By Gerald Lewis
January 26th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
April 4, 2022, was a very important date in the history of gambling not just in Ontario but in Canada as a whole. This was the day when the province finally launched its regulated market for online casinos and sportsbooks.
The journey to reach this point had been a long one. The first land-based casino opened in 1994 in Windsor, but it took another 28 years before the legislation that recognized the existence of online casinos was in place. This meant that operators from all over the world were now permitted to apply for licences to offer their online casino services to Ontarians legally. In exchange they had to agree to pay a licence fee and taxes from profits to the province.
Beside the financial incentive there was one other key reason why Ontario decided that it was time to introduce these measures. Previously Canadians had been able to play in unregulated online casinos who it was almost impossible to block from operating in the country. Not only did this represent lost potential revenue, it also left players exposed to risks of various kinds. For example, some unregulated casinos fail to pay out winnings, others include games that are programmed to be far from fair.
Dedicated to looking after the interests of both players and operators, and whose official vision is “To Lead The World’s Best Gaming Market”.
But regulated casinos have to follow a strict code of practice and be demonstrably fair if they want to retain their licence. To oversee both the licensing process and the subsequent regulation of online casinos the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario created iGaming Ontario. This is an organisation that is dedicated to looking after the interests of both players and operators and whose official vision is “To Lead The World’s Best Gaming Market”. Today it licenses around 40 different casino operators with over 70 brands, and it does seem to be well on its way to turning its vision into reality.
Efficiency Examined
In looking at just how good a regulator like iGaming Ontario really is there are a number of factors to consider. Firstly, it’s how well the casinos themselves operate as well as the general standard of the operators. Then it’s how safe and protected players feel. So if they do have a concern or complaint can they be confident that the regulating body will react.
Finally, it’s how the market is doing financially, because a well-regulated one will have no problem with attracting new players and generating much-appreciated tax revenue for the province.
One only has to look at the kinds of operators that appear on the review site Casino.ca Ontario to see that they are respected and of high quality. They offer generous bonuses for new players and are transparently fair in the ways that they operate. So all have obviously carried out the due diligence required to obtain an operator’s licence.
Bonuses and free spins come under stronger regulation on Ontario site.
Thanks to this approach, in the 3+ years the regulatory system has been in place there has been little need for iGaming Ontario’s intervention. However the organisation has shown that it is ready and willing to act in the event of a contravention of the rules. Recently a fine of CA$350,000 was imposed on a sportsbook following suspicious betting activity in the world of Czech table tennis.
When it comes to how the sector is doing financially this is one more tick in favour of iGaming Ontario. Only last August it saw a month on month leap of 8% in terms of revenue. There are also around 1 million player accounts registered with online casinos, a figure that continues to rise year on year.
Other leading regulators in North America
While Ontario is the undoubted leader in Canada there are also a couple of notable bodies south of the border too. Naturally, the Nevada Gaming Commission leads the way. Responsible for overseeing what is undoubtedly the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas, this also upholds the very highest standards.
They are closely followed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) and Casino Control Commission. As one of relatively few states to allow legal online gambling theirs is a model that probably guided Ontario to a high degree. It’s also one that has effectively managed to combine a competitive market with high levels of player protection.
Lessons going forward
Opposition to billboard and television advertising for gambling sites is increasing. Governments are looking at limiting what can be advertised.
It’s believed that a number of other Canadian provinces have been closely watching Ontario prior to introducing licensed online casinos. These include British Columbia and Alberta who are likely to launch sometime in the Spring of 2026. Ontario has scarcely put a foot wrong so theirs would be a good blueprint to follow in terms of building player trust and creating a genuinely competitive market.
One issue that has been experienced in Ontario is the demand for tighter regulation on the type and timing of TV advertising for online casinos. So placing firmer restrictions on this from the outsell could well avoid issues further down the line.
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