Proline Overview
Proline+, the new version of OLG's sports betting website, is a good option for new sports bettors who need resources to learn more about betting. This book also offers the assurance of safety, as it’s government-run, along with in-store betting locations, which can be helpful when running into issues.
We wouldn’t be able to recommend Proline+ to experienced bettors, or soccer bettors. The value of the soccer odds doesn’t match up to other commercial betting sites in Ontario, and the site lacks the options & features that can be found on other bookmakers. But we do love that the proceeds from the sportsbook are reinvested into provincial organisations like schools and hospitals, which we think is exactly what a government run betting site should be doing.
Proline score
- Lots of learning resources for new players
- Government-run ensuring safety
- In-store betting locations
- 100% of proceeds are reinvested in Ontario
- Soccer odds are lower in value
- Lacks betting options & features
Betting variety | 6/10 | |
Mobile experience | 6/10 | |
Payment options | 8/10 | |
Betting experience | 7/10 | |
Support | 9/10 | |
Summary | 7/10 |
Key takeaways from this proline review
Proline suits new bettors, who may need to learn more about how to bet on sports and pools. We also think it suits bettors who care a lot about safety and security, as it’s government-run. The in-store locations also mean you can go to real people if you have issues.
Proline+ does not suit more experienced bettors, or players who like to bet on soccer. We say this because the different features you have to choose from, along with the value of the soccer odds, can’t quite match up to what is offered on other Ontario betting sites.
Below, you can take a quick look at our main pros and cons:
What we like about Proline:
✅ Plenty of learning resources, making it an ideal sportsbook for beginners
✅ Government-run, ensuring a level of safety, transparency, and accountability
✅ In store locations for pool bets, or for any questions you may have, or need answered
What we dislike about Proline
❌ Value of the soccer odds can’t compete with other commercial sportsbooks in Ontario
❌ Lacks sophisticated features that can be found on other books in Ontario
Proline Review - Our Verdict
The decision is split amongst bettors in Ontario when it comes to this book. We, however, can clearly say that Proline+ is ideal for the new bettor or a bettor who likes to know that the money they may lose on bets will go to a good cause. Things like safety, learning resources and support are the main selling points here, so if these don’t appeal to you, we recommend looking for other betting sites in Ontario.
Experienced bettors may feel a bit underwhelmed at what’s on offer at Proline+, as it quite simply can’t compete with the likes of Caesars, 888Sport and Leo Vegas.
Getting started with Proline in 2 minutes
- Visit Proline through this link
- Click on the button that says “SIGN UP”
- Enter your email address & the rest of your details
- Click on confirm account
- Verify your account via email
What others say about proline
As mentioned in our verdict, the decision is very much split amongst the people who have used Proline in Ontario. Some say it rivals Bet365, and it’s mission to supplement gambling addiction rehabilitation programs is reason enough for them to keep betting with Proline.
Others feel very differently, using explicit language to convey their disdain for the product, mentioning issues with bank transfers, user experience and lower value odds.
Below, we’ve compiled some of the more insightful comments left by users on Reddit, Trust Pilot & the App Store.
What Reddit users have to say about proline
“Mapleloafs” on Reddit said:
“Actually seems decent. For Unaware: This is the government run sportsbook after Canada legalized single bet sports betting (as opposed to only parlays and in person before)”
Do you think Proline is decent, Alex?
"Hammer_416" on Reddit said:
“Site isn’t as user-friendly as others. Didn’t dig deep into the odds but at a quick glance, seems close enough. Would be nice to list it as -110 rather than 1.9. I don’t see Proline being the top choice for people… Isn’t easy to navigate (maybe different on desktop, plus it’s still day 1) it is a huge plus that this site is completely legal and easy to deposit.”
Do you think Proline will be a first choice for players, Ben?
"Right-Midnight9221" on Reddit said:
“Terrible bookie, stay away. Wait for Fanduel SB to launch, or use Bet365. Both are, 3000000x better.”
Do you think Proline is terrible, Alex?
What Trust Pilot reviewers say about proline
We’ve picked just the one review from trust pilot about OLG, the state run lottery that manages Proline, and analyzed it.
None of the other reviews were relevant to Proline, but more to the casino and lottery offered by OLG. We could not find a specific Proline page on Trustpilot in Canada.
Note: we’ve summarized what the user had to say, as the text is quite long.
“Jason Muchos”
Left a review on Trust Pilot saying that he wasn’t happy about the way the points spreads and parlays work. Specifically, he didn’t understand why his spread bets and parlays payouts were lower than he expected for his won bets. He makes more comments about lottery games, which do not fall part of what Proline offer.
Ben, do you think Proline's spreads and parlays are bad?
