Key Takeaways:
- Maverick Games is the latest Ontario iGaming operator to pull out of the province.
- Maverick follows other recent exits from the market, including Casumo and Rivalry.
- Meanwhile, Ontario keeps welcoming new market entrants, and many more are waiting to get the official green light.
As the regulated Ontario iGaming market nears its fifth birthday, new operators continue to queue up to enter the province, while others opt out.
The latest site to exit the market is Maverick Games, which stopped taking bets in the province in recent days.
“Maverick Games has permanently closed its online gaming platform in Ontario,” reads a notice on the company’s website. “Thank you for playing with us. In accordance with provincial regulations, all gaming, wagering, and deposits have ended.” The operator is processes payouts of outstanding balances or pending withdrawals.
Maverick Games was registered in Ontario as a brand operated by Shelgeyr Ontario Ltd., with its listed headquarters located in Waterloo, Ont.
The brand only launched Ontario iGaming last year after receiving a license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in May 2025. It offered a slate of online casino games and was one of several platforms that used Delasport’s sports betting technology.
Delasport VP of Business Development Rosaire Galea Cavallaro said at the time that Maverick was “a fantastic partner” for the sports betting provider and would thrive in the Ontario market.
Canadian Gaming Business reached out to Maverick Games seeking more information on the reasoning for its Ontario shutdown, but had not heard back at the time of publishing.
Maverick follows other Ontario iGaming exits
Maverick Games’ exit leaves the regulated Ontario iGaming market at 48 operators running a total of 83 licensed sites, as of Nov. 12. Those 48 operators compete with the government-run Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) platform.
Maverick follows other shutdowns in the province in the last 18 months or so, including:
- British sportsbook Fitzdares in March 2025
- The Wildz group of brands in October 2025
- Aristocrat Interactive’s white-labeled Betiton and MagicRed Casino in late 2025
- Toronto-based esports and betting platform Rivalry in February 2026
- Conquestador in April 2026
- Casumo in May 2026
Most of those brands left quietly without publicly offering reasons for their departure.
However, when Fitzdares left in spring 2025, its Country Manager of Canada told Canadian Gaming Business that “the cost of doing business was becoming prohibitive” in a crowded competitive market.
Meanwhile, operators big and small keep arriving
As some operators decide Ontario iGaming is not worth the time and resources, many others continue to line up outside the door, even four and a half years after the province first launched commercial online gambling on April 4, 2022.
Recent Ontario iGaming launches include a mixture of big-name U.S. brands, European sports giants, and lesser-known gaming sites, including:
The AGCO’s website shows there is a list of approved licensees waiting to launch Ontario iGaming, too. Ontario’s system means that a would-be operator must first apply for, pay for, and obtain approval for a license from the AGCO before signing an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario (iGO).
Since late September, several new operators have been approved by the AGCO, but are yet to actually launch Ontario iGaming, including:
- Betmaster
- Betsson Group’s BetSafe
- JackpotEh Casino
- Loonie Casino
- Stakemate
Others are waiting in the wings.
Stake, which is already live and taking bets in Alberta via Stake Canada, has had an application pending with the AGCO for more than 18 months, but expects a final decision soon. Stake has already received regulatory approval to launch in Alberta’s regulated iGaming market.
Popular United Kingdom-based gambling platform Midnite is also preparing to launch online sports betting and casino in regulated markets in Canada as its first international expansion outside of the UK and Ireland. It appointed former FanDuel Canada commercial director and ex-OLG director Dale Tang as its general manager of Canada in August.
There is no publicly confirmed timeline for Midnite’s Canadian launch.
