Ontario’s iGaming Market Sees Revenue Reach New High in January

Ontario’s iGaming market's non-adjusted gross gaming revenue (NAGGR) rose 22.2% year-on-year in January, to $401.5 million, up from $329 million last year, driven by 48 commercial operators. The market additionally saw growth in its number of cash wagers, active player accounts, and average revenue per active player account. 

Cash wagers saw similar results to the gaming revenue, rising 21.4% year-on-year from $7.8 billion to $9.5 billion, an all-time high for the province. 

As Canada’s only open iGaming market, the Ontario sports betting and Ontario online casinos markets also saw the number of active player accounts rise year-on-year by 19.9% from 1,106 to 1,326, with average revenue per player rising by 2% from $297 to $303. 

The product category that generated the most significant cash wagers was online casinos, totaling $8.2 billion, accounting for 86% of the market share and increasing 25.6% year-on-year from $6.5 billion. 

Online betting saw cash wagers decline by 0.3% year-on-year, generating $1.2 billion and accounting for 12% of the total market, while peer-to-peer poker saw a 6.8% increase from $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion, 2% of the total market. 

NAGGR for two categories rose year-on-year in January, with online casinos increasing by 3.8% from $231 million to $209 million, accounting for 77% of the market share. Additionally, poker NAGGR rose 5.4% from $5.6 million to $5.9 million, 1% of the market. 

However, online getting saw a 5.3% decrease from $92 million to $87 million, accounting for 22% of the market share. 

Alberta prepares for iGaming launch

As Ontario sees iGaming revenue rise year-on-year, another province is preparing for its iGaming launch, expected later this year through a new responsible gaming partnership. 

The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), the province’s new iGaming regulator, has partnered with the Responsible Gaming Council (RGC), a responsible gaming non-profit. The collaboration will see the RGC’s responsible gambling accreditation tool, RG Check, become a mandatory approval system for all iGaming regulators seeking to operate in Alberta. 

The AiGC said that the partnership highlights the regulator's commitment to providing Alberta residents with a safe Alberta sports betting and Alberta online casino markets, with responsible gambling measures as its top priority. 

"This partnership with AiGC demonstrates the power of regulators and responsible gambling experts working together to protect players from day one," said Sarah McCarthy, RGC CEO. "Alberta is building on a strong foundation established in Ontario, where RG Check has proven its value in creating safer gambling environments. This proactive approach ensures that player protection isn't an afterthought; it's built into the market from the ground up."

For operators who are looking to apply for a license in the province ahead of its launch, they must now achieve accreditation from the RGC and maintain it, with the AiGC and RGC working together to ensure compliance by operators in the market.