Online Gaming in Ontario

In August 2010, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced it was moving into the online gaming business. The provincial government directed OLG to set up an online gambling site that included poker, lottery ticket sales and interactive casino-style games.

PlayOLG was expected to launch in phases. Rollout of online lottery ticket sales and online casino games was slated for fall 2013. Online bingo and poker would launch during later phases, along with limited sports betting. PlayOLG finally launched in January 2015.

In late 2018, the Western Canada Lottery Corp., which represents the prairie provinces and three northern territories, reported a drop in lottery revenues, citing a "diminishing core player base" in its most recent annual report.

In April 2019, Ontario’s Conservative government revealed plans to end the online gambling monopoly and to legalize single-event sports betting. In the 2019 provincial budget, the government said it intends to establish a competitive market for online legal gambling “that will reflect consumer choice while protecting consumers who play on these websites.” The proposed market would include both casino-style gaming and sports betting.

In July 2021, the government introduced iGaming Ontario, which is a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

In April 2022, Ontario was the first province to fully regulate online gambling with its new provider, iGaming Ontario and the market officially launched on 4 April 2022.

In just one year, the new legal igaming market in Ontario became one of the top five iGaming jurisdictions in North America. The IGO offers esports betting as well as online casinos from third-party operators.

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