Online betting site letting Toronto gamble on when Eglinton Crosstown LRT opens

After more than a decade of construction delays and shifting timelines, the long-awaited Eglinton Crosstown LRT is finally nearing completion, and some people are now betting on exactly when the delay-plagued transit line will open to the public.

That's right, FanDuel Canada allows users to wager on when the 19-kilometre, 25-stop light rail line will officially begin service. At the moment, the most favoured window is between Sept. 16 and Sept. 30, 2025, while the longest shot on the board is before or on Aug. 31, 2025.

Despite some public doubt, officials maintain that if everything goes according to plan, the LRT remains on track to open this September. Last Tuesday, Metrolinx interim CEO Michael Lindsay confirmed that all civil infrastructure is complete, and that the TTC has taken full operational control of the line and its 28 trains.

The handover was described as one of the final milestones before the service is officially launched. "Operator driver training is complete, and all drivers for the TTC are now trained for the project," Lindsay told reporters.

How is this real???

FanDuel with betting for the Eglinton LRT to open pic.twitter.com/LLer7OSHVr

— TDot Resident (@TDotResident) June 23, 2025

He also confirmed that command operations for the line have transitioned from a backup command operations centre to the TTC's main command centre at Hillcrest. While the line is closer to completion than ever before, two more significant phases remain, namely a 14-day "formal trial running" period, followed by a 30-day revenue service demonstration where the system runs as if in full service, but without passengers.

"The trend line is good," Lindsay added, noting that "it is always subject to revision depending on what we find through systems testing."

Although the Eglinton Crosstown LRT had an original opening target of 2020, the project has been plagued by construction issues, litigation, and constantly shifting deadlines, prompting years of frustration from local residents.

Communication on progress has been minimal, especially over the past year, with Metrolinx halting timeline updates until announcements could be 100 per cent guaranteed. 

Still, with the TTC now operating the line and final testing underway, confidence in the fall 2025 opening appears to be growing. FanDuel Canada says the bet will be settled based on the official public opening date by the TTC, and that the LRT must be open for regular passenger service.