Proline App reviews on App Store and Google Play
Proline’s reviews on the app store are pretty morbid. They have an overall score of 1.4 out of 5, which is scarily low considering the likes of Betway (4.7/5), LeoVegas (4.7/5) and 888Sport (4.5/5).
We checked for reviews on the Google Play Store, but none exist as of now.
Here’s what some people had to say about the Proline app on the app store:
“Jamestown” on the app store wrote:
“Should have left it the way it was – I did a points spread for the first time since the update, and it took me half an hour… the way it was before was why it if it ain't broke… even in store, I wanted to bet on 12 games and the ticket had a max of 8…what’s going on one here.”
Alex, WHat do you think?
“TD Annoyance” on the app store said:
“Horrible! — Worst app in the history of apps! Try to log in, and it won’t let you because it says I’m not in Ontario. Chat help with people are clueless. What a colossal waste of time….!”
Ben, What do you think?
Our review of the Proline app
Here at My Betting Sites, we didn’t think the app was outstanding, but it wasn’t terrible either. It does tend to crash from time to time, which can be really frustrating, but otherwise, it’s not bad.
Nowadays, you’re able to bet, deposit, and win, all within the app, which is progress, even though some users haven’t been happy with some of the latest updates to the app. If you’re interested in getting the app, and aren’t sure how, check out our article dedicated to helping users download Proline’s app.
Proline's new betting app is available on the App Store & on Google Play. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Is proline’s betting experience good?
Yes, Proline’s betting experience is pretty good. We would suggest using the desktop website or the mobile website instead of the app, because more users have left reviews that sound negative regarding the app compared to using the website.
That aside, if you’re betting on the website, it’s easy to navigate through the pages, more so of course on desktop. All the sports on desktop are visible in the sidebar, while on mobile, you can click on the menu, and click on A – Z sports.
Proline also make a bunch of learning resources available to teach you how to use their site, which in our eyes, is one of the book’s biggest strengths.
Steps to Bet on Proline:
- Select the sport you want to bet on
- Identify the betting line you want to bet on
- Select the odds
- Set your stake
- Confirm your bet
We provide the full process in an article dedicated to teaching you how to bet on Proline online. We not only cover the more general process, but also how to bet on specific sports.
Above you can view the steps required to place a bet on Hockey with Proline. The process is largely the same across different sports as well. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Are proline’s odds any good?
After having put Proline’s odds through a margin calculator, we came to understand that they were on par with some of the more generous bookmakers when it comes to North American sports. We've compiled a comparison table of money line odds for events in the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, EPL & MLS.
The odds provided for the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB were far better than expected. In the table below, you can see the margins that Proline offer, compared to LeoVegas and 888Sport, two books known for having good odds.
As you can see in the table below, the margins offered by Proline on North American sports are almost as low, if not lower, than these bookmakers for North American sports (low margins are good). These margins indicate the percentage bookmakers keep from your bets, so this indicates that Proline offers generous odds for hockey, football, basketball, and baseball.
Event | Proline Margin | LeoVegas Margin | 888Sport Margin |
---|---|---|---|
Bills vs. Dolphins (NFL) | 4.39% | 4.68% | 4.34 (🥇) |
Tampa vs. New York (NHL) | 4.82% (🥇) | 5.20% | 5.34% |
76ers vs. Celtics | 5.06% | 4.58% (🥇) | 5.13% |
Cubs vs. Pirates | 4.34% | 3.73% (🥇) | 4.56% |
Arsenal vs. Tottenham | 9.61% | 5.10% (🥇) | 6.41% |
Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy | 8.43% | 6.86% (🥇) | 7.57% |
Odds Retrieved on 23 Sep 2022
If you look at the table a little closer, you’ll notice that the odds for Proline has to offer for soccer are not nearly as generous compared to LeoVegas and 888Sport. This is one of the areas we think they could significantly improve.
Ben, What are these margins you guys are talking about?
We calculate margins to understand the generosity offered by different bookmakers. This in turn helps us understand how good the odds offered by betting sites are.
When a betting sites is offering lower margins, it means that they’re taking a lower percentage from you, the user, for providing you with the odds.
The higher the margin, the larger the cut, and the less generous. As we can see above, Proline is a generous book for the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. For soccer, however, Proline cannot be considered too generous.
We calculate odds margins with the help of Pinnacles margin calculator.
All these odds may have you wondering why they’re important, we get that. The odds don’t only tell you the probability of an outcome, but also the amount you stand to win, depending on your stake.
We’ve dedicated an article explaining how bettors can calculate their Proline payouts, which can in turn demonstrate how significant odds are.
You can check out the preview below, and click on it to get the article.
