Ontario currently leads Canada in developing a regulated online casino market with robust institutions to protect local players. As the country's first province to establish a competitive, regulated iGaming environment, Ontario has set a benchmark for transparency, player safety, and responsible gambling.


Learn more about the market as explained by Liam Blackley, an iGaming expert working with Casino.ca, and discover how Ontario’s approach is helping set the pace for other Canadian provinces exploring similar regulatory models.


CasinosAvenue: Hello Liam, thanks for talking with us. How about we start with a summary of your experience in iGaming, and your work with Casino.ca?


Liam: Absolutely. I’ve been working in the iGaming industry for several years. I’m based out of Toronto, Ontario, and was watching closely as the province’s regulated market was implemented in 2022. Since then I’ve covered the market’s growth and evolution for Casino.ca, a player-first gambling site that provides helpful guides and reviews for online casino players.


Apart from writing several dozen reviews myself, I’ve also written deep-dives into Canadian gambling legislation. Recently that’s meant a focus on Alberta as they also move towards a regulated market.


CasinosAvenue: So when we talk about Ontario’s regulated market, what does that mean? How is Ontario different from legal gambling options in other Canadian provinces?


Liam: Currently, online gambling is legal in all Canadian provinces, but most provinces only have a single legal gambling site. This site will be operated by a local lottery or gaming corporation, one of many crown corporations that oversee gambling in each province.


While this set-up guarantees all gambling revenue goes directly to the provincial government, it also means a smaller selection of casino games and casino features, like mobile apps. This has led to a “grey market” of offshore online casinos that accept Canadian players. These sites have no oversight and may employ predatory practices, aside from simply drawing revenue out of the country.


Ontario decided to crackdown on the grey market and set up several regulatory bodies to vet and license trustworthy online casinos. Nearly 50 operators running 80+ gambling sites are now legal in Ontario, beholden to provincial rules and legislation.


CasinosAvenue: Can you explain the structure of Ontario’s regulatory measures?


Liam: First, an online casino operator submits an application to Ontario iGaming, a subdivision of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). If the operator meets criteria for features like digital security, Know Your Customer (KYC) measures, fair odds, and responsible gambling tools, they are approved and licensed to operate within Ontario.


The operator must set-up an Ontario-facing version of their online casino site, complying with provincial regulations. Then Ontarians are allowed to register an account and wager at the casino as they like.


Licensed casinos act under the authority of the AGCO, which can inspect any online casino for fair practices and regulatory compliance. Players can also raise disputes to the AGCO who will intervene to resolve any issues between players and casinos.


Ontario has a few other quirks. Promotions and bonuses cannot be advertised, which also includes mentioning bonuses in a casino review. But online casino advertising in general is very widespread across the province. Sports betting is also incredibly popular in Ontario and many online casinos incorporate a sportsbook section.


CasinosAvenue: You said Alberta was also establishing a regulated market. Will it be similar to the Ontario market?


Liam: Yes, Alberta has openly stated they are modeling their iGaming market after Ontario. The market is set to go live on July 13th, with a number of casinos that already established themselves in Ontario expanding to Alberta. These platforms cannot accept deposits or wager until the launch date but allow players to pre-register an account.


Nearly 50 operators have already passed Alberta’s criteria and been granted a licence. Alberta’s goals with opening up the market to regulated operators are much the same as Ontario’s: eliminate the grey market, funnel revenue back into the province, and protect players by holding unsafe casinos accountable.


CasinosAvenue: Between Ontario and Alberta, it would be easy to assume other Canadian provinces will follow the same pattern and start licensing online casinos. Do you think this will be the case?


Liam: I wouldn’t be surprised if other parts of Canada adopted the Ontario model as well, but it won’t be anytime soon. The only other province considering a regulated iGaming market right now is Quebec, and political sentiment is leaning away from the Ontario model over concerns of rampant casino ads.


Other provinces, like British Columbia, have large demographics of gamblers. Yet these provinces are very resistant to the Ontario model and hold strong to their crown corporation online casinos.


It will take a gradual shift in regulatory philosophy to convince the rest of Canada to open its markets. The Canadian territories don’t even allow online casinos at all—the grey market is the only option up north. But Ontario has already ironed out enough wrinkles that Alberta wants to follow along, so perhaps with more time and experience Canada’s iGaming market will expand further.