Canada
Ontario Emerges as One of North America’s Largest iGaming Markets in First Year
In just one year, the new legal iGaming market in Ontario has delivered about $35.6 billion in total wagers and approximately $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue, placing the province among the top five iGaming jurisdictions in North America.
iGaming Ontario is thrilled to announce these totals to mark the open market’s one-year anniversary. Ontario was the first Canadian province to launch an open, regulated iGaming market on April 4, 2022. Since then, more than 1.6 million active player accounts on websites run by 40+ operators with agreements with iGaming Ontario have made the province the most competitive market in continental North America.
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“Ontario’s iGaming market has displaced the pre-existing unregulated market and made Ontario a recognized leader internationally in this industry since its launch in April of 2022,” the Attorney General of Ontario, Doug Downey, said. “We are truly proud of this strong, responsible and competitive online gaming model. I want to especially commend the strong leadership of Executive Director Martha Otton, Board Chair Dave Forestell and the rest of the team at iGaming Ontario for helping us transform Ontario into a global leader in the sector.”
“Today’s numbers demonstrate that Ontario has one of the best online gaming markets in the world,” said Forestell. “Since Ontario opened the market, we have seen new investment, job creation and captured revenue that used to leave the province. Ontario is well on its way to becoming the best gaming jurisdiction in the world.”
“Every player who places a wager with a legal operator is doing so in a safe, regulated and protected environment,” said Otton. “I want to thank the players, our 40+ operators and our government partners for placing their trust in us. Together we can help this market continue its strong performance.”
Digging into player choices and market trends over the last year:
*On average, iGaming Ontario numbers show the monthly spend per active player account over the last year to be about $70.
*According to an Ipsos survey conducted in March 2023 and released today by the AGCO, around 85% of respondents who gambled online in Ontario over the past three months gambled on regulated sites.
*The most popular sport to bet on was basketball at 28% of betting wagers followed by soccer at 15%, football at 14%, then hockey at 9% and baseball at 8%.
*Within the online casino category, nearly half (48%) of all casino wagers were on slots, nearly a third (32%) on table games with a live dealer and the remainder (19%) on computer-based table games.
Quotes
Bet365:
“As one of the first companies to join Ontario’s regulated iGaming market, we welcome that our ongoing relationship with iGaming Ontario has allowed us to offer a quality product for our customers in a safe and responsible environment. We look forward to working together into the future to continue to raise standards in the regulated market.”
George Sweny, Regulatory Affairs Vice-President for Flutter International:
“At Flutter, we are so proud of Ontario’s success in establishing a regulated and competitive iGaming market over the past year. We invested in growing our local Canadian team to launch a full range of both FanDuel and PokerStars’ safe and trusted products as registered operators in the province, allowing Ontario sports fans and Casino players to engage responsibly.
Bruce Caughill, Canada Managing Director for Rush Street Interactive:
“It has been an exciting first year for BetRivers in the province. We have enjoyed a positive and receptive response from customers to our many products. It has been great collaborating with iGaming Ontario, who has been instrumental in making this launch a success for all stakeholders.
Benjie Levy, President and Chief Operating Officer for theScore and Head of Penn Interactive:
“As Canada’s first province to establish a legal market for private operators, Ontario has distinguished itself while proving the widespread benefits that derive from a consumer friendly and commercially minded framework.”
Home field advantage has a new name, as the Edmonton Elks announced that Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium is now the home of the Elks.
The field naming rights are part of a broader multi-year agreement between Play Alberta and the EE, making Play Alberta the official sports betting partner of the Club.
“We couldn’t be more excited to expand our partnership with Play Alberta. This partnership is about more than just putting a name on the field – it’s about building something meaningful for our fans and our community. Play Alberta is an Alberta-based organization that shares our values and our commitment to giving back. Together, we’re creating new ways for fans to connect with our team and experience the game day atmosphere in a whole new way,” said Elks President and CEO Chris Morris.
The expanded relationship between the Elks and Play Alberta will allow the game day experience to continue to grow. Fans can look forward to unique activations and promotions around the stadium, including the chance to win game tickets and memorabilia.
“Since Play Alberta’s launch five years ago, our team has made it a priority to connect with the communities where our players live and work. We are very excited to join the Edmonton Elks on the field on game days during upcoming CFL seasons. Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium allows us to partner with the Elks and showcase two brands built for Albertans in a historic Edmonton location,” said Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Chief Executive Officer Kandice Machado.
The Elks open their 76th season on Saturday, June 7 in Vancouver when they take on the B.C. Lions. Edmonton’s home opener at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium is slated for Thursday, June 19 against the Montreal Alouettes.
BCLC has launched a Scratch & Win ticket that is a win-win for both the Top Prize winner and their registered B.C. charity of choice.
The Greater Good Giveaway ticket offers a Top Prize of $10,000 for the winner and $10,000 for their registered charity of choice, selected from a list of British Columbia charities on CanadaHelps.
Thomas D’Cruz from Richmond is the first Top Prize winner for Greater Good Giveaway. D’Cruz selected the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation to receive the $10,000 charity prize, sharing that he “wanted to help children.” The winning ticket was purchased at Walmart on Alderbridge Way in Richmond.
There are over 12,000 registered B.C. charities on CanadaHelps for Top Prize winners to select from that support a variety of different causes, including arts and culture, education, social services and more.
“At BCLC, we believe that when we share the wins, we feel more connected to each other, our communities and our province,” says Natasha Questel, BCLC Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President of Marketing. “Our players have shared that they are interested in different types of prizing that go beyond a dollar amount, so as we celebrate our 40th anniversary we’re thrilled to launch the Greater Good Giveaway – a ticket that allows our players the chance to support causes that resonate deeply with them, and aligns strongly with our social purpose – to generate win-wins for the greater good.”
Greater Good Giveaway tickets are $2 each and are available for purchase at lottery retailers across the province. For full details on the Greater Good Giveaway ticket, including how to play, please visit our website.
In 2024, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $137 million in winnings from Scratch & Win.
Since 1985, BCLC has delivered more than $29 billion to the provincial government to support communities, provincial programs and services, charities and major events that have helped shape B.C.
Random State (“RS”), the Swedish studio behind next‑generation iLottery and multiplayer bingo content, has been granted a Gaming‑Related Supplier – Manufacturer licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The approval, effective 14 May 2025, authorises RS to offer its games and platform services to licensed operators across Ontario.
“Securing the Ontario licence is a milestone our entire team has worked tirelessly toward,” said Adam Fonsica, Co‑Founder & COO at Random State. “Ontario not only validates the quality and integrity of our technology; it provides a launchpad for our broader North‑American expansion. We can’t wait to introduce our eInstant titles and multiplayer bingo hub to Ontario players later this year, together with a soon‑to‑be‑announced operator.”
The licence clears the way for RS to roll out its full product portfolio in Ontario:
Interactive eInstants – instant‑win games that re‑imagine traditional lottery mechanics with modern gameplay and rich visuals.
Multiplayer bingo – a complete suite of 90-, 75-, 80/60/40‑ and 30‑ball variants, featuring progressive jackpots, Pot Booster and real‑time chat hosting.
Turn‑key iGaming platform – advanced Player Account Management (PAM), certified RNG, gamification engine and a WYSIWYG game‑configuration tool that lets operators launch new games in minutes.
Random State expects its first Ontario go‑live in Q3 2025, delivering both eInstants and multiplayer bingo on day one.
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