Toronto, Ontario – Just one year since the launch of Ontario’s open internet gaming (igaming) market, new research shows the considerable success the province has had shifting players from gambling on unregulated sites to regulated sites that comply with Ontario’s high standards of game integrity and player protections.
According to an Ipsos survey conducted in March 2023, 85.3 per cent of respondents who gambled online in Ontario over the past three months gambled on regulated sites. This is a significant shift from the estimated 70 per cent of online gambling that occurred on unregulated sites before the launch of the market.
The Government of Ontario worked with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO), its internet gaming subsidiary, to establish an open igaming market that allows eligible private gaming operators, registered with the AGCO and under contract with iGO, to participate in Ontario’s legal gaming market. This first of its kind framework in Canada was launched on April 4, 2022, and has offered Ontarians more choice, while protecting consumers and capturing an important new revenue stream for the province.
Today, 45 operators are live in Ontario and the AGCO has approved over 5,000 certified games for use in the province.
Quotes
“A key objective in this first year has been to move Ontario players from playing on unregulated sites to the regulated market, so that they would benefit from high standards of operator and game integrity, fairness and player protections including responsible gambling safeguards,” said Tom Mungham, Registrar and CEO of the AGCO. “Although there’s still much work to be done, we’re pleased to see such a substantial shift towards gaming on regulated sites so far, and everything that it represents for players and for the province.”
“Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s igaming market has displaced the existing unregulated market and made Ontario an internationally recognized leader in this industry,” said Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario. “We are truly proud of this strong, responsible, competitive online gaming model.”
Additional Information
- Ipsos Study: Ontario iGaming Market Channelization
- iGaming Ontario News Release: Ontario Emerges as One of North America’s Largest iGaming Markets in First Year
About the AGCO
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is a regulatory agency with a governing board that reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG). The agency was established on February 23, 1998. It is a corporation under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019.
Media Contact
AGCO Communications
media@agco.ca
416-326-3202