Ontario iGaming Nears C$10 Billion as Competitive Model Gains Steam

Ontario’s strictly regulated iGaming market continues to grow at a blistering pace this summer, with players wagering a record C$9.88 billion in July as the province’s experiment with competitive online gaming gains further momentum.

This month’s numbers represent a 31% increase Year-over-Year (YOY) and nearly C$300 million more than the previous record set in March. Non-Adjusted Gross Gaming Revenue (NAGGR) reached C$413 million - a 33% YOY increase and the second-highest monthly total since Ontario opened its market to private operators in April 2022.

Explosive Growth in Active Player Accounts

Beyond total revenue, active monthly player accounts saw substantial expansion:

• 1.36 million active accounts in July (up 44% YOY).

• C$303 Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA), down roughly 7% YOY.

While one individual can open accounts across multiple platforms, adding over 400,000 active accounts in a single year demonstrates broad market growth rather than simply extracting more spend from existing users. Crucially, these players are increasingly choosing taxed and regulated platforms over unregulated alternatives.

Ontario Reaches 91% Channelization

A recent Ipsos study commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) revealed that 91% of Ontarians who gambled online in the previous three months did so on a regulated site. Channelization - the rate at which a market successfully directs players to licensed operators - is up sharply from 83% a year ago.

These results are especially striking given Ontario's strict advertising rules:

• Public advertising of sign-up bonuses is strictly prohibited.

• Athletes and celebrities are restricted from pitching gambling products.

Ontario's open framework allowed former grey-market platforms to transition into licensed entities alongside seasoned international operators. The province now boasts more than 83 gaming websites operated by 48 distinct vendor groups.

This success is reshaping digital gaming policy across Canada. Before Alberta launched its open market in July—modeled closely after Ontario—an Ipsos study showed only 22% of Alberta's online gamblers used the sole state-run option, PlayAlberta, while over 75% turned to offshore sites. Alberta aims to reach 70% channelization within its first year under its new framework.

Giving players full access to a diverse ecosystem that features the best online casinos in Ontario remains the most effective strategy for legal operators competing against offshore rivals.

Online Casino Sector Races to Another Record

Online casino games continue to dominate Ontario's iGaming landscape over sports betting:

• C$8.78 billion total handle in July (+30% YOY).

• C$330 million NAGGR, representing roughly 80% of total provincial iGaming revenue.

Demonstrating confidence in further market expansion, Hard Rock Bet officially entered Ontario on July 22. Marking its first international expansion, Hard Rock launched an app featuring over 3,000 games and a full-featured sportsbook. As the operator of the physical Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, the company can leverage its Unity loyalty program to build a true omnichannel experience for local players.

Is a Provincial Monopoly Really Better Regulation?

Not everyone agrees that an open, competitive market is the ideal path. British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) Chair Greg Moore has criticized Alberta's shift toward the Ontario framework, arguing that Crown-owned monopolies keep gambling revenue in Canada and return a higher percentage of profits to provincial coffers.

While government monopolies do return a larger slice of captured revenue to the province, the underlying challenge remains market capture:

• A 2025 Ipsos report found that only 39% of online gamblers in British Columbia used the province's PlayNow.com site.

• Over 60% of BC gamblers chose unregulated offshore sites over the BCLC platform.

By contrast, Ontario’s 91% channelization rate demonstrates significantly stronger consumer reach. Furthermore, regulation extends beyond tax collection: players who remain on offshore platforms face dubious deposit offers, aggressive marketing, and withdrawal disputes with zero regulatory oversight or recourse.

A Crown monopoly may return more per captured dollar to government funds, but Ontario’s open model proves that bringing more overall dollars - and players - into a regulated framework ultimately delivers superior consumer protection and long-term value.