Over 85 per cent of players in Ontario are playing via legal operators, according to a study marking the two-year anniversary of the Canadian province’s igaming market.
A new IPSOS study released by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and co-commissioned by iGaming Ontario found that 86 per cent of players are being channelled towards legal routes.
Attorney General Doug Downey labelled the statistic “another pivotal milestone in our ongoing work to provide players and businesses with a strong, competitive and safer online gaming environment that meets consumer expectations.”
Ontario opened its doors to regulated igaming and sports betting in April 2022 and in its most recent revenue report, iGaming Ontario, which manages the market, said total Q3 2023-24 igaming revenue CA$658m translated to a 44 per cent increase year-on-year, up from $457m.
IGaming Ontario said in its latest update that the casino category, accounting for around 82 per cent of wagers, remains the biggest online gambling segment in the Canadian province in its second year of operations.
Of the range of online table games available, blackjack was the most popular, with over 25 per cent of wagers, combining live and computer-based versions of each offering.
IGaming Ontario added that the province’s overall online sports betting market falls within the top five in total wagers across North America, with basketball the most popular sport for bettors.
It said while peer-to-peer poker, worth CA$1.5bn in stakes this year, was the smallest of operators’ gaming segments, the five operators involved “have combined to make Ontario the largest ring-fenced online poker market by gaming revenue in North America, which is testament to the strong interest Ontarians have in the game.”
Heidi Reinhart, iGaming Ontario board chair, said: “When talking about Ontario’s igaming market, the numbers tell us a lot, but what I’m most proud of are the countless ways that our government partners, operators, responsible gambling experts, players and employees have worked together to help us create a world-class market that is Ontario-made for Ontarians.”
