
As we’ve stated, pro-line betting is offered by specific corporations authorized by the provincial governments in Canada. Each province has its own pro-line sports betting system, so it’s not something you can typically get on regular sports betting sites.
You can make pro-line bets in most Canadian provinces today. However, in this article, we will focus mostly on Ontario. Still, the system is quite similar in most parts of Canada, so you can apply the knowledge you gain from this piece to all pro-line betting formats. Mind you — this article is perfect for those betters who haven’t tried regular sports betting yet. Those who are experienced at betting may not find this as useful.
Anyway, the system is quite straightforward, as proline betting functions similarly to regular betting. However, the major difference is that only parlay bets are allowed. More specifically, only parlay bets with either 2-6 or 3-6 outcomes are permitted.
If you’re not familiar with parlay bets, allow us to explain them to you. They are a collection of several bets that don’t necessarily have to be on a single game. You have to win each of them or most of them (it depends on the exact bets you’re placing) for your ticket to be a winning one. All of the odds are multiplied, so your winnings will be much higher than if you were to place the same bets separately. In layman’s terms it is similar to an accumulator. The more games or bets you select the greater the odds but higher the risk. The winnings from the previous bet get added to the winnings of the next bet making the total stake quite big.
Unfortunately, the odds in pro-line betting are much lower than in regular online sports betting. However, as the odds are always multiplied, the amount of money you can win can still be substantial if you place good bets. For the best odds we would recommend some of the offshore bookmakers listed on gamopo. We have tested them and only list trusted bookmakers.
As for the sports themselves, you are limited to ice hockey, football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Popular sports like golf, tennis, and horse racing aren’t covered in proline betting.
If you want to get started with pro-line betting, you will have to visit your local OLG retailer (mind you — this is the retailer’s name in Ontario, not in all the provinces). In case you are not aware, you should know that most convenience stores, grocery stores, and gas stations are OLG retailers as well. They typically have a dedicated OLG booth where you can get a pro-line sheet and fill it out with your selections.
Remember, you will have to fill a parlay bet, which means you’ll have to make several wagers on a single sheet. You will also have to pay a specific amount of money as a stake, so you can’t choose any amount you like, as you would normally do in every online sportsbook. The amount you can invest in a single bet ranges from C$2 to C$100, and there are only 15 specific amounts to choose from. Also, you cannot bet more than C$100 per day. Finally, the payout of an individual ticket is limited to C$600,000.
Once you fill in your sheet, you will have to pay your stake at the booth, and you’re done. After the games are over and you know the outcomes of your bets, you can cash in if you’ve won the entire bet.
This means that you’ll have to keep the ticket — otherwise, you won’t be able to cash out the winnings. In essence, the rules are pretty much the same as in online sports betting. The only exceptions are that you have to use a physical ticket and cash, and you have to visit a specific brick-and-mortar store.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pro-line Betting in Canada
As you now have a much clearer understanding of pro-line betting, you can undoubtedly guess what some of its pros and cons are, especially when compared to regular online betting.
Let’s take a look at all the pros and cons you should be aware of so that you can finally decide whether or not this form of betting is right for you.
Pros
Fixed odds — One of the biggest advantages of pro-line betting is that odds don’t change like they do in typical sportsbooks. Most bookies change their odds to balance the profits they get, but the organizations offering pro-line betting options don’t. They place specific odds, which remain the same, no matter how far into the future the sports event is.
Guaranteed payouts — As pro-line betting options are offered by registered organizations that are approved by the Canadian government, your payout is always guaranteed, which is not always the case with betting sites.
No taxes or fees — You usually don’t have to pay taxes for your winnings on betting sites, but some of them still have withdrawal fees. However, in pro-line betting, there are no taxes or fees of any kind.
Cons
Betting restrictions — There is a wide variety of exciting wagers you can’t place, like a single point spread bet or some special wagers specific to the sport you’re betting on. With proline betting, you are always limited to parlay bets only.
No promotions and bonuses — Almost every online sportsbook today that accepts Canadians has bonuses and promotions, such as a generous sign-up bonus that enables you to get a lot of free money if you deposit a specific amount. Naturally, this is just one example of a sign-up bonus, as there are many others available, depending on the betting site you join. However, with pro-line betting, there are no bonuses or free money offers.
Lower winnings overall — Pro-line betting cannot yield you as much money in winnings as regular online betting can. Online wagers are simply more versatile, as you get so many additional betting markets to use and bonuses to claim. None of this exists with pro-line betting, where you’re limited to specific parlay bets.
Inconvenience — We live in a modern world where placing a bet is only a couple of clicks away. With pro-line betting, you often have to visit a physical location to place your bet, and you have to return to it for your payout. However, there is an app you can typically use to place a proline bet, but you still have to visit a physical location to collect the money you’ve won. Plus, there aren’t as many banking options as you would get in online sportsbooks.
