Canadian province Ontario stands out as one of North America's key regions for gambling activities.
Ontario Takes the Top Spot in North America's iGaming Race 🏆
In just three flying years, Ontario has soared to the forefront of North America's online gambling scene, giving stiff competition to big U.S. states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. With billions in revenue and fierce competition among private operators, Ontario's model is scoring big with both players and industry heavyweights. Let's dive into how Ontario became a digital gambling Titan - and what's next for this dynamic market.
The Ontario Online Gambling Racing to the Top 🥇
Ontario unleashed its regulated iGaming market in April 2022, shaking up the industry. Before then, gambling in Canada was dominated by government monopolies and unregulated offshore sites.
Inviting private operators proved to be a game-changer. By early 2025, Ontario reported a staggering USD $5.22 billion in iGaming revenue - second only to Michigan among North American jurisdictions with legal online casinos and sports betting.
Impressively, this figure doesn't include revenue from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which historically contributes around 20% of the province's gambling income. If OLG numbers are added, Ontario might even overtake Michigan as the continent's top regulated market.
Casino Gaming Fuels Ontario's Success 🎰
While sports betting gets all the glory, online casino gaming is the real money-maker in Ontario.
In fiscal year 2024-2025, Ontario's gross gaming revenue reached CA$3.2 billion, up an impressive 32% year-over-year. Online casino games contributed a whopping CA$2.4 billion, a 36% increase from the previous year. Sports and novelty betting generated CA$724 million, while peer-to-peer poker added a mere CA$66 million.
Players wagered a mind-boggling CA$69.6 billion on casino games, completely dwarfing the CA$11.4 billion bet on sports and the CA$1.7 billion wagered on poker. Ontario's final fiscal quarter (ending March 2025) set a new record:
- CA$903 million in revenue
- CA$22.9 billion in total wagers
BetMGM Takes the Lead in a Cutthroat Arena 🏆
Ontario's regulatory model encourages fierce competition. As of early 2025, the province hosts a total of 49 licensed operators running 84 gaming websites.
BetMGM has emerged as the market leader. CEO Adam Greenblatt announced at the Canadian Gaming Business conference that BetMGM expanded its market share in Ontario in Q1 2025. Previously, at the 2024 SBC Summit North America, Greenblatt noted BetMGM's 22% market share across casino and sports betting.
This leadership demonstrates the strength of BetMGM's brand - but also the intense competition pushing all operators to innovate.
Ontario vs the Rest of Canada 🏆
Ontario's open-market model has left other Canadian provinces in the dust.
- British Columbia still runs under a government monopoly, projecting a mere CA$470 million in 2024-25 revenue.
- Alberta expects a puny CA$235 million.
- Quebec, despite reporting a whopping CA$2.9 billion in total gambling revenue, includes land-based casinos and lotteries, not just online gaming.
Ontario's strategy of inviting private operators has clearly paid off.
As Heidi Reinhart, Chair of iGaming Ontario, put it: "These results show Ontario is home to a truly dynamic iGaming market with a strong roster of operators and a world-class list of games available for players."
The Struggle with Illegal Gambling 🚫
Despite strong regulation, Ontario faces the stubborn issue of illegal and unregulated gambling sites.
An IPSOS study commissioned by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) revealed:
- 83.7% of players used licensed sites in 2025.
- 16.3% of players still gambled exclusively on unregulated platforms, up from 13.6% the year before.
- 20.2% of players using regulated platforms also placed bets on illegal sites.
This suggests that the grey and black markets remain dug in.
The AGCO acknowledged: "A notable amount of gaming continues to occur on unregulated sites. Those players are therefore not safeguarded by Ontario's high standards of game integrity and player protections."
To combat this, the AGCO has ramped up enforcement, but critics say progress is slow.
The Future of Ontario's Digital Gambling Empire 🌐
As Ontario enters its fourth year of regulated online gambling, the market shows no signs of slowing down.
The province's success offers a blueprint for other Canadian regions, especially Alberta, which is exploring regulatory reform to open its gambling sector.
According to Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association: "Given the strong revenue numbers for the year, it's clear Ontarians prefer operators in the regulated marketplace."
Ontario has become a powerhouse in North America's online gambling industry. Its open-market model, driven by strong regulation, competitive operators, and player trust, has propelled it to the top.
While challenges like illegal gambling remain, Ontario's progress stands as a testament to the potential of well-regulated, competitive iGaming markets.
For other provinces - and even U.S. states - Ontario offers a case study in how to balance innovation, revenue growth, and consumer protection.
As the province moves forward, expect even more expansion, innovation, and leadership in the digital gambling space.
- Online gambling in Ontario has significantly grown, with a staggering $7.64 billion ($5.22 billion + OLG's estimated 20% contribution) in revenue reported in just three years since the market's opening in April 2022.
- In fiscal year 2024-2025, online casino games generated an impressive $2.4 billion in revenue for Ontario, a significant increase from the previous year and the main contributor to the province's gambling income.
- BetMGM, a major online casino and sports betting operator, has emerged as the market leader in Ontario, achieving a 22% market share across casino and sports betting.
- Despite strong regulation, Ontario faces challenges with illegal and unregulated gambling sites, as revealed by an IPSOS study that showed 20.2% of players using regulated platforms also placed bets on illegal sites.
