The first full quarter of regulated iGaming in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has generated revenue of 162 million Canadian dollars for the 18 operators that were granted licenses in this territory.
The Ontario market opened to private operators on 4 April, ending a long period in which only the state-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation was allowed to operate in the province.
The government of Ontario started the process of opening up the gambling market in April 2019, when it first announced its plans to end the monopoly that was held by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
In November 2020 legislation was introduced and then, in September 2021, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario published its regulatory standards for sports betting, including integrity rules and advertising standards.
Single-event sports betting became legal across Canada on August 27, 2021, and that was the final piece in the puzzle that was needed for Ontario to open its iGaming market to competitive private operators.