By Clydi Dagondon
March 25th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Canadian province of Ontario is awash with creativity and innovation right now. Since the launch of Ontario’s licensed iGaming industry, the province has welcomed state-of-the-art iGaming software studios from around the globe.
Many of these independent game providers bring original and intriguing online casino experiences to Ontario’s well-regulated platforms. Whether it’s classic video slots, virtual table games, or live-streamed games that replicate the authenticity and atmosphere of a casino floor, Ontario is fortunate to have the supply of the industry’s biggest and best experiences.
For anyone who’s been remotely involved in iGaming in Ontario before, the chances are you’ll have encountered Games Global games.
Since the launch of iGaming in Ontario in 2022-23, the province’s total annual gaming revenues have risen from $1.4bn to $2.4bn and projections state that this figure will continue to grow. This is turbocharged by the presence of iGaming Ontario, the widely-respected subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) which oversees the integrity of the industry, while encouraging the biggest and brightest minds in iGaming software development to serve the people of Ontario. The AGCO has a difficult task with regulating some of Ontario’s most challenging markets, but iGaming appears to be thriving under its remit.
Below, we’ll shine a spotlight on a handful of big-name players already operational in the province and explain why they are the ones to watch in the months and years ahead.
Games Global
For anyone who’s been remotely involved in iGaming in Ontario before, the chances are you’ll have encountered Games Global games. Although the brand itself isn’t one of the most instantly recognisable, its game portfolio is one of the most comprehensive in the industry.
That’s because Games Global was founded by senior executives from the Microgaming team, a major iGaming technology pioneer based in the Isle of Man, UK. In doing so, Games Global acquired a sizeable chunk of Microgaming’s slot game portfolio.
The end result is that Games Global is now responsible for some of the biggest slot and progressive slot titles in the world. The studio also benefits from having its own category of slots promoted by licensed operators in Ontario, showcasing some of their newest releases, such as Shamrock Bonanza and Area Link Luck. The Area Link slots are one of Games Global’s newest innovations, with a randomly triggering feature that can unleash hold-and-win style bonuses.
Light & Wonder
Light & Wonder is another new brand that many iGamers in Ontario may not be enamoured with. However, it’s basically the studio formerly known as Scientific Games, which has been a major player in North American casino gaming for decades.
Light & Wonder positions itself in an area where entertainment meets state-of-the-art technology. Its catalogue of games is oozing with old-school, retro charm, while its newest slots bring contemporary style and immersion, increasingly blurring the lines between casino gaming and video gaming.
Relax Gaming
The studio, Relax Gaming, has also been a breath of fresh air to the Ontario iGaming market. The game provider has delivered its much-celebrated mix of creative slots, as well as their renowned game aggregation services, well and truly to the table.
Relax Gaming is best known for its Money Train slot series. This collection of highly volatile slots, complete with engaging bonus features and massive jackpots, helped put the studio on the global iGaming map. Returning to their aggregation services, what’s great about Relax Gaming is their desire to partner with smaller, indie studios to bring a variance of new and interesting games to Ontario’s licensed sites.
Big Time Gaming
There’s no doubt that Megaways slot games have become some of the most engaging and exciting titles in the Ontario iGaming market. We’ve got Big Time Gaming (BTG) to thank for this, with BTG the brains behind the flexible winways slot engine. Since then, BTG has licensed out the Megaways game engine to many slot developers worldwide, which means this provider’s influence is becoming even more potent on Ontario’s iGaming scene.
If you like your slots action-packed, with huge payout potential, BTG should be one of the first studios to keep an eye on wherever you choose to play.
Nevertheless, BTG continues to design and build some of its own Megaways slot experiences too. Put simply, if you like your slots action-packed, with huge payout potential, BTG should be one of the first studios to keep an eye on wherever you choose to play.
With iGaming in Ontario predicted to yield over $75m in revenue for the provincial government by the end of this year, the four studios listed above will be leading the charge with innovative and premium quality experiences.
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