Ontario online casinos: how the regulated market works
Ontario's market in brief
On April 4, 2022, Ontario became the first Canadian province to open its online gambling market to private companies. Instead of a single government site, Ontario residents can now choose from many brands, all operating under the same provincial rules.
Two bodies run the system:
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) | Regulator. Registers operators and suppliers and enforces the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. |
| iGaming Ontario (iGO) | Conducts and manages the market for the province. Signs operating agreements with private operators. |
OLG, the provincial lottery corporation, also continues to offer online games on OLG.ca.
The market is large. For its fourth year, 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, iGaming Ontario reports more than $103 billion in wagers and more than $4.2 billion in gaming revenue (unaudited, excluding OLG's online games and horse racing). An Ipsos study for iGO and the AGCO, published in May 2026, found that 91.1% of Ontarians who gambled online did so on regulated sites, up from 83.7% a year earlier.
Why two bodies?
The Criminal Code only allows a province to conduct and manage gambling. Ontario could not simply license private casinos. Instead, iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the online scheme on Ontario's behalf and contracts with operators, which run the sites day to day under its control. The AGCO regulates independently. Offshore crypto casinos are not part of this scheme, and our licence check of 95 offshore crypto casinos found that 27 of the 40 terms we read do not even name Ontario as restricted.
iGO started as a subsidiary of the AGCO. The iGaming Ontario Act, 2024 made it a standalone provincial agency, with the AGCO keeping its regulatory role.
How to tell a site is regulated
- Look for the iGaming Ontario logo. The AGCO describes it as a sign that a site is subject to Ontario standards.
- Check the directory. iGO publishes a directory of registered operators, and the AGCO links to it from its list of registered internet gaming operators.
- Check the domain. Many international brands run separate Ontario sites, often with a different domain or an "on" subdomain. The brand name alone does not tell you which version you are on.
What regulation means for you
The AGCO's standards cover a wide range of player protections. Among the main areas:
- Age and identity. Operators must verify age and identity. The legal age in Ontario is 19. See our Ontario page for helplines and other local details.
- Responsible gambling. Operators must offer limit-setting tools, time-outs and self-exclusion, must provide responsible gambling information, and must honour the province-wide BetGuard opt-out (see below).
- Advertising. Operators can advertise, but under standards that restrict content. Direct marketing requires player consent.
- Game integrity. Games must meet technical testing requirements.
- Anti-money laundering and data security. Operators must meet compliance and security standards.
- Complaints. You complain to the operator first and can then raise issues with the AGCO.
Why we only show registered sites to Ontario visitors
CanadaGamblers is mostly about offshore crypto casinos, which we test with our own money because players in most of Canada have no provincial regulator to fall back on. Ontario is different. A regulated market with dozens of brands exists, and offshore casinos sit outside it.
So when we detect that you are in Ontario:
- We only show operators registered with the AGCO and contracted with iGaming Ontario.
- We do not show links to offshore crypto casinos, or any bonus offers.
- Our crypto payout test results remain visible for information, but we do not present them as recommendations for Ontario players.
We do the same for Alberta, which opened a regulated market on July 13, 2026.
Crypto and Ontario
Ontario's regulated sites deal in Canadian dollars. They do not accept crypto deposits. If you want to play in Ontario with crypto, the honest answer is that no regulated option offers it, and offshore crypto casinos are not part of the regulated market.
Crypto itself is not banned in Ontario, and you can buy it through registered crypto trading platforms. It just is not a payment method in the regulated gambling market.
Peer-to-peer games and international liquidity
Poker and other games where players play against each other are currently limited to players located in Ontario. Ontario has sought to let its players share games with players in other countries. In November 2025 the Ontario Court of Appeal found, four judges to one, that the model would remain lawful. Lottery corporations from the Atlantic provinces, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec appealed, and the Supreme Court of Canada heard the case on October 7, 2026. As of November 2026 the decision was reserved.
If the Supreme Court sides with Ontario, Ontario poker and daily fantasy players could share player pools internationally, and other provinces with regulated markets could follow. If it does not, Ontario's peer-to-peer games stay Ontario-only.
