Evaluating Ontario’s online gambling sector on its fourth birthday
On Saturday, the still-robust market will celebrate a (mostly) successful four years. The Alberta market will open July 13 and the B.C. government announces additional support for problem gamblers.
Four years in, Ontario’s open online gambling market has, for the most part, been a success.
This Saturday (April 4) will mark the fourth anniversary of the launch, and in that time, the regulated sector has produced total gambling revenue of just under $11 billion and total tax revenue of nearly $2.2 billion.
Those figures do not count the March 2026 numbers, which have yet to be released, nor revenue from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)’s online platform. OLG reports separately, and we only have its figures through March 31, 2025. Though, as we previously reported, the corp saw total revenue of $1.544 billion from its online sports betting and casino operations from April 2022 through March 31, 2025.
Add that to the private operators’ take, and the Ontario online gambling sector has produced revenue well north of $12.5 billion.
Each year has been better than the last in terms of revenue. That’s driven mostly by online casinos, which dominate the market and have made it possible for a long list of operators, from small to large, to survive in the space. At last count, iGaming Ontario (iGO) reported there are 47 operators offering 81 different gambling sites. That’s only down a handful of sites since launch, which is truly incredible.
In terms of growth, total revenue grew 72.5% from the first to the second year, 32% in the third year and is up 20.5% through the first 11 months of the fourth year.
Online casino revenue grew 89.5%, 36% and 25.7%, respectively, from years two through four, with the March 2026 numbers still to come in. But unlike sports betting and online poker, which have shown modest growth, the graph for online casino revenue (in blue) looks more like a solid slope.
The Ontario government is also predicting that steady growth will continue. As Geoff Zochodne of Covers reported on X, the provincial budget is forecasting the province’s share of iGO revenue will increase by 12% in the next year.
So, while the growth is slowing, that’s to be expected as the market matures.
Also, Ontario has struck a nice balance between a truly open market and strong regulation. Look no further than there being no cap on the number of operators and the fact iGO has banned the promotion of bonuses and other inducements and restricted the use of celebrity endorsements in everything except responsible gambling messaging.
It’s also nice that Ontario’s regulated market doesn’t currently face much competition from prediction markets, which have upended online gambling in the U.S.
All of that makes Ontario one of the most successful gambling markets in North America, if not globally. That written, there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
Four years in, there’s still no centralized self-exclusion system. Word is one is coming one day, but it’s already taken way too long. The government gets a huge failing grade on that one.
Also, Ontario is woefully short on transparency when it comes to how much it is allocating to problem and responsible gambling initiatives. If the province is steering a significant portion of that tax revenue to problem gambling and other mental health programs, it should be trumpeting that at every opportunity. Of, perhaps, the money is flowing elsewhere. We simply don’t know. Maybe, just maybe, Stan Cho, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming will shed some light on the funding piece tomorrow morning when he presents a new impact report on Ontario’s Responsible Internet Gambling Fund at a news conference which will also include representatives from the Responsible Gambling Council.
More needs to be done to tackle the tsunami of fake online casino ads on social media, preying on uneducated consumers.
It would also be nice if more were also being done to educate the public on the difference between the regulated and unregulated sectors.
Finally, while it’s great that iGO now releases monthly data compared to the days when it only released scant information quarterly, it’s still long overdue for iGO to release operator-specific data so we can gauge their relative health.
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Alberta gives the green light for July 13 launch
Well, ladies and germs, Alberta is speeding along in Connor McDavid-like fashion to raise the curtain on an open, competitive and regulated sports betting and online gaming market.
In a letter from the office of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally to industry stakeholders on Monday - and obtained yesterday by Gaming News Canada - the province will launch the expanded legal gaming industry on Monday, July 13. As Dave Briggs chronicled in last week’s dispatch, the launch will take place the day after the conclusion of the Calgary Stampede. (It’s pretty much a guarantee there’ll be a run on operator-branded cowboy hats and shirts in early July.)
