Another European iGaming operator has stopped taking bets in Ontario’s intensely competitive regulated market.
Effective this month, Wildz Group (formerly known as Rootz) ceased doing B2C business in the province. The company sent an email to its customers several weeks ago and its website has noted since September that it no longer accepts new Ontarian sign-ups.
The company’s CEO confirmed the withdrawal in a statement to Canadian Gaming Business.
“We are ceasing to operate our B2C operations in Ontario as of October 2025,” said CEO Sam Brown. “Instead, we are actively seeking opportunities to leverage our proprietary technology and our B2B license in Ontario going forward.”
No further reasoning for the move was provided, but it’s clear that Wildz intends to retain a presence in the province via an altered approach.
Wildz had put down Rootz
Malta-based Wildz had operated four licensed online casino brands in Ontario since receiving its Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) license and going live under the Rootz name in early 2023. Then-CEO Lasse Rantala said Ontario was an important market for the company as it sought to grow in North America.
Its Wildz, Wheelz, Caxino and Spinz brands all ran off the company’s proprietary platform with a single account structure and virtual wallet, offering a range of casino games from online slots to live casino. It added a sportsbook to its offering late in 2024 through a collaboration with Altenar in an upgrade that also included 24/7 live streaming, live chat and podcasts.
Wildz also operates Chipz and Tuplaus in other markets outside Ontario.
In July of this year, the company rebranded as Wildz Group, leaning on its foremost brand as it looked to grow further across its markets in Europe and elsewhere. At the time, it suggested it plans to introduce additional brands before the end of the year and in the future.
A market constantly evolving
While Wildz is not leaving Ontario altogether, it is the latest operator to step out of the province’s deep and crowded pool.
British sportsbook Fitzdares shut down its iGaming operations in Ontario in March after two years, with its country manager for Canada citing a “prohibitive” cost of doing business. A few other gaming operators have packed up and left the province since it began letting licensed sportsbooks and online casinos do business in April 2022, including Coolbet and Kindred’s Unibet.
On the other hand, new platforms keep joining the fray.
DraftKings-owned Golden Nugget Online Casino was a major entrant to the market this August, and at least three others — High Roller Technologies’ eponymous flagship brand, nascent operator absolutebet and Goldrush Gaming-run Bet Nova — are known to be hoping to soon go live.
As of Oct. 23, 50 regulated iGaming platforms are operational in Ontario’s market, running a total of 88 iGaming sites, although that total includes Wildz’s soon-to-depart four platforms. Those half-century of companies compete with Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) for players’ time and dollars.
