Regulated
Amendments to Ontario’s gaming regulatory legislation intended to establish a new online gambling regime were enacted in December 2020. In July 2021, the Government of Ontario announced the establishment of iGaming Ontario (“iGO”), a subsidiary of Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the “AGCO”), as a separate and distinct legal entity whose role is to conduct and manage internet gaming (“igaming”) offerings through private gaming operators in Ontario.

iGO has the object and duty of conducting and managing such online gambling as is prescribed in the regulations (online lottery schemes), in addition to any other prescribed objects or duties. The AGCO is responsible for overseeing iGO. The Ontario government has the authority to issue directives to the AGCO or to iGO relating to the conduct, management and operation of prescribed online lottery schemes. iGO is responsible for the conduct and management of online gambling websites that are operated by private third parties, pursuant to Operating Agreements between iGO and those private entities and in accordance with the requirements for conducting and managing gambling under s. 207 of the Criminal Code.  In this manner, the Ontario government seeks to establish a competitive online gambling market that will bring offshore private online gambling operators currently in the Ontario market into the new legal market where they will be subject to a robust consumer protection framework.

As of April 4, 2022, qualifying players located in the Province of Ontario are eligible to play internet casino games and placing sports bets on sites offered by igaming companies (called operators) that are fully registered by the AGCO and approved by iGO.

Market Size
Online casinos, poker and sports betting are immensely popular in Ontario.

In its latest public report (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024) of market performance for the second full year of the operations of the Ontario igaming market, iGO reported approximately $63 billion (CAD) in total wagers and gaming revenue of approximately $2.4 billion (CAD), including approximately $17.8 billion (CAD) in total gaming revenue and approximately $690 million (CAD) in gaming revenue during this latest quarter.

Further market analysis can be found here.

Competitive Landscape
As at March 31, 2024, Ontario’s has 47 licensed iGaming operators offering 77 gaming websites. See the up-to-date list of Operators and gaming sites.

Localisation
Payment Methods: Ontario does not prescribe any particular payment methods, however the AGCO does prohibit the use of cryptocurrency in licensed igaming. Popular payment methods in Ontario include credit cards, e-wallets such as PayPal and Apple Pay, and the uniquely Canadian payment method known as Interac, which is a Canadian interbank network that links financial institutions and other enterprises for the purpose of exchanging electronic financial transactions.

Top Key Attractions and Challenges Ontario
Attractions

• There are 29 land-based casinos in Ontario, ranging from charitable casinos and racetrack-based venues in smaller population centres to full resort casinos
• Prominent teams in all major professional sports, giving the province strong potential as a sports wagering hub

Challenges

• Greater Toronto Area, by far the largest population centre in the province, lacks a full resort casino and all attempts to build such a Toronto casino have been soundly defeated
• Large number of igaming operators have been approved to do business in Ontario between April and June 2023 (46 licensees operating 71 websites) – Market may become saturated