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Check out the nominee shortlist for SBC Awards Americas 2025

SBC has revealed the shortlist for SBC Awards Americas, taking place this May during SBC Summit Americas.

A hallmark of SBC events, the awards ceremony will spotlight the achievements of standout performers across North and Latin America.

The evening will include 34 award categories, recognizing the accomplishments of industry leaders, operators, affiliates, and suppliers across key sectors such as payments, game development, and software/platform provision.

The SBC Awards Americas ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 14, the first core day of SBC Summit Americas, at Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.

Among the top-nominated companies of the evening are Sportradar with eight nominations, Rush Street Interactive with seven and Kaizen Gaming, in the running for five awards.

Marking the first ceremony dedicated to honouring excellence across both North and Latin America, the debut pan-American edition attracted a record number of submissions — posing a significant challenge for the panel of independent judges.

This year’s event will also introduce two new categories: Live Betting & Gaming Product and the Game of the Year – Americas.

In the operator categories, Hard Rock Bet is nominated in three of the seven, including a bid to retain its title for Marketing Campaign & Sponsorship of the Year. FanDuel also earned four nominations and will look to defend its titles for Casino Operator of the Year – North America and Sportsbook Operator of the Year – North America. 

Shining a spotlight on LATAM-focused operators, notable names such as Betsson Group, Codere Online, EstrelaBet and Megapari have all been shortlisted across multiple operator awards, proving their regional success and influence.

In the affiliate categories, Better Collective will go head-to-head with fellow nominees Livesport, MediaTroopers and WagerWire in a bid to retain the titles of Sports Affiliate of the Year – North America and Sports Affiliate of the Year – Latin America.

Meanwhile, Acquire.bet, Apuesta Legal Group, BetPass, Catena Media, Gambling.com Group and Sorte na Bet are all in contention for the coveted Casino Affiliate of the Year award.

The prestigious Employer of the Year category will see competition from 16 notable brands, including Alea, BetMGM, Blazesoft, Digitain, Light & Wonder, ProntoPaga and RubyPlay. In addition, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) will be hoping to once again secure the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year award.

In the payment and compliance categories, Nuvei and OKTO aim to defend their respective Payment Solution of the Year titles, while IDnow will compete against BMM Testlabs, GLI, Mindway AI and OneComply Solutions for the Compliance Solution of the Year award.

It could be a significant evening for the likes of Betting Hero and Optimove, who are both shortlisted in four supplier categories, whilst Pragmatic Play and White Hat Gaming will be battling to retain the title of Platform Provider of the Year.

Making its debut at the ceremony, the Game of the Year – Americas award will feature competition from 18 standout brands, including ELA Games, Endorphina, Evoplay, Evolution, IGT PlayDigital, Pascal Gaming, Playtech and PopOK Gaming.

In an effort to highlight emerging talent shaping the industry, the evening will also feature three Rising Star awards: Rising Star in Casino, Rising Star in Sports Betting and Rising Star of the Year.

The complete list of shortlisted companies is available on the SBC Awards Americas website. Please note that a separate ticket is required to attend the ceremony. Table and ticket options can be found here. __________________________________________________________________________________________

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Lawmakers concerned over Alberta iGaming bill’s lack of detail

Discussion about the proposed Alberta iGaming framework began in the provincial Assembly in Edmonton on Wednesday. While proponents point to the benefits of regulating online gaming, other lawmakers are concerned about the lack of detail in the proposal.

Minister Dale Nally’s Bill 48 would create the Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee a private-sector market. Under the initial version of the proposed iGaming Alberta Act, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) would serve as the regulator as well as operate its own Play Alberta platform, currently the only online casino and sportsbook under the Alberta government’s oversight.

The Alberta iGaming Corporation would be the conduct-and-manage entity, similar to the role iGaming Ontario (iGO) serves in Ontario, currently Canada’s only regulated commercial iGaming market.

Bill 48 was introduced for second reading on April 9 after having its first reading on March 26.

‘If you don’t gamble today, please don’t start tomorrow’

Nally said in his introduction that the goal of regulated iGaming is not to encourage more people to gamble but to bring online gambling activity that already exists under government oversight.

“More than half of players in the province exclusively place bets on unregulated sites,” he said. “It’s quite disconcerting to know that there are Albertans gambling on sites where they face a higher risk of developing gambling-related harms … A significant number of Albertans are potentially being preyed upon by gray market sites or illicit sites. This legislation proposes to change that.

“I want to make clear that this bill isn’t about opening a new revenue source for the government. It isn’t a cash grab, and we’re not looking to create new gamblers in Alberta. If you don’t gamble today, please don’t start tomorrow. That is not the purpose of this. We know gambling will never be safe, but there are ways to make it safer and more responsible. That’s what we aim to do.”