From the letter:
As Covers guy Geoff Zochodne reported last week and reminded folks yesterday, Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis let interested operators know last month they have until July 13 to put an end to any “unregulated” activity and pony up on the licensing fees. The regulator also said extensions of up to three months from that date could be granted (until October 13) but only for operators that could “demonstrate a path to compliance for market launch that was unattainable prior to July 13, 2026)”.
Gaming News Canada reached out to the Canadian Gaming Association for reaction to the minister’s letter, and we received this statement:
On behalf of the board of directors and members, the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) extends congratulations to the Government of Alberta, AGLC, AiGC, and the Honourable Dale Nally on announcing the launch date for Alberta’s igaming market, scheduled for July 13, 2026.
We commend your commitment to prioritizing player protection and implementing robust regulatory standards to ensure a safe market environment. The CGA encourages operators interested in applying for a licence in Alberta to initiate contact promptly, as the registration deadline is also July 13, 2026.
As of March 20, 14 operators had indicated their interest in joining AGLC as legal operators in the western Canada province, according to Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business.
Caesars made it a neat and tidy 15 last week, and we expect the number to continue growing. We found this on the AGLC website before hitting the Publish button this morning:
We are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries related to Alberta’s iGaming market. To ensure efficient processing, priority will be given to organizations that have initiated the registration process and paid the required fees.
We are trying to wrap our wee little mind around the province’s rush to raise the curtain. When Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey’s office announced in July 2021 the creation of iGaming Ontario to conduct and manage the province’s new sports betting and igaming market, a news release pointed to a December 2021 launch. That was pushed to April 2022 and in hindsight, that was a tad ambitious given the early bumps in the road around bonuses, advertising, technology/data shortcomings and the lack of a centralized self-exclusion program.
iGO’s western brethren, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, continues to be led by an interim CEO and is still building out its staff (we learned via LinkedIn yesterday that Steve Inglis is leaving PointsBet Canada and his role as Head of Legal and Human Resources to join AiGC as General Counsel so tick that one off Dan Keene’s To Do list). It’s worth noting that in Finland its monopoly gambling market is being replaced by an open model that is scheduled to launch in July 2027.
B.C. government unveils 24/7 service model for problem gambling
The provincial government in British Columbia is giving its Gambling Support BC program a makeover that includes a new integrated 24/7 service model to “make it quicker and easier for people to access gambling supports”.
The province, through a partnership with Telus Health, will update the program to tie together the current 24/7 gambling support line and clinical counselling services into one system. People will now be able to speak with trained professionals without an appointment and services will be available free of charge and in multiple languages.
“The evolving nature of the gaming industry, such as the growth of online gambling, means we need to change the way gambling supports are provided,” Nina Krieger, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, said in a news release. “The new service-delivery model will make accessing supports easier and more responsive for British Columbians in the moments when they need it most.”
The province also announced it’s doing more around Gambling Support BC’s Indigenous-focused program by “improving funding flexibility and enabling community-driven service design, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, with a focus on mental health and substance use. These changes support culturally grounded, self-determined approaches to care for Indigenous communities”.
And the province has commissioned Leger to conduct a gambling-prevalance study to identify trends related to gambling harms involving B.C. residents. That study has already begun and the results are expected to be made public this spring.
The annual gathering of the Canadian gaming industry in our home and native land has a new name, but is bringing back the best and the brightest minds for the SBC Summit Canada.
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is once again the site for the 2026 summit, to take place May 19-21. Register today using the PARLEHPARTNERVIP code and receive a 40% discount on your VIP pass.
Sportradar senior VP Sophie Thomas joins the Gaming News Canada Show
On a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming, host Steve McAllister covered a wide range of topics with the Senior Vice President of Group Operations at Sportradar, Sophie Thomas.
