The 2022 launch of legalized online gambling operations in the Canadian Province of Ontario represented a turning point for its gambling industry. Previously limited to a certain number of retail and land-based facilities and extensively exploited by irregular websites,  iGaming operations has rapidly expanded in the jurisdiction ever since the 2022 milestone to provide benefits to industry stakeholders and the Province.

Two years after the launch, the governmental gaming authority, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), and its subsidiary iGaming Ontario commissioned a study to find out that around 86% of the Ontarians engaging in iGaming operations are exclusively using regulated websites for such purposes.

86.4% of Study Participants Place Wagers on Regulated Sites:

According to the AGCO press release, such a percentage represents a significant shift from the trend seen before the legalization. The regulator estimates that 70% of online gambling operations occurred on unregulated sites before April 2022, when the Government of Ontario enforced the respective legislation to ensure a competitive yet safe online gambling environment.

Slightly Rising Trend:

The study conducted by Ipsos for the Ontario‘s regulatory body in February 2024 observed the preceding three-month period to track the current online gambling preferences of the consumers. It reportedly found that 86.4% of Ontarians gambled on regulated sites over the subject period. According to AGCO, the percentage represents a 0.9% increase from the 85.3% figure found by a similar study in 2023 to testify about a stable trend among iGaming participants when it comes to the the selection of regulated online gaming sites.

77 Regulated vs. 350 Unregulated iGaming Options:

The press release further indicates that the Ontario’s legal gaming market currently includes 47 registered sports wagering and iGaming operators offering 77 regulated sites to the local player community. All iGaming service providers in the Province operate under license from the AGCO and under contract with iGaming Ontario to ensure a safe gambling market for Ontarians. However, the Ipsos study found that 13.6% of the iGaming participants still place bets on unregulated sites. As reported, study participants even named as many as 350 websites they had used from November 2023 to the end of January 2024.

20.1% of Participants Use Legal and Illicit Sites:

Although the regulated market portion covers the remaining 86.4% bettors sampled in the Province, the study also revealed that 20.1% of participants had used a combination of regulated and unregulated sites to place wagers over the period observed in the study. AGCO considers that these figures are illustrative enough to emphasize the importance of continued efforts to draw Ontarian players to legalized online gambling facilities.

Commenting on the iGaming market trends in the Province, Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey reportedly said: “Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s iGaming model has been recognized internationally for championing work to displace the unregulated online gaming market. This made-in-Ontario, regulated market will continue to inspire global innovation while ensuring a safer landscape for players and businesses alike.”

Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO, added: “In Ontario, regulated sites are held to high standards of game integrity, data security, and player protections, including having significant responsible gaming safeguards. While it’s encouraging to see most participants are choosing regulated gaming options, those who are not are unfortunately risking far more than their wagers.”

“iGaming Ontario joins our operators, government, and AGCO in celebrating our success in attracting Ontarians to the safer, regulated iGaming market,” said Martha Otton, Executive Director, iGaming Ontario.” We will continue to work in lockstep with the AGCO to enable Ontarians to play with confidence.”