Clearing the way for good actors

Two other members of Nally’s party, the incumbent United Conservative Party (UCP), also pointed to the potential benefits.

UCP MP Justin Wright said the bill will provide Albertans a broad choice of regulated, socially responsible online gaming websites while raising funds for schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, as well as at-risk and problem gambling supports.

UCP MLA Nolan Dyck noted that as online gambling rises in popularity, it is the government’s responsibility to provide a “thoughtful market that is not predatory or lacking safeguards.”

“Many unregulated iGaming companies already operate in Alberta, regardless of whether we regulate them or not, and those illicit iGaming companies are not paying taxes here or putting money back into our economy,” he added. “… We want to be able to regulate the good operators and allow them to play in a space that is legal, while also making sure that they follow our social responsibility markers there.”

Specifics will follow; NDP says that’s not good enough

The UCP speakers noted that Bill 48 also lays out some specific plans, such as the implementation of a province-wide centralized self-exclusion system for gamblers to be shared by all licensed online gaming platforms.

Wright said other key regulations and policies related to revenue, consumer protection and social responsibilities will be put forward later this year following further engagement with indigenous groups and industry and community leaders.

However, New Democratic Party (NDP) MPs said that is not good enough, asserting that Bill 48 omits specific information such as how revenues will be apportioned, how operator compliance will be enforced and what the approach will be towards gambling advertisement.

“While the intentions seem noble, the execution leaves much to be desired,” argued MP Gurinder Brar, calling the lack of detail a “glaring omission” that leaves lawmakers and the gambling industry “in the dark about how the Alberta iGaming Corporation will operate.”

“The bill merely enables the creation of standards and regulations after the legislation is enacted,” he added. “This approach is just like buying a car without knowing if it has brakes or a steering wheel; it’s bound to lead to a crash.”

Fellow NDP MP Peggy Wright noted that while she appreciates the need for online gambling to be regulated, “to hear regulations are coming in due time just isn’t good enough in this instance.”

“Given past history, I’m not sure that we can trust that an appropriate level of consultation before regulations are released happens …” she told the Assembly. “It’s a blank cheque and that can indeed lead to some measure of risk, if not danger.”

Debate was adjourned on Wednesday and will be picked up again at a later date.

Caesars launches EveryMatrix content in Ontario market

Caesars online casino players in Ontario now have access to a full range of EveryMatrix gaming content.

The two companies have completed their content integration deal and EveryMatrix has launched its portfolio of iGaming options on the operator’s platforms in Ontario, as well as in four U.S. states that offer regulated commercial iGaming.

Games from the expansive SlotMatrix library now live on Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, as well as the Horseshoe Online Casino brand that launched in Ontario last November. The deal also covers Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

“We’re very happy to be live on Caesars’ digital platforms across multiple jurisdictions in the US and Canada, including Fantasma Games content that has proven to be a huge hit with US players,” said EveryMatrix Americas President Erik Nyman. “It is an honour to partner with Caesars Entertainment, as their position and strong brand equity speak for itself.

“We have shaped a strong relationship with Caesars leading up to go-live that has carried over to the operational phase. SlotMatrix is a casino aggregation platform not just with the largest portfolio of studios but also encompassing unique proprietary player engagement features that are a true game changer for brands, now available to Caesars’ online casino players.”

Matt Sunderland, SVP and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital, added that the company believes the EveryMatrix content will provide players with “an even more engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.”

EveryMatrix has been licensed to supply games to authorized Ontario gaming operators since August 2022. This launch is its latest with a major operator in Ontario. Its content was added to the DraftKings platform in December.

Bragg Gaming plants flag deeper in Brazil with RapidPlay investment

Canadian online gaming provider Bragg Gaming has acquired an equity stake in specialist Brazilian game development studio RapidPlay as it continues to ramp up its focus on the new South American market.

The agreement gives the Toronto supplier not only a stake in the company but also exclusive commercial distribution rights for Rapid Play games, which Bragg will integrate into the options it provides to its Brazilian operator partners like Betano, Novibet and Superbet.

The companies will also develop new games using Bragg’s Fuze technology, which features gamification and player retention tools.

Notably, Bragg said that the terms of the deal give it the option to acquire a controlling stake in RapidPlay in the future.

“This partnership with RapidPlay is more than just an investment — it’s a strategic move that strengthens our differentiated local content proposition,” said Bragg Gaming Chief Commercial Officer Neill Whyte. “The studio combines creative excellence with operational efficiency, making it an ideal partner for our expansion efforts in the region.”

Bragg said that RapidPlay’s cost-efficient development scaling model was a key allure.

“RapidPlay was founded to create genuinely Brazilian gaming experiences,” said RapidPlay CEO and co-founder Rafael Roos Bordignon. “Joining forces with Bragg gives us the scale and structure to do that with even greater impact. We’re excited to enter this next phase together.”