Bonuses in Ontario
Ontario's advertising standards restrict how operators can promote bonuses in public advertising, though operators can still offer incentives to registered players who have consented to marketing. If you see a site openly advertising large welcome bonuses to Ontario residents on social media, check carefully whether it is registered.
Payments at Ontario sites
Regulated Ontario operators typically support Interac, debit and credit cards where issuers allow, and e-wallets. Withdrawals usually require the account to be verified, which is done at registration. Processing times and limits vary by operator.
Taxes
The same federal rules apply in Ontario as elsewhere: recreational gambling winnings are generally not taxed. See our tax guide.
Getting help in Ontario
ConnexOntario provides free, 24/7 information on mental health, addiction and problem gambling services at 1-866-531-2600. Regulated operators must also offer limit and self-exclusion tools.
Summary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When did the market open? | April 4, 2022 |
| Who regulates it? | The AGCO |
| Who conducts and manages it? | iGaming Ontario |
| Legal age | 19 |
| How to check a site | iGO logo and iGO directory of registered operators |
| Crypto deposits at regulated sites | Not offered |
| Peer-to-peer with international players | Before the Supreme Court; decision reserved as of November 2026 |
| Opt out of every regulated site at once | BetGuard.ca, since May 2026 (OLG.ca included) |
Checklist before you sign up at an Ontario site
- Confirm the operator is in iGaming Ontario's directory.
- Check you are on the Ontario version of the site, not an international one.
- Read the terms on withdrawals, including processing times and any fees.
- Set deposit limits during registration, while you are thinking clearly.
- Have your ID ready; verification is part of sign-up.
- Allow location services if asked; regulated sites must confirm you are in Ontario.
Self-exclusion in Ontario
Regulated operators must provide self-exclusion and time-out tools. Since May 2026 Ontario also has a central option. BetGuard, launched by iGaming Ontario, lets anyone 19 or older opt out of every website in the regulated Ontario market, OLG's included, through one portal at BetGuard.ca, for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term. Once you opt out you cannot use existing accounts or open new ones, and operators must not send you direct marketing. BetGuard covers online play only, and like any Ontario exclusion it does not reach offshore casinos, so if you want to stop gambling altogether, add blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker and talk to ConnexOntario about support.
If something goes wrong
Raise the problem with the operator first, in writing, and keep copies. If it is not resolved, you can bring the issue to the AGCO, which regulates operators in the market. Keep your account history, emails and any chat transcripts. None of this is available for offshore sites, which is a large part of why we only show Ontario visitors registered operators.
How Ontario compares with Alberta
Alberta copied much of Ontario's structure when it opened its market on July 13, 2026: a regulator that registers operators (the AGLC) and a provincial corporation that conducts and manages the market and contracts with them (the Alberta iGaming Corporation). Alberta's legal age is 18 rather than 19, and its market is newer, so the list of registered brands is still growing.
Payment and payout expectations
Regulated operators publish their own processing times. Because identity is verified at sign-up, the main variables are the operator's review process and your payment method. If a regulated operator holds a withdrawal for longer than its published time without explanation, that is worth raising with the operator and, if unresolved, the AGCO.
Sources
- https://www.agco.ca/en/lottery-and-gaming/frequently-asked-questions-internet-gaming
- https://www.agco.ca/en/lottery-and-gaming/list-registered-internet-gaming-operators
- https://wildlaw.ca/legal-updates/igo-is-going-solo-changes-coming-to-ontarios-igaming-industry-in-2025
- https://www.torys.com/en/our-latest-thinking/publications/2025/11/cross-border-betting-and-gaming-for-on
- https://www.covers.com/industry/ontario-ottawa-supreme-court-hearing-igaming-international-plan-reference-october-2026
- https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-207.html
- https://www.connexontario.ca/en-ca/
- https://www.alberta.ca/albertas-igaming-strategy
- https://igamingontario.ca/en/news/betguard-centralized-self-exclusion-ontario-igaming
- https://igamingontario.ca/en/news/ipsos-channelization-study-year-4-results