Ontario's licensed-only online-gambling market launched on 04/04/2022, regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and run commercially through its subsidiary, iGaming Ontario (iGO). An Ipsos study commissioned by AGCO/iGO and reported in May 2026 found 91.1% of Ontario players used regulated platforms, up 7.4 percentage points year-on-year, with only 8.9% gambling solely on unregulated sites.
Licensing authority: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), operating the market through its subsidiary iGaming Ontario (iGO)
Key facts
- Regulator: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
- Commercial conduct entity: iGaming Ontario (iGO), an AGCO subsidiary
- Market launch: 04/04/2022
- Bonus/inducement advertising: Banned to the general public under AGCO standards
- Payment model: Regulated fiat (CAD) only — licensed operators do not accept crypto
- Channelisation rate (Ipsos study, reported May 2026): 91.1% of Ontario players on regulated platforms, up 7.4 points year-on-year; 8.9% gambling solely on unregulated sites
- Pre-launch grey-market estimate: ~70% of Ontario online gambling was on unregulated sites before the April 2022 launch (Government of Ontario estimate)
Regulatory timeline
- — Government of Ontario announces its intention to end the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's (OLG) monopoly on online gambling and open a competitive private market. (Source)
- — Ontario's 2020 Budget confirms the province will establish a regulated internet-gaming market through iGaming Ontario, a new AGCO subsidiary. (Source)
- — Ontario's regulated iGaming market officially launches; private operators registered with AGCO and under an iGO operating agreement may begin serving Ontario players. (Source)
- — Ipsos study commissioned by AGCO and iGaming Ontario reports a 91.1% channelisation rate to regulated platforms, up 7.4 percentage points from the prior year. (Source)
Frequently asked questions
When did Ontario's iGaming market launch?
4 April 2022. Private operators registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and operating under an agreement with iGaming Ontario (iGO) could begin legally serving Ontario players from that date.
What share of Ontario gambling is now on regulated sites?
An Ipsos study commissioned by AGCO/iGO, reported in May 2026, found 91.1% of Ontario players used regulated platforms — up 7.4 percentage points year-on-year — with only 8.9% gambling solely on unregulated sites. Before the 2022 launch, the province had estimated roughly 70% of online gambling was unregulated.
Can Ontario operators offer casino bonuses?
Advertising bonuses and other inducements to the general public is banned under AGCO's standards — a consumer-protection measure. This is a key structural difference from grey-market offshore sites.