Brazil a key focus for Bragg alongside Canada and US

Bragg gained a supplier licence in Brazil ahead of the nation opening its regulated iGaming market in January. It went live on day one and was working with roughly one-third of the licensed iGaming operators by Jan. 10.

The firm expects the market to make up approximately 10% of its total revenue in 2025. It has set up a regional office in São Paulo.

Executives have suggested that they see an opportunity for greater market penetration in Brazil than they have experienced in the U.S., where Bragg supplies to an estimated 90% of the total addressable market but generates just a few million in annual revenue.

The Brazilian focus doesn’t mean that Canada or the U.S. are falling by the wayside, though.

Bragg has expanded its reach in North America in recent months, entering a second Canadian province through an online casino content agreement with Loto-Québec that was announced in February. It has also recently begun developing exclusive online casino games with Caesars Digital.

Bragg boasts a significant stable of operator partners in Canada and the U.S., also including bet365, BetMGM, FanDuel, Golden Nugget Online Gaming and BetRivers. It also holds an international distribution deal with Light & Wonder that it signed last spring.

How does Ontario tackle match-fixing and betting integrity?

In an online betting market like Ontario’s, with billions of dollars wagered across more than 30 licensed sports betting platforms, how does the gaming regulator work to prevent match-fixing and protect sporting integrity?

Amid a backdrop of high-profile match-fixing cases in Canada and the U.S., not least then-Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter’s NBA ban for affecting his own performances to ensure bets cashed, the topic was discussed at the annual Council of Europe Macolin Community Conference last week.

Held in Gatineau, Queb., this year’s event had a distinctly Canadian flavour, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) was front and centre.

Several mechanics work on one engine

The AGCO spent great time consulting with various stakeholders before establishing its Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming, which came into effect when Ontario’s commercial online gaming market opened on April 4, 2022.

Doug Hood, the agency’s director of operational planning, priorities and performance, told attendees that the AGCO took inspiration from a number of already existing U.S. jurisdictions when it came to the integrity piece of the puzzle.

“Our philosophy was that we wanted as many information flows as we could get,” Hood said. “We stole a good idea from a number of American jurisdictions in that we require all of our operators to sign contracts with independent integrity monitors.”

Those firms, which include the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), work with betting platforms to monitor gambling activity and check for suspicious or unusual patterns. Other partners in the process include the likes of data firm Sportradar.

Sportradar’s Head of Integrity Services, Americas Jim Brown, shed some light on how exactly the process works. Monitoring firms use AI predictive analytics to monitor activity, he said, searching for irregular activity such as big betting line movements soon before a game.

“I always equate the betting market to the financial market in that all public information is factored into the pricing,” Brown told attendees. “So, when we see a big price move pre-match and then injury news or something comes out subsequently, it’s usually a pretty good indication that there was sharing of nonpublic information.”

When it comes to reporting, Ontario is a unique case study, given that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has an Investigation and Support Bureau directly embedded within the AGCO. When AGCO gets intelligence around sports betting, it goes to both regulators and law enforcement. “We deal with it independently of one another, because we have our jurisdictions that we have to respect, but it’s done concurrently,” Hood explained. “That partnership with the OPP is essential for our model to work.”

‘Operators are the first line of defence’

Brown, Hood and their fellow panelists, AGCO Chief Operating Officer Dave Phillips and Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns, all noted that as Ontario’s market has matured, collaboration between all parties has increased. As Brown put it, there’s “a vested interest” for everyone to have a sustainable sports betting marketplace.

Still, in a saturated multi-billion-dollar betting market like Ontario, regulated sportsbooks’ own role is vital. Brown called them “the first line of defence” because they often have a direct relationship with sports leagues, as well as a mandate from AGCO.

“Every single one of those [licensed] operators has an obligation to monitor their books in real time to identify any unusual or suspicious activity,” stressed Phillips. “Under their obligations, whenever they identify unusual or suspicious activity that has any nexus to Ontario whatsoever, we are instantaneously not just getting an alert that this is taking place but getting information and Intel packages from them.”

The books also have the raw betting data, which Brown called “the DNA, the key.”

That becomes particularly important for preventing match-fixing given the increased popularity of in-game wagers and micro betting. “Take baseball,” added Brown. “It could be whether the next pitch is a ball or strike. That market’s not out for very long at all, so it’s hard to monitor without really collaborating with the operators.”

“Cooperation is really key,” concluded Burns. “Having open conversations with a regulator that has created a very robust regulatory regime in Ontario that far exceeds what’s required … The regime is working, and they’re doing their job.”

