Ontario

With sports betting already legal in the U.S., Canada took inspiration from different states to formulate its betting market. While Ontario does have retail casinos, the province decided not to require online operators to partner with a retail operator to obtain access to the market. This allows the province to offer over 30 online operators and remote registration.

To obtain a license, operators must pay a $100,000 licensing fee and a 20% tax rate on all sports betting revenue. These licensing fees are paid to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the governing body that distributes licenses to operators. Due to provincial gambling laws, once operators obtain a license, they are prohibited from making public ads for bonuses, new customer deals, and iCasino offers.

Aside from the lack of public advertisements, Ontario sports betting legislation is very open and has few restrictions. In addition to the general sports betting markets, Ontario bettors have the option to wager on politics and eSports and access social sportsbooks, betting exchanges, and DFS apps. It is worth noting that while eSports betting is legal, it is considered in Ontario to be an online casino game under regulatory guidelines created by the AGCO.

Outside of restrictions related to operators, there are multiple regulations that Ontario bettors need to be aware of. For starters, the legal age to place an online wager is 19. However, 18-year-olds in Ontario can place physical bets at OLG Lottery Terminals. Since each Canadian province controls its sports betting market, Ontario bettors must also ensure they are in the provincial lines when placing a bet on an AGCO-regulated platform.

Ontario’s Wagering Wave: Key Updates in Sports Betting & Casinos

• March 17, 2025: Evoplay has secured an online gaming license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), allowing it to expand into the regulated Ontario market. This marks a key step in its global growth, particularly in North America.

• March 5, 2025: UK-based sportsbook Fitzdares is set to leave the Ontario betting scene, ending operations by March 31, 2025, after two years in a tough market. Bonuses stop March 3, deposits close March 10, betting ends March 24, and the final withdrawal deadline is March 31.

• February 14, 2025: According to canadiangamingbusiness.com, Super Bowl LIX was a big win for PointsBet as most Ontario bettors backed the Chiefs, while many SGPs missed key lines. BetMGM called it their biggest betting event ever, with Ontario ranking eighth in Super Bowl wagers. BetVictor Canada saw a 42% rise in bets and 72% more active users YoY.

• February 14, 2025: A Leger survey for the RGC states that 63% of Ontarians plan to watch the Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl, but only 48% will place a bet. This is up from 41% in 2024 but lower than the 54% peak in 2023, Ontario’s first year with legal online betting. Older bettors (52%) are more likely to wager than those 18-44 (45%).

• February 6, 2025: Blueprint Gaming expands in Ontario through a partnership with Rush Street Interactive (RSI). Its popular Megaways slots and branded games like Rick and Morty: Strike Back and The Lost Boys are now available on BetRivers Casino, enhancing its footprint in the Canadian market.

• January 30, 2025: Ontario sportsbook PowerPlay allegedly planned to offer odds on Donald Trump annexing Canada by the end of a second term but scrapped the idea over compliance concerns. A PR firm confirmed to CBC News that the unusual market was dropped due to unspecified regulatory issues.

• January 28, 2025: Playson introduces its game portfolio to Ontario through a partnership with Titanplay, an operator licensed in 2024. Titanplay, which launched in the province in June, operates with Delasport’s technology, further establishing its presence in the market.

• January 23, 2025: Ontario set a new online gambling record in Q3, with players wagering CA$22.7B, up 32% YoY and 22% from Q2. Online casinos led with CA$18.9B, sports betting hit CA$3.4B (+10%), while peer-to-peer poker fell 3% to CA$418M. The province now reports data monthly.

Sports betting is truly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the legal gambling market in Ontario. For starters, there are 11 retail betting facilities for sports betting, but 29 casinos in total throughout the province, each varying in size and offering a different number of games. Poker is available at some of those retail locations, but customers also have the option to partake in online poker on some of the prominent iCasinos that are active.

The lottery in different Canadian provinces, including Ontario, has been involved with sports betting far before single-game wagering was legal, and it remains very prevalent in ON. Outside of casinos and the lottery, horse race betting is a key aspect of the Ontario gambling market. Bettors do have the option to wager on horse races online, but they can also visit one of the 15 live racetracks or off-track betting locations in the province.