Ontario man who thought he won $1,458 on sports bet shocked by reason he won't get the prize
An Ontario man who recently bet $2 on a long shot and thought he won $1,458 by predicting the outcome of three hockey games was shocked when he was told he didn't actually win.
"I felt great, I was excited," Burlington man Marc Nadal told CTV News Toronto.
Sports betting is a billion dollar business and recently the rules were changed to allow single-game sports betting in Canada, but in Ontario that is only online and in store you still have to correctly pick three correct outcomes to win.
Nadal, who said he considers himself a casual bettor, likes to wager small amounts on long shots. On Jan. 8, he bet on three NHL games and predicted all three would end in a tie.
At the end of regulation time, the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers were tied, as were the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, and the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild.
Nadal thought he was a winner.
"I guess everyone is looking for the elusive three game tie, which is statistically pretty hard to get," he said. "I hit that and I was obviously pretty excited."
However, when Nadal went to collect his money, he was told he was not a winner.
The Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild game went to a shootout, but the other two games ended when goals were scored during the overtime period.
Nadal said he was shocked when the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) told him a tie is not a tie until the five minute overtime period is over and the shootout begins.
"That's not really consistent to what a tie is in the rest of the world," said Nadal, adding the NHL considers a game a tie after regulation time and OLG should too.
"In the NHL, each participating team is awarded a point at the end of regulation time (because it’s a tie) and the additional five minutes is the tie breaker," said Nadal.
But the OLG confirmed to CTV News Toronto that with PROLINE Hockey, a tie result includes the overtime period.
"It is based on regulation play plus the five-minute overtime period," a spokesperson told CTV News Toronto. "This means that a hockey game will result in both a tie (based on regulation play plus overtime, but not including a shootout) and a win (based on regulation play plus overtime plus shootout) only if the game goes to a shootout. If a game is settled prior to the shootout (including regulation time and the 5-minute overtime), no Tie result is recorded."
"The current rules for PRO·LINE hockey ties were implemented for the 2005-2006 hockey season to reflect the modifications made to the rules of the game by the governing league at that time."
Nadal feels that is unfair and says OLG should treat tie games the same way the NHL does.
"To be honest I don't think I would be picking ties if I would have originally known this," said Nadal.
The rules for ties are also different for sports such as football and soccer. OLG said sports betting is extremely popular but added the rules can be complex and advises customers to do their homework before placing a bet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.