Calculating a Proline Payout
We’ll teach you the easiest ways to calculate your proline payout. From bet slips to calculators, scroll on to read more!
What proline features and extras do we love?
For us, there were two features that stood above others, that really set Proline apart from any other bookmaker in Ontario. The learning resources they offer up, along with their pools.
We have not seen the dedication to educate users like what can be found on Proline. When you arrive at the site, you have a number of prompts and pop-ups that appear for the learning resources. These can be great for users who are on a betting site for the first time, but could annoy users that are a bit more experienced.
Under the help tab, they have divided the betting process into steps, and have added resources for each step, which is truly impressive.
Under the tab "tutorial videos", Proline have listed a bunch of videos to help you through the process of betting.
As for the Pools, we’ve covered them below:
Does Proline have Ontario’s best pools?
Yes, Proline has Ontario’s best pools. They have this title by default though, because as we looked through each of the other sportsbooks in Ontario, we noticed that no others were offering Pools.
Proline offers pools for upcoming events, through a tab that is dedicated solely to this form of betting. You can mainly find pools for soccer, but we’ve also seen pools being offered for hockey as well.
The downside with Proline’s pools, however, is that you can’t see your results, or claim your winnings on the site. Once you’ve placed a pools bet, you’ll get a QR code generated, which you can then take to an OLG retailer to claim your winnings. This makes this whole process far less efficient.
Ben, How do proline pools work?
Proline’s pools work by having a user placing bets on a set of different games that form part of a round of events (for example, English Premier League Week 5).
The bettors need to choose all the outcomes, and their winnings are not based on odds, but are rather based on the number of other bettors who have placed the same bets as them. The more correct selections, the more you win.
Each bettor pays a set amount to join, the winners get a cut of the amount that has been paid by everyone.
What about Proline Totals (overs/unders)?
The totals bets offered by Proline are pretty solid, but there are better offerings out there. For instance, LeoVegas and 888Sport allow you to use a toggle feature to change your totals picks, a feature that is not available on Proline.
Another thing we found on LeoVegas and 888sport was that totals bets are offered for more aspects of the game.
If it was football, we could find totals for touchdowns and successful field goals with LeoVegas, which we couldn’t find on Proline. For soccer, we could find totals bets for everything from corners (even per half), to total goals (both for the game, and per team). Proline doesn’t offer this.
Ben, what do you think about Proline’s totals?
Proline does offer a decent range of totals options, but when compared with other betting sites, Proline falls a little short. You simply have more options, and nicer totals features to access these options on the likes of LeoVegas, 888Sport, and Bet365.
And how about proline Points spreads?
We compared the point spreads available on Proline with those available on Betway, 888sport, and LeoVegas, and the results led us to believe that Proline is not the best points spread betting site.
While Proline offers points spreads for full time, and over different quarters, there is only a singular amount of points needed to cover the spread for each of these lines. Betway, for example, allow you to choose between (-1.5), (-2.5), (-3.5) and so on, while Proline only gives you (- 3.5) for example.
888Sport, on the other hand, offer a points spread toggle, that you can use to adjust the points, and the odds accordingly. We’re a big fan of this feature, as it shows you which spread will yield which odds.
All in all, Proline isn’t the best betting site for spreads, but it’ll do the job for those starting out.
Where we think prolines betting options are lacking
For one, Proline’s betting options are lacking significantly in their soccer offering. We checked some upcoming games, and we noticed that only four or five lines were available. This was the case for some of the most popular upcoming games. Bet365 and 888Sport offer hundreds of lines, for example.
Keeping on the theme of soccer, the odds offered for this sport could drastically improve. They’re low value, and you’re better off betting on soccer elsewhere.
We also felt that the options for more niched bets could be improved. For example, totals and spreads aren’t offered poorly, but you can just find better offerings, and tools elsewhere. If Proline wants to establish itself as a competitive book in Canada, it needs to offer more features and options.
Other things to know about proline
In all honesty, it’s the first time we at My Betting Sites have reviewed a book like Proline. It’s state run, it only started accepting single game bets fairly recently, and it’s app, until very recently, was a glorified ticket generator.
It’s an interesting betting site that is significantly different from the others that you can find on our website. With this, comes a level of confusion, that we’ve experienced first hand.
Below, we answer a couple of questions some of our users have posed to us, and ones we had to go looking for answers for ourselves.
Is Proline available in Ontario?
Yes, Proline is available in Ontario. It’s the province’s state run sportsbook, and it forms part of OLG’s (Ontario Lottery & Gaming Commission) overarching services.
OLG also offers online and in store lottery, as well as casino games.
Proline is available both online and in store throughout the province of Ontario.
What's the difference between Proline and Proline Plus?
