For many years, sports betting in Canada was heavily restricted with only parlay-style betting allowed and players in Canada had limited options for betting sites. Canadians could use the betting sites provided by the government, which were focused more on lotteries. So for many horse racing fans and other sports enthusiasts in Canada, there were limited options on the table for putting money down on the races and matches that they enjoyed watching so much.
In 2021, new regulations came into force to introduce significant reforms to the gambling industry in Canada. The major changes included allowing single event sports betting and gave each province control over their own gambling regulations.
Going into uncharted territory, Ontario was the first province to take a gamble on introducing a new regulatory framework for gambling in the province. While the success of rolling out new regulatory models had been demonstrated in other regions around the world, this was a huge step in Canada, involving a great amount of work.
Ontario launched Canada’s first iGaming market allowing private casino operators to apply for licenses in April 2022. Before this was possible, the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario (AGCO) had to develop a robust framework for ensuring that casinos met certain requirements to provide a safe and high-quality iGaming experience for gamblers in Ontario.
At this point, it was difficult to predict how successful the new approach would become as it was considered a risk. However, Ontario’s regulated gaming market has become a blueprint for success, with other provinces now making steps to replicate similar models.
Ontario’s Gambling Revenue Stats
In the very first year after launching the new regulatory model, Ontario generated $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue, between April 2022 and March 2023.
iGaming Ontario shared that in the year 2023 to 2024, the industry generated around $2.7 billion to the province’s GDP and created over 15,000 full-time jobs in the sector.
The latest figures issued by iGaming Ontario show that there was a 25% increase in gaming revenue between Q3 of last year and Q3 of this year. The gamble that the province’s authorities took has clearly paid off, with huge financial benefits to the province’s GDP.
Operators in Ontario
There are currently 48 casino operators offering 82 gaming websites to players in Ontario. Operators must pay a regulatory fee of $100,000 every year and must demonstrate compliance with a set of standards that apply across many areas.
These include technical standards such as ensuring game fairness and secure data handling. Operators must also meet requirements for providing tools that promote responsible gambling, such as tools that allow players to set limits on deposits and playing time.
Cybersecurity protocols must be met and operators must have transparent payout systems. If all of the requirements are achieved, the AGCO will issue a license so that the operator can offer their platform to players in Ontario.
How Do Ontario Gaming Sites Compare to Others?
Many of the private operators who have been approved for licenses in Ontario are already long-established global casino and sports betting operators, so they have replicated their models in Ontario. This has allowed Ontarians to experience the same gaming experiences that other gamblers in regulated regions have already been enjoying.
They have been able to offer a high-quality service similar to sites like Powerplay. This includes offering competitive odds for sports betting, like horse racing events on a local and global scale.
What Comes Next for Canada’s iGaming Industry?
The success experienced in Ontario has outlined the revenue potential for other provinces. The global iGaming market is growing at pace and other provinces now have the opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for online gambling.
Alberta is set to become the next province to introduce regulated iGaming. Currently, people in Alberta can legally use Play Alberta, which offers casino style games but there are no other options available.
In May 2025, Alberta passed Bill 16, The Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, which opens up the opportunity to set up a similar model to Ontario, where private companies can apply for licenses.
It is expected that other provinces will follow the lead of Ontario, using many of the systems that have been successful in the province as the basis of their plans.
Ontario’s move to regulate sports betting through private casino operators may have been considered a gamble but the revenue statistics have proven that it was a calculated risk.
The province has been able to reduce the number of players seeking offshore sites that do not contribute towards the province’s GDP by offering an appealing set of options that meet players’ requirements. With year-on-year growth predicted over the next few years, nobody could argue that the gamble has not come off for Ontario.
