Ontario's iGaming Model Under Scrutiny
Is Ontario's regulated iGaming market a runaway success or a social menace? The answer depends on who you ask. The province's open iGaming market, which launched in April 2022, is facing renewed debate as industry leaders and former politicians clash over its structure and social impact. The market now includes 48 licensed operators running 82 gaming sites, a rapid expansion that former NDP MP Brian Masse recently termed 'deplorable' in comments to the CBC.
Masse argued that the 'full throttle' launch should have been a more measured implementation overseen by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. But Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President & CEO Paul Burns is defending the province's approach, pointing to verifiable data as proof of its success.
"Ontario is quite clear that when they entered into online gaming, they laid out their objectives beforehand... It was about greater consumer protection, which they clearly have succeeded at, probably setting the best regulatory regime in North America, if not the world, and for player protection.", Paul Burns, President & CEO, Canadian Gaming Association
The Black Market Battle for Players
The central argument for the success of Ontario iGaming, according to Burns, is its effectiveness at shrinking the unregulated black market. Before the regulated framework, nearly all online play happened on offshore sites with few, if any, consumer protections.
Today, the situation has reversed. Burns stated that player activity overwhelmingly favors licensed operators, which include a mix of international brands and platforms like Stake US.
"Eighty-six per cent of the play happening (in Ontario) is outside of the black market. That's not the case in the rest of Canada.", Paul Burns
This statistic (86%) is the cornerstone of the CGA's position. The argument is that a competitive, open market with variety is the only effective tool to convince players to leave illegal sites behind. Without a regulated and attractive alternative, players often remain in the grey market, which poses greater risks.
The Fight Over Advertising
A major point of friction is the volume of gaming-related advertising. Brian Masse is a vocal supporter of a national bill aimed at restricting sports betting ads, reflecting a concern shared by some segments of the public about ad saturation.
Burns, however, argues that this focus is misplaced. He contends that a blanket ban on advertising from licensed, regulated operators would inadvertently help the very black market sites the province is trying to eliminate. They would continue to advertise illegally with no competition.
Instead, the CGA is pushing for a different solution.
"Another focus, Burns added, should be an amendment to the Criminal Code to better protect the market against illegal operators advertising on social media platforms."
This shifts the debate from penalizing legal operators like SpinQuest or Sportzino to modernizing federal law to combat illegal entities that don't follow any rules. It's a question of where regulators should point their enforcement efforts.
What This Means for Canada's iGaming Future
The debate over the Ontario iGaming model isn't just academic. With Alberta preparing to launch its own regulated market on July 13 and other provinces watching closely, Ontario's experience serves as a crucial test case.
The core questions being debated will likely shape policy across the country. Will other provinces adopt Ontario's open, multi-operator framework, or will they opt for a more restricted, government-led model? The outcome of the advertising debate could also set a precedent for how legal gaming sites can communicate with players nationwide.
For now, the Ontario market continues to operate as one of the largest regulated online gaming jurisdictions in North America, with its performance data serving as the main battlefield for supporters and critics.