Thomas, who first joined the ever-evolving sports and gaming technology business more than 13 years ago as the head of snooker operations, talked about the changes which have taken place with her role and the operations at Sportradar. Over the past five months that has included the acquisition of IMG Arena, the hiring of former Playtech Live CEO Edo Haitin to lead ‘Radar’s igaming business, the launch last month of Playradar, and an extension of its partnership with Hard Rock Bet in the U.S. of A.
The conversation also included a look at the opportunities for the sports betting industry around this summer’s FIFA World Cup men’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
You can listen to the podcast here or watch it on our YouTube channel.
People on the Move
Some change at the top of Gambling.com Group with co-founder Charles Gillespie stepping down as CEO and becoming Executive Chairman. Co-founder and COO Kevin McCrystle moves into the CEO post.
After 11 years, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Lee is leaving Quantum.
John Bowden departs his CMO role with PlayStar to join Rush Street Interactive as Senior VP, Revenue Operations.
K K Giam is the new CEO for BC.Game.
Paul Dinning, Bede Gaming’s former Chief Operating Officer, announces his retirement. . . for now.
Palms Casino Resort promotes Crystal Robinson-Wesley to Vice President of Marketing and Entertainment.
Lucia Mourino has a new role at SBC as Vice President, Relationships – Americas.
Jordan Maynard is reappointed as Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Richard Walker is appointed Head of Casino at Brain Rocket.
After 18 and a half years, most recently as B2B Partnership Director, Matthew Natoli is leaving Betsson Group.
Eddie Shin is named Director, Digital Sports Strategy & Innovation at OLG.
Shane Vincenzi departs BCLC and his Senior Manager, Indigenous Relations role to join Shuswap Nation Tribal Council as Tribal Director.
At FanDuel, Tahia Afroze is promoted to Director, Commercial & Retention Strategy. Nate Hobbs has a new role at a Growth Manager and Maggie DeLuca joins FD as a Brand Manager. Alyssa Patterson is promoted to Internal Audit Senior Manager.
Maria Agius leaves PressEnter Group to join Bet99 as Senior RG Analyst.
PENN Entertainment appoints Megan Yuknus as Senior Treasury Analyst.
BetMGM’s Canadian office promotes Alistair Kearns to Regional Manager, VIP. Nick Constantino is promoted to Manager, CRM Sports and Lauren Peterpaul is named Art Director and Jake Hernick comes aboard as a Sports Social Media Content Creator.
Genius Sports promote Gillie Beckett to Senior Talent Acquisition Partner.
Phillippa Kelly is now Senior Strategic Planning Manager at Flutter.
Jordan Cicchelli, formerly of the Canadian Football League and TSN, is named Manager, Social Media at Hard Rock Digital.
Bronwen Gregg has a new gig at Insight Global: Account Director, Hospitality & Entertainment.
After almost five years, most recently as Growth Marketing Specialist, Sophie Lu leaves DraftKings to become a Performance Media Manager at Cirkul.
Aaron St. Pierre rejoins DraftKings as a Trading Manager. Buddy Triplett takes his leave as a Product Manager. Robert Giles, ex of Hollywood Casino at Greektown, is named VIP New Business Specialist. Jake Banks is appointed Manager, VIP Strategic Initiatives.
Victoria Baker leaves GBG Plc and her role as Sales Manager – New Business & VAPS.
After almost nine years, most recently as Performance General Manager, Kimberly Yuhl bids adieu to Catena Media to join NEXT.io as Director of Media.
Alexander Hernandez is now a Promotion Strategy Manager at Caesars Sportsbook & Casino.
Kimber Fargher has a new title at Games Global: Games Strategy Team Manager.
Kaizen Gaming promotes Chris Psaras to Senior In-Play Trader.
Luke Webster is promoted to Senior Digital Content Producer at Kambi.
Bethany Karantonis joins the Programming Strategy/Audience Engagement team at BetMGM.
Elisabeth Galina comes on board at Casino.org as a Content Manager.
Paige Kozlowski, ex of Delaware North and the Boston Bruins/TD Garden, is the new Director, Partnership Insights at Legends Global.
