Manitobans betting on Jets during playoffs

As the Winnipeg Jets continue to compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, more Manitobans are placing their confidence in the team in the form of online sports bets.

While specific numbers weren’t given, according to PlayNow, Manitoba’s only regulated online sports betting platform, thousands of bets were placed just for the team’s first playoff game of the season.

“Players are now choosing to allocate a few dollars here, a few dollars there on waging on Jets games because they would like to be part of the excitement. I think that’s why we are seeing that increase in acceptance towards sports betting,” said Matt Lee, a spokesperson for PlayNow.

As more Manitobans place their bets, not all of them are turning to PlayNow.

Currently, a grey market exists in the province, where even though other platforms other than PlayNow haven’t been sanctioned by the province, players are still able to place their bets on them, since the federal government legalized online single-game betting in 2021. 

According to Paul Burns with the Canadian Gaming Association, Ontario now has about 90 per cent of its internet gaming activity going through its regulated marketplace after the province opened it up.

“Obviously the economic benefits flow back but it also created some of the highest regulatory standards in the consumer protection measures in North America, if not the world,” said Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association.

Minister Glen Simard who is responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation says there are no plans at this point to open up Manitoba’s marketplace.

“When you play on PlayNow.com it allows us to invest in Manitoba’s education, infrastructure, and healthcare.”

As Manitobans place their bets, they are also being asked to play responsibly.

“For example saying, ‘I’m only going to spend $50 betting on sports today or this week,’ rather than saying ‘I’m going to spend three hours.’ This is just my hypothesis, is you can yoke that time to the duration of the game,” said Andrew Kim, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary.