Features
Jewish Athlete of the Year Yohnatan Elizarov continues to excel as a figure skater
By BERNIE BELLAN (with past columns from Scott Taylor and Myron Love) Four years ago we introduced readers to a budding new figure skater by the name of Yohnatan Elizarov. In a column written by Scott Taylor in January 2019, about Yohnatan, who was 14 at the time, Scott explained that Yohnatan had just recently risen to local prominence in the world of figure skating.
Since then Yohnatan has continued to make his mark in what is a very competitive sport, although in 2021 he added pairs skating to his repertoire when he joined up with a partner by the name of Ava Kemp in various competitions. Since pairing with Ava, the duo has skated in a number of different competitions with consistent success.
Last September, Yohnatan and Ava made their debut on the world scene in an International Skating Union competition held in Riga, Latvia, where they finished second. That competition is one of seven events held throughout the year.
Then, in late September the duo competed in another competition – this time in Gdansk, Poland. After taking some time off in November, Yohnatan and Ava resumed practicing in preparation for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which were held in Calgary from February 27-March 5, Yohnatan and Ava finished sixth in the world in the pairs competition.
Considering that Elizarov is also the reigning Jewish Athlete of the Year and, with his continuing success, we thought it worthwhile to look back on his rise up the ladder of an extremely competitive sport. Not only did Scott Taylor first introduce us to Yohnatan Elizarov in 2019, Myron Love also profiled him in a column that appeared in this paper last April.
What follows is taken from both those columns:
Yohnatan Elizarov’s parents, German and Elena, were both born in what was the former Soviet Union – German in Azerbijan, and Elena in Russia.
German emigrated to Israel in 1991, while Elena moved there in 1996. As Scott Taylor wrote in his 2019 column, ‘ “I met my husband in 2000 and we got married in 2002,’ Elena explained.
“ ‘We met in a restaurant where I worked as a waitress. A short time after we met, I started studying at Haifa University and graduated three years later with a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration. I worked in various companies, but my last job in Israel was an office manager in a web design company. My husband worked as a plumbing contractor.
“ ‘We lived in Haifa from the day we both moved to Israel and until we moved to Canada. We enjoyed the people, the weather, the sea and our travels abroad while living in Israel.’
“But then came the summer of 2006 and the Second Lebanon War. One of the rockets fired on northern Israel hit very close to the Elizarovs’ apartment building and it resulted in a profound change for the Elizarovs and many other Israelis.”
The Elizarovs decided to try to move to Canada. As Elena noted at the time, “ ‘After the war ended, we decided it was time to move to another country and after some research, we decided to move to Canada. We chose Winnipeg because we had friends who had recently moved to Winnipeg and were very happy about it. So, three years later we landed in Winnipeg.’ “
The Elizarovs arrived in Winnipeg in 2009. Since then, Yohnatan, who was five at the time of the move, has been joined by younger brothers Sean and Jamie, who were both born here.
Elena explained how Yohnatan came to be involved in figure skating: “ ‘I had been a figure skater in Russia,’ Elena explained. ‘There were no rinks in Israel, but when we came to Canada, we were able to get Yoni into the CanSkate program when he was about six years old. After a year, he was asked if he was going to play hockey or go into figure skating and I said right away, “ ‘He is going be a figure skater.’
“ ‘Since then, he’s been the only boy for quite a few years, but still, he has really improved his skating. Most people don’t know this, but Yoni developed asthma just a year before our move to Canada. However all of his symptoms disappeared after we moved here. What a perfect climate it is here in Winnipeg.’ “
“To their credit, the Elizarovs’ decision to enroll Yoni in all sorts of Canadian activities helped him become the skater he is today. In fact, getting him involved in dance classes certainly didn’t hurt.
“ ‘Yoni started playing tennis when he was only 3 1/2 years old,’ Elena explained. “ ‘Again, it was because of me, as I also played tennis for many years. However, when we moved to Winnipeg, we felt it to be a little bit too expensive for new immigrants, so we registered him in swimming lessons, soccer, skating at CanSkate and dance with the RWB, instead.’ “
As already noted, Myron Love did a follow-up story about Yohnatan last year. In it Myron noted that, in 2018, Yohnatan entered a national skating competition for the first time – and qualified to enter into Nationals competitions – “the first Manitoban to have done so in quite some time.
“To qualify for the Nationals skaters have to first excel at provincial sectional competition and then at a Skate Canada Challenge where they need to place in the top 18 in Novice/Junior/Senior level to qualify for the Nationals. Skate Canada Challenge locations usually change every year (although the competition hasn’t been held in Manitoba in recent years). Yohnatan competed in Skate Canada Challenge competitions in Montreal, Edmonton and, most recently, in Regina. In the most recent national competition, held earlier this year in Ottawa, Elizarov finished ninth out of a field of 18 in the Junior Men discipline.”
It was when Yohnatan decided to try pairs figure skating, however, that his career really began to take off.
As Myron wrote, “He says that he had been considering the idea for a while. Before connecting with Ava Kemp, Elizarov had tried partnering with another girl, but she had a different coach and trained in Virden, which made practices together rather difficult. In Ava Kemp, Elizarov has a partner who lives in the same part of the city and now shares the same coach.
“The challenge, Elena Elizarov adds, is to find the right partner in terms of relative size, location and skills level.
“ I was at first hesitant about working with another person in my space,” Yohnatan admits. “ I am more comfortable with that now.’ ”
“He notes that he and his partner balance each other emotionally as well. “ I alleviate the stress of competing by calming myself whereas Ava gets more excited,’ ” he explains. “ ‘We communicate very well.’ ”
“Yohnatan reports that he puts in about 20 hours a week in training – which includes about 15 hours of on-ice practice.
“ Upper body strength is very important in pairs for the male skater,” he says. ‘My upper body strength is now three to four times stronger than when I was skating solo.’ ”
Yohnatan graduated from Vincent Massey Collegiate in the spring of 2021 and has been taking university classes as time permits, he told me. “I’m just trying to fit classes in with my figure skating practices,” he said. He’s actually completed eight full classes so far toward what he hopes will eventually result in his getting a Bachelors degree in Computer Science at the University of Manitoba.
Right now Yohnatan is taking one class at the university, but in another few weeks he’ll be back on the ice with Ava as they resume practicing for the next season of competitions.
As for what his future in ice skating holds, Myron’s article noted that Yohnatan “would love to have the opportunity to skate with the Ice Capades or Disney On Ice – or emulate Garrett Gosselin, one of the choreographers he has worked with, and appear in a skating show on cruise ships.”
Given his success in pairs skating though, Yohnatan told Myron last year that he was “considering cutting back on his singles efforts and focusing more on pairs “ which is exactly what he has done.
At that time, he also noted that he wanted “to see where it (pairs skating) goes.” Yohnata
n added that ‘I am thinking maybe I will skate for a few more years, then transition into coaching.’ ”
As Myron also observed: “Or maybe he will get that call from Stars On Ice.”
But, as the current Jewish Athlete of the Year – and with his ongoing success in figure skating, it’s hard to count Yohnatan Elizarov out as a repeat Athlete of the Year – although no doubt there will be some formidable competition from other athletes. This year’s winner will be announced at the Ken Kronson Sports Dinner, to be held June 19.
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Features
Ontario Online Casinos Let Players Set Daily, Weekly and Monthly Deposit Limits
A deposit limit sets a ceiling on how much money someone can add to an online gambling account. In Ontario’s regulated market, players can choose limits covering 24 hours, seven days and one month, with the website’s system enforcing the amounts they select.
The settings are straightforward, but the timing deserves attention. A daily allowance may sit within weekly and monthly caps, while an increase can involve a waiting period. For adults using Chrome on a Chromebook, understanding these account rules starts with knowing where to find them.
Finding the Settings and Choosing a Period
Deposit controls sit within the gambling website’s account menus. The Tooniebet Ontario responsible gaming page is an operator-specific resource readers can consult alongside their account settings. ToonieBet is operated by Canadix Limited and regulated by the AGCO under an agreement with iGaming Ontario.
Ontario’s standards require an easy and obvious way to set financial and time limits during registration and afterward. Players must be offered deposit and loss limits when signing up, and the controls must remain easy to reach and change once an account is open.
