It feels like every prominent brand is throwing its hat into the sports betting ring these days. Maxim has become the latest notable brand to do so through its MaximBet Sportsbook. It has partnered with the Carousel Group (Malta) and will run on the former SportsBetting.com platform.
Many middle-aged and younger men fondly remember Maxim magazine. Still available online today, Maxim found its way into the mailboxes of millions of red-blooded men every month. Since launching in 1995, it has focused on men's lifestyle content and scantily-clad pictures of beautiful women.
Maxim is now focusing on sports gambling and will be targeting sports betting in Ontario next. You can find out more on what MaximBet Ontario will offer in the following review.
MaximBet is not currently running in Ontario. However, we believe that it will launch in this province at some point in 2022 or beyond.
The Ontario sports betting market will get underway on April 4, 2022. It's going to be the first province with legal single game betting (e.g. moneylines, point spreads, totals). We're not expecting a slow of legal sportsbooks to go live on the fourth, as not many currently hold licensing. Therefore, MaximBet Ontario won't be alone if it launches later in 2022.
Maxim released many glorious photo spreads of 90s and 2000s idols, including Carmen Electra, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Carousel Group is hoping that nostalgia will appeal to Maxim's old magazine subscribers, some of whom now embrace sports gambling.
MaximBet launched in Colorado (under SportsBetting.com) in September 2020. It plans to expand to other states, such as Ohio and Louisiana, but currently remains confined to the Centennial State. Therefore, we can only use Colorado as a reference when predicting what MaximBet Ontario will offer.
Overall Sportsbook Reputation 5/5
Quality of Odds VS. The Competition 4/5
Noteworthy Sportsbook Features 3/5
Market Variety and Bet Types 5/5
Deposit and Cash Out 2/5
Mobile App Design & Performance 4/5
Security & Trust 5/5
OVERALL RATING: 28/35
MaximBet is a joint venture between Maxim Entertainment and the Carousel Group. Maxim needs little introduction among most adults aged 30 and up. It has successfully run a men's lifestyle brand for nearly three decades.
The Carousel Group got started in the US after launching SportsBetting.com in Colorado. In 2021, it changed its flagship online sportsbook to MaximBet. The latter is set to expand in other states soon.
Both Carousel and Maxim Entertainment have operated with integrity in their respective histories. That said, we predict MaximBet Sportsbook Ontario will treat customers with respect.
The MaximBet odds and margins compare well to the betting industry. MaximBet has lower margins (sportsbook's average profit on each bet) on plenty of lines versus the competition. Here's just one example where this online sportsbook offers a favourable deal versus competitors:
This online sportsbook doesn't excel in the features department, but it at least earns a passing grade. It offers a helpful search function that lets you look for markets and upcoming events. MaximBet also provides combo-parlays, which allow you to combine interesting outcomes for an exciting bet. It doesn't, however, offer live streaming or any other notable features.
MaximBet really excels in its market variety and bet types. You can look forward to a large number of markets ranging from major league sports to niche markets. Examples include baseball, boxing, cricket, darts, esports, football, hockey, MMA, soccer and tennis. We imagine that the MaximBet sport and league coverage will be outstanding in Ontario.
As for bet types, this operator doesn't leave out anything. It provides moneylines, point spreads, totals, prop bets, live betting and futures. The live betting section offers an impressive number of opportunities.
The number of banking options could really improve at MaximBet. As things stand, it only offers a handful of ways to deposit and cash out. Deposit methods include Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer and Skrill. The withdrawal options are bank transfer and Skrill.
Given that this is Canada, we imagine MaximBet will accept Interact payments. The minimum deposit and withdrawal will likely both be $10.
The MaximBet app is available on Google Play and the App Store. We downloaded the iOS version and mostly enjoyed the experience. The app ran smoothly and pages loaded with almost no time wasted. We imagine that those using Android mobile apps enjoy the same benefits.
The MaximBet Ontario mobile sports betting experience should be good too. However, we do hope that MaximBet ON lets you browse freely before registering. As it stands now, you must sign up before seeing what the app has to offer. We were going to sign up anyways for this review, but some sports bettors like browsing before registering.
This betting site has obtained licensing from the Colorado Division of Gaming. It's expanding to other states soon after gaining licenses in multiple other jurisdictions. In its 1.5 years of operating in Colorado, MaximBet has served customers with integrity. It also offers a safe and secure website that uses high-level tech to protect users' data.
With the betting market soon to open, we'll witness the fierce competition between brands. That's perfect for the average bettor, as they can expect the best odds on various sports events.
bet365
Betway
Unibet
MaximBet is fairly new to the online gambling scene. Therefore, we don't see it being among the leading Canadian sportsbooks—at least not right away. Instead, it'll be battling with some of the second-tier and third-tier Ontario legal online sportsbooks for market share.