Former Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri is named Principal Owner of the WNBA Toronto Tempo.
Michael White is the new President of Business Operations for the NHL Florida Panthers.
At Delatre, Andrea Marini is stepping down as CEO and becomes Deputy Chair. Former DAZN Chief Commercial Officer Marc Watson replaces Marini as CEO.
After 15 years, Francois Robert is bidding adieu to the Canadian Paralympic Committee and his role as Chief Commercial Officer.
John Griffin, who announced last week he’s leaving the Toronto Blue Jays after two decades, is appointed Vice President, Global Partnerships at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Micaela Maxwell is named Senior Manager, Marketing Operations for those same Jays.
Tim Webb bids adieu to Rogers Sports & Media as Director, National Sales.
Bridget Sands is promoted by MLB HQ to Senior Analyst, Content Analytics.
Kaitlin Prestegaard is named Manager, Club Business Development at NFL HQ.
Former TSNer Cory Woron is promoted to Director, PR & Communications at Ontario Soccer.
Sabrina Khan joins The GIST as a Product Marketing Manager.
The Parleh is operating in Alberta ahead of the province’s expected regulated market launch this summer, offering full service branded content production for operators and their partners.
Our focus is on delivering high-quality, scalable creative through a turnkey model that includes concepting, talent, on-location shoots, and post-production. By establishing production capabilities in Alberta now, we enable brands to develop and bank market-ready content in advance, ensuring they can move quickly and effectively once the province’s regulated industry is open for business.
For more information on The Parleh, email Kevin Kennedy at kevin@theparleh.com.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
iGaming Ontario is on the lookout for a Director, Player Programs.
Bet99 is in hiring mode for an Enhanced Due Diligence Associate and for an Associate Lawyer.
In Toronto, BetMGM is seeking a CRM Manager – Sportsbook Promotions.
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority is on the lookout for a Manager, Customer Relations Management – Marketing Technology.
NeoPollard Interactive has a position available in Edmonton for a Junior QA Analyst.
Incline Gaming is on the lookout for a UX/UI Designer.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is searching for its next Chief Commercial & Impact Officer.
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is on the lookout for a Vice President, Administration.
Lacrosse Canada is in need of an Executive Director.
The PWHL is on the hunt for a Senior Graphic Designer and a Project Manager, Creative Services.
Tennis Canada is hiring for its Toronto offices a Manager, Communications and in Montreal there’s an opportunity for an Organizational Communications Advisor.
Red Bull has a contract position available for a Content Programmer.
CCM Hockey is seeking a Specialist, Go-To-Market.
South of the Border
In New York, FanDuel is hiring a Commercial Senior Director, Performance & Insights, Prediction Markets.
Fanatics has an opening for a Director, Integrated Marketing (Fanatics Casino).
Hard Rock Digital is searching for a Senior Analyst – AML, a Trader – Sportsbook, a Senior Manager - Sportsbook CRM Analytics and a Senior Manager – Casino CRM Analytics.
Derby City Gaming & Hotel in Louisville is looking for a Senior Director, Marketing.
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation is hiring a Director of Digital Gaming & Sports Betting.
DraftKings is seeking an Account Management Partner, Brand Partnerships.
Sega of America is on the hunt for a Director, Influencer Marketing.
VSiN is hiring a part-time Associate Producer.
SportsDataIO is looking for a Business Development Representative.
Interactive entertainment company VGW requires a Government Relations Coordinator.
Fox Sports has an opening in Los Angeles for a Senior Producer, Digital Talent Production & Storytelling.
Apple has an opportunity in New York for a Club Marketing Lead, Friday Night Baseball and for a Sports Business Operations Lead.
NFL HQ is looking for a Manager, Global Sponsorship, New Business Development.
Front Office Sports is seeking a Producer, Branded Content.
Wanted at Red Bull: a Manager, Brand & Partnerships.
U.S. Figure Skating is in the market for a Senior Manager, Communications.