Menu names differ between sites. Published examples place deposit limits under account settings or responsible-gaming tools, where players can select an amount and a period.
Each type of limit measures something different. Deposit limits cap money added to the account. Loss limits restrict net losses after winnings are taken into account, while time limits govern playing time. iGaming Ontario’s player guidance explains all three.
For Chromebook users, these settings are managed through the website’s account interface. Chrome’s own permissions handle separate browser functions, such as access to location information.
How Several Limits Apply to One Deposit
Players can have daily, weekly and monthly limits running together. A deposit must fit within every active cap.
Take a hypothetical account with limits of CAD $40 daily, CAD $100 weekly and CAD $250 monthly. These figures illustrate the process.
If someone has already deposited CAD $90 during the weekly period, the remaining weekly allowance is CAD $10. That becomes the most they can add, even when the daily limit has more room. Reaching the monthly cap would likewise block another deposit until some monthly allowance becomes available.
This is why checking all active limits matters. A new day may bring fresh daily capacity while the weekly or monthly total remains close to its ceiling. The longer periods continue to apply as the shorter one refreshes.
When Money Drops Out of a Rolling Window
The next question is when previous deposits stop counting toward a cap. Some sites use rolling periods, which track elapsed time from individual deposits.
Published Ontario policies include daily windows of 24 hours, weekly windows of 168 hours and monthly windows of 720 hours, equivalent to 30 days. Under that approach, each deposit frees up its corresponding allowance once it falls outside the window.
Suppose someone has a CAD $100 rolling weekly limit and deposits CAD $25 on Friday, followed by CAD $75 on Saturday. Seven days after Friday’s deposit, CAD $25 becomes available again. The other CAD $75 returns seven days after Saturday’s deposit.
Leaving the restored Friday allowance unused means it combines with Saturday’s restored amount. At that point, the full CAD $100 is available. Reviewing deposit dates and times helps explain how much room remains within a rolling period.
Changing a Cap Takes a Separate Step
A limit refreshing follows the schedule already attached to the account. Raising that limit requires a request and a wait.
Ontario’s standards require at least 24 hours before a player’s request to relax or remove an established limit can take effect. The existing limit remains enforceable during the cooling-off period.
Operators publish their own timings. Documented examples include a seven-day wait for deposit-limit increases or removals. Another published schedule allows increases after one day for a daily cap, seven days for a weekly cap and 30 days for a monthly cap.
Lower limits take effect immediately under these published policies. Some policies also restart the waiting period when a player requests another increase while an earlier change is pending. The effective date shows which amount currently applies.
Other Controls and Support
Deposit limits work alongside loss limits, time limits, short breaks and self-exclusion. Together, these give players ways to restrict account funding, gambling activity or access.
Ontario-regulated online casino play is restricted to adults aged 19 and older who are physically in Ontario. Gambling involves financial risk.
For concerns about your gambling or someone else’s, ConnexOntario offers free, confidential information and referral support around the clock. Call 1-866-531-2600 or text CONNEX to 247247. Standard message and data rates may apply.
Features
What “Best Odds” Really Means When Comparing Gambling Review Websites
The phrase best odds appears frequently in gambling discussions, but it is surprisingly easy to use imprecisely. MonsterBetList is primarily a casino review and rankings website, not a dedicated live sportsbook odds comparison terminal. That difference is central to evaluating what its reviews can and cannot establish. A casino rating may explain payout conditions, licence information and bonus restrictions, while a claim about the best available price on a sporting outcome requires a different kind of evidence altogether.
Odds and ratings answer different questions
Sports betting odds represent a price offered on a specified outcome. A review rating is an editorial judgement built from multiple criteria. These two numerical systems cannot be substituted for one another. A bookmaker rated highly for service may offer a less competitive price on a particular match, while a service with a more attractive price may impose different limits or verification rules.
Similarly, a casino review can discuss return-to-player statistics, but RTP is not the same as sportsbook odds. RTP describes a theoretical long-run percentage built into a game model. It does not tell a reader what will happen in one session and it is not an individually negotiable market quotation.
What makes sports odds comparable?