Some likely competitors include bet365, Betway and Unibet. Bet365 is a famous UK sportsbook that offers some of the industry's better odds. Betway has nice features and a well-functioning app. Unibet is a prestigious operator with a big reputation in Canada.
We find MaximBet to be rather average when it comes to key features. This sports betting operator offers some helpful features but nothing too spectacular.
The search function is handy for locating specific events and markets. The combo-parlays let you combine two or more outcomes that aren't totally similar. For example, with NFL betting, you might add a point spread, over/under and rushing yards prop bet.
MaximBet will provide a host of bet types in the Ontario market. Some of the most popular sports betting offered here will include:
You'll have to register at MaximBet before even browsing the site. That said, you'll find the following steps helpful as soon as you develop an interest in this sportsbook:
The Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission requires you to be within this province's borders before betting. Therefore, you won't be able to deposit and wager at Maxim outside of Ontario. MaximBet will use geolocation software to make sure you're within the province. You can, however, sign up from anywhere in the world.
You should also note that this online sportsbook doesn't offer a desktop client. While registration is available through the website, you might as well download the mobile sports betting app. This way, you can begin browsing available betting lines and more immediately after registering.
The MaximBet mobile sports betting app is available in the App Store and Google Play Store. We downloaded the iOS version and had a nice mobile betting experience. This app runs with no lag and loads the different pages rather quickly.
Our only issue is the signup requirement before viewing the app. Many new bettors want to look over mobile sportsbooks before blindly giving away information. Unfortunately, MaximBet does require registration before one can check it out.
As explained earlier, MaximBet doesn't excel regarding banking methods. It provides the essentials, but not quite the variety that you may be used to seeing at most online sportsbooks.
You can deposit and start betting at MaximBet through the following steps:
The Ontario sports betting market allows operators to offer many markets. That said, MaximBet will get a chance to shine with the many sports that it features. This online sportsbook does a good job of going beyond just the major markets, such as MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL betting. It'll also cover less-heralded sports, including the likes of darts, rugby union, snooker and table tennis.
MaximBet isn't involved in the daily fantasy sports betting industry. That said, it won't be offering daily fantasy sports in Ontario.
Ontario is the first province to legalise single game sports betting. It's also the largest province in the country. When combining these two facts, Ontario is definitely going to lead the Canadian market. MaximBet stands to gain the most from offering sports wagering here versus other provinces.
The Loyalist Province approved its regulated sports betting act last year. However, it's still in the process of issuing licenses and getting everything ready for the April 4, 2022 launch. MaximBet hasn't had time to form partnerships with local favourites like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays and Raptors. Instead, it's still going through the online gambling license process.
This online sportsbook is a wildcard when it comes to potential retail sportsbooks. We're not sure if MaximBet will launch one or more Ontario retail sportsbooks at this time.
Offshore sportsbooks have served the Canada sports betting market for nearly three decades. These offshore sites will continue doing so into the foreseeable future. However, Ontario is the first province to begin changing this situation with its legal single-game sports betting.
Only operators that obtain licensing from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission can serve this province. Offshore sportsbooks, meanwhile, won't be able to legally accept Ontario bettors.
Many sports gambling sites want a piece of the Ontario pie. Here are some betting sites that will likely go live in this province in 2022:
The MaximBet responsible gambling section provides resources for anybody who might have a gambling problem. It also has a self-exclusion option, where sports bettors can shut their accounts down for multiple years. Anybody who's seeking self-exclusion can contact customer support.
MaximBet has some things to work on, including limited banking options and the lack of a desktop client. Overall, though, it's a solid option in the emerging Ontario sports betting market. It covers plenty of sports, offers adequate features and has fair odds. That said, MaximBet should be one of the more-worthwhile new betting sites in Ontario.
MaximBet doesn't currently have a license in Ontario. However, it's in the process of obtaining licensing so it can legally offer sports bets here. We suspect that MaximBet will become licensed sooner than later.
The MaximBet website notes that this brand will be coming to Ontario soon. However, it doesn't provide a concrete date on when it'll go live. We predict that it could become available here within the next 4–6 months.
This online sportsbook has a strong brand that's backed by both Maxim Entertainment and Carousel Group. It also boasts more markets than the average operator. For good measure, MaximBet offers some of the industry's fairest odds and margins.
You can wager at MaximBet Ontario anywhere within the province. However, you won't be able to legally bet online outside of Ontario. MaximBet will use geolocation software to ensure that you don't make this mistake.
MaximBet will definitely offer football betting markets. It'll feature college football and NFL betting for sure and could provide CFL lines as well.
19 years old is Ontario's minimum age for gambling online. Therefore, you'll need to be at least 19 before wagering on MaximBet sportsbook ON.
You can deposit at MaximBet using Visa, Mastercard, Skrill and bank transfer. We suspect that MaximBet ON may also accept Interac to appeal to Canadian bettors. Skrill and bank transfer are the only withdrawal methods.