Bauer has an opening for its Summer 2026 Apparel Designer Internship.
Across the Ponds
Oddin.gg is seeking a Strategy Associate to the Co-Founder, Realms Group and a Director, Fast Betting Content.
In Ireland, Novibet is hiring a Marketing Operations Executive.
Genius Sports has an opening in London for a Business Development Manager - EMEA - Sportsbook.
The International Betting Integrity Association is looking for an Integrity Analyst to join its operations team.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency has need of a Project Manager.
Betby is searching for a Product Designer, Sportsbook.
Legend has an opportunity in Malta for an Account Manager.
SiGMA World is looking for a CRM Operations Manager.
HEROIC has some spots to fill on its Social Media team.
An intriguing opportunity with the LEGO Group, which is looking for a Senior Director, Head of Sports and Teens.
Reading and Reflection
Salim Valji of CBC News is reporting this morning on concerns by experts around the Alberta separatism issue appearing on Kalshi and Polymarket.
TheScore this week released its latest bit of advertising around its partnership with your American League-champion Toronto Blue Jays (if you watched any of the Jays’ season-opening sweep of the A’s on the weekend, you most likely saw theScore’s promotion of its intent to do business in Alberta):
The Globe and Mail ran an op-ed by a fellow with the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project on prediction markets coming to our home and native land. The newspaper’s Opinion editor also weighed in.
Geoff Zochodne did some reportage on the prediction markets/Canada matter.
Speaking of the Covers guy, he has some information for Alberta bettors making futures wagers.
Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business has the deets on Great Canadian Entertainment’s latest sale of a B.C.-based casino.
The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, via the LinkedIn, teed up a column by Philippe Mercure of La Presse on the online gaming landscape in La Belle Province.
Mark Keast, tinkling the keyboard for Casino.org, reported last week a decrease in win totals for your Toronto Blue Jays this season.
News at the crack of dawn yesterday that Betty has brought on Swedish game development company Gaming Corps as a partner for its Ontario business.
PBS’s Breaking the Deadlock: Gambling With Your Life special is getting stick taps for providing some balance on the issue of sports betting.
Reporting of the rather diligent sort by Zak Thomas-Akoo of NEXT.io revealed yesterday Evoke’s decision to close the door on some 200 William Hill sportsbook shops.
Some serious food for thought from Sportico’s Michael McCann on some possible implications for sports betting operators from the recent court ruling involving Meta and YouTube. And another thought or three on said ruling.
McCann also explained how DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics won a lawsuit over a very, very old gambling law.
The co-founder and executive director of the Center for Addiction Science, Policy and Research did the Q and A thing with Gambling Insider journo Robyn McNeil.
Bloomberg columnist Adam Minter wrote about the potential loss of tax revenue by U.S. states from the influx of prediction markets.
The Governor of New York has a plan to prevent underage sports betting.
According to a new study, university students in the UK who place a bet are losing $90 weekly, more than double from a year ago.
A new documentary on regulated sports betting in North Carolina attempted to figure out where the money goes.
The National Football League had a(nother) message for the owners of prediction markets to kick off the week.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has imposed a six-figure fine on BetMGM for KYC violations.
FanDuel TV has begun the process of shutting down its shop.
Liberty Street Economics took a look at the expansion of legal sports wagering.
Erik Gibbs of NEXT.io covered the announcement by the CFTC to create an innovation task force on crypto, AI and prediction markets.
Novig boss Jacob Fortinsky did the Q and A thing with Bill Speros of Bookies.com.
In The Closing Line, Dustin Gouker shone a light on DraftKings’ new online sports betting product.
A study in Australia looked at how marketing and PR by the gambling industry is increasingly aimed towards women.
Defector.com ran a first-person piece from an anonymous contributor explaining their decision to leave the gambling industry.
Finally, the aforementioned Gouker was joined by former NBA player and sports agent Anita Ondine Smith to talk about gambling addiction on The Closing Line Podcast.
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