A fair odds comparison starts with identical selections: the same event, outcome, market rules and settlement conditions. Comparing a three-way football result with a draw-no-bet price is invalid because the products pay under different circumstances. The observation time also matters; displayed prices can change quickly as market information or trading decisions evolve.
The numerical format should be standardised. Decimal odds provide one convenient representation, but American and fractional formats express the same underlying idea differently. Converting these formats is straightforward. What matters is the net price, the operator’s rules and whether the quoted offer remains available when reviewed.
Overround explains the hidden cost of many markets
In a simplified two-outcome market, dividing one by each decimal price produces an implied probability. If the implied probabilities add to more than 100%, the excess is commonly described as the bookmaker’s overround. It is one way of understanding the margin embedded in prices, although individual market structure and adjustments can complicate the interpretation.
This concept explains why the word best should not be attached to a price without context. A strong headline may look appealing yet represent an ordinary margin after calculation. More importantly, any single quote is time-dependent. Genuine comparison requires a dated observation and equivalent market rules; broad editorial praise is not enough.
What casino rankings can establish instead
MonsterBetList publishes casino reviews and guides addressing licences, bonuses, payout experiences and responsible gambling. Those topics are relevant to evaluating consumer risk and service quality. A report about the length of a withdrawal process, for example, can be useful if its methodology is transparent. A bonus review can help identify restrictive wagering requirements that marketing headlines omit.
However, a casino ranking should not be presented as evidence that its highest-rated operator consistently offers the best sports prices. Unless a site publishes repeated market-by-market comparisons, that conclusion is not supported. Readers benefit when publishers clearly distinguish what was measured from what readers might assume was measured.
Bonuses can complicate comparisons
A sportsbook may offer free-bet tokens, cashback or other promotions. Their effective value depends on conditions rather than the largest number printed in a banner. Some credits are not withdrawable as cash; others require qualifying selections, minimum odds or a deadline. Casino welcome bonuses often introduce wagering requirements, game-contribution rules and limits on withdrawals. Combining these products under one generic promotional score can hide important differences.
For instance, a large matched deposit might require extensive play before bonus-related funds become eligible for withdrawal. The required betting volume is not a promise of profit. The presence of a promotion may therefore make comparisons more complex instead of simpler. Clear disclosures should precede any judgement about value.
Editorial independence and methods
Review sites sometimes state that rankings are editorially independent. Such a statement is relevant but does not replace evidence of consistent testing. Readers should look for the criteria used, the date of each review, whether real transactions were examined and how negative findings are treated. If one platform receives detailed testing while another is scored on marketing copy, the ranking loses comparability.
Commercial incentives should also be visible. Referral relationships or sponsorships do not automatically make every observation inaccurate, but they create reasons to ask how rankings are insulated from revenue. A publication that explains its methodology and corrections process gives readers a stronger basis for trust than one that simply declares its winners.
Licensing and dispute rights before price claims
A marginally attractive price is of limited value when the operator is not legally available to the reader or does not provide meaningful avenues for redress. Regulations vary by jurisdiction, and a licence in one country may not authorise service in another. It is prudent to verify the legal entity behind a brand and the current status of any licence through official records.
Consumers should also review identity verification, account restrictions and dispute resolution procedures. These operational conditions influence the actual experience of using a gambling service. A sensible evaluation includes them before discussing promotions or theoretical market advantages.
Why guaranteed-profit language is a warning sign
No ordinary review or odds list can guarantee that an individual will win money from gambling. Claims of certain returns often omit the fact that results are uncertain, prices move and transactions are subject to restrictions. Casino games generally incorporate a house advantage, and sports outcomes remain uncertain regardless of a persuasive analysis. The safest response to absolute promises is scepticism.
Readers should also avoid treating gambling as a means of addressing financial problems. Chasing previous losses and increasing stakes to recover money can deepen harm. Consumer-oriented coverage is more valuable when it explains risk and offers realistic options for stepping away.
Conclusion: define the claim before ranking the service
“Best odds” is a specific comparative proposition, not a synonym for a high casino rating. MonsterBetList can be examined for its published casino research, review structure and risk disclosures, but those materials should not be stretched into claims they have not tested. Clear definitions, dated evidence and honest limitations are the foundations of trustworthy comparison journalism.