The difference between Proline and Proline + is that Proline refers to the in-store betting locations, while Proline + refers to the operator's online sportsbook. While the two are used interchangeably, this is the difference.
What is Proline OLG?
There is no difference between Proline, and Proline OLG if you’re in Ontario. OLG is Ontario’s governmental organization that runs Proline. So when people say Proline OLG, they really just mean Proline.
Proline does however also exist in the Atlantic area, so it could be helpful to call Proline Ontario “Proline OLG” if you’re comparing it with Proline Atlantic, or “Proline ALC”.
Is Proline available throughout Canada?
Yes and no. The name Proline is given to the sports betting sites run by OLG in Ontario, and ALC (Atlantic Lottery Commission) in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
But every province has their own version of Proline, in that every province has a lottery and gaming corporation that is state run, and each of them offers an online and in store sports betting product.
We have listed the province, and the subsequent state-run sports betting site, below:
Province and State Run Betting Site
• Ontario – Proline+
• Quebec - Mis-o-jeux
• Atlantic - Proline ALC
• British Colombia - Play Now
• Manitoba - Play Now
• Alberta - Play Alberta
• Saskatchewan/Nunavut/Yukon/NW – Sports Select
Final Thoughts on Proline
Proline is a great option for new players. The learning resources they make available are second to none, and the assurance of safety, and the existence of in store locations can make new bettors feels safe and secure if they run into any issues.
The issues we’ve highlighted are concerned with the low value odds for soccer, along with lack of betting options and features. Proline covers the basics, but when compared to other betting sites in Ontario, they don’t quite cut it.
Below, you can take a look at the final rankings we’ve given Proline across our review metrics:
Proline Ontario Verdict
Our Final Word on Proline
While Proline cover the basics well, there are simply far more betting options and features available elsewhere, especially on the likes of Betway, Bet365 & 888Sport.
Proline Mobile Betting Experience - 6/10
While Proline have made progress on what they offer for mobile betting, their new betting app doesn’t quite cut it yet. It’s okay, but it crashes, and some of our users have complained about suboptimal user experience on the app.
Proline Payment Methods – 8/10
While usually we rate this metric on how many payment methods are available, with Proline, we’ve given them a high rating because they offer the most important payment methods in Ontario, and depositing and withdrawing with them is seamless.
Proline Betting Experience – 7/10
The betting experience offered by Proline is pretty good. It’s fantastic on desktop, but not as good on mobile, which is why this score is averaged out to 7.
Proline Support – 9/10
The existence of in store betting locations ensures that if you run into an issue, you have a place to go. The same can’t be said for other betting sites available in Ontario, which is why Proline gets the 9.
Overall Score: 7/10
Proline suits the newbies, but doesn’t quite cut it for seasoned players. New to betting? Choose this book. Not new to betting? Pick a book from this list of betting sites in Ontario instead.
Proline FAQs
Yeah, Proline’s a good book. It’s specifically good for new players, who aren’t familiar with betting, who want a safe option.
Proline isn’t the best for more experienced players, as the value on some odds isn’t great, and the site lacks the same level of features that can be found elsewhere.
To use Proline, you need to visit their site, create an account and make a deposit.
Once you’ve done that, you can follow the steps outlined below:
- Select the sport & league that interests you
- Find the event you want to bet on
- Identify the line you want to bet on and choose the odds
- Enter your stake in the bet slip, and confirm your bet.
Yes, there is.
We’ve dedicated an article to teach you how to download Proline’s app. You can read more about it there.
Once you have an account, navigate to the sport of your choosing, and check if they have a points spread option. Points spreads have different names depending on the sport. If you’re betting on hockey, it’s called the puck line, on baseball it’s called the run line, and on soccer it’s known as handicaps.
Once you’ve found the points spread bet for the given sport, select the odds that represent the outcome you think will occur, enter your stake, and confirm your bet.
Yes, OLG launched Proline+, a new and improved version of Proline that accepts single bets. They did so back in August 2021.
We wish we could give you a precise method, but if we knew that, we probably wouldn’t be working day jobs.
To win on Proline, you’ll need to correctly select the outcome of events. Easier said than done, however.
Proline plus is essentially the new and improved version of Proline. With Proline, you had to make parlay bets, as this was the law on state run sports betting websites in Canada. Then, the gambling laws in Canada changed, allowing state run betting sites to accept single game bets.
The very same day, OLG launched Proline+, the new and improved version of Proline. Nowadays, there is no real difference between Proline and Proline Plus when it comes to the online betting site. Everything you could do on the old Proline you can do on the new Proline, and Proline+ is often referred to as “Proline”.
Proline is available online to all people living in Ontario, both online and in store.