Ottawa Senators sign up ToonieBet as official online casino partner

Soft2Bet’s Ontario-licensed online casino ToonieBet is set to benefit from new visibility at one of Canada’s renowned NHL franchises.

The Ottawa Senators have signed up ToonieBet as its official online casino partner. The operator will have what the Sens described as “a strong presence” via in-arena experiences at Canadian Tire Centre such as digital dashboards, in-rink board signage and exclusive contests and premium giveaways for fans and gamblers, including the chance to win exclusive Sens merchandise and tickets.

ToonieBet branding will also be included on regional broadcasts with digitally enhanced dashboards and across the Senators’ social and digital platforms as well as NHL.com.

“We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner of the Ottawa Senators,” said Martin Ballard, VP of corporate partnerships for the Senators. “Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional experience is incredibly exciting. Together, we look forward to delivering memorable moments and engaging our passionate fanbase in new and innovative ways.”

ToonieBet focused on Ontario-centric approach

ToonieBet, whose Ontario license is owned by Canadix Limited, launched in the province last year after Soft2Bet was granted a Certificate of Registration by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

As you can tell from the name — “toonie” being slang for a two-dollar coin in Canada — the brand is specifically focused on the Canadian market. In Ontario, it offers only online casino, with no sports betting vertical.

It offers more than 3,300 games from a host of renowned game developers including Evolution, Playtech, Pragmatic Play and many more.

“Partnering Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet brand with the Ottawa Senators is a significant milestone that reinforces our strong brand presence in Ontario,” said Oksana Tsyhankova, chief marketing officer at Soft2Bet. “With our focus on localized, engaging experiences for Canadian players, this partnership helps us truly stand out in the Ontario market.”

Soft2Bet joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) last May as part of its ramp-up in Ontario. In the province, all regulated gaming operators are required to partner with a betting monitoring firm.

The Malta-based company intends to launch online gaming in New Jersey’s online casino market in the near future.

Rivalry launches review to explore ‘strategic alternatives’

Toronto-based online gaming, betting and esports operator Rivalry Corp. is reviewing “strategic alternatives” to support its long-term growth and determine the best path forward.

The company announced on Monday that its board of directors has initiated the review. Rivalry has engaged XST Capital Group, an investment bank focusing on the digital gaming sector, as advisors throughout the process.

Rivalry did not suggest any ultimate decisions that could arise from the review, but it said in a release that it will assess various options to position it for “continued growth and innovation.”

The board stressed that it is committed to “prudent” corporate governance and optimizing the company’s market position.

Rivalry co-founder and CEO Steven Salz called the initiative a “natural step in assessing how we can best create long-term value for our stakeholders while continuing to enhance our world-class gaming platform.”

Rivalry undergoing big changes

The company currently offers betting across sports, esports, casino and fantasy in Ontario, as well as worldwide via its Isle of Man licence.

Late last November, Salz told investors that the company has “completely rebuilt every core element of our product” as it looks to lean more heavily into the cryptocurrency side of online gaming.

Rivalry completed a product overhaul last fall which included a strategic rebrand to better target crypto gamblers and digital-first players, as well as a major sportsbook revamp, a redesigned casino offering and a comprehensive VIP rewards program.

Salz said at the time is confident that its “evolved product set alongside a more mature digital-first rebrand” will accelerate its position as a global crypto-native operator and enable the business to capture high-value players. He previously announced in August that Rivalry was exploring licensing its gaming content to other operators.

As part of the operational shift, Rivalry reduced its staff headcount by 50% through layoffs in July and October, before Salz, Chief Technology Officer Ryan White and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Wimmer all took a voluntary 100% pay cut. Salz subsequently reduced his own salary by another 50%.

Since the start of 2025, Rivalry has kept the changes coming. In early January, it debuted a tiered VIP program that allows players to earn points as they wager, and just two weeks ago, it launched its rebranded Rivalry Partners affiliate marketing program.

Looking for profitability

Though Rivalry has not yet published its financial results for the last quarter, for the first nine months of 2024, it reported net revenue of $12.1 million CAD and a net loss of $16.5 million CAD. Revenue was down and loss was up year-over-year for the comparative period.

The company ended January to September 2024 with an accumulated deficit of $110.5 million CAD.

On Monday, Rivalry’s senior management also confirmed that the company has obtained a $650,000 USD ($932,000 CAD at the time of writing) unsecured loan from its existing senior lender, which is set to mature in late September.

PENN launches standalone theScore Casino app in Ontario

theScore’s parent company PENN Entertainment has launched a standalone branded online casino-specific app in Ontario, theScore Casino.

The new app is available as of Monday, April 7. It provides a purely online casino experience using the longstanding theScore sports media and gaming brand.

Although most Canadians would associate theScore with sports, online casino play has been a core vertical since theScore Bet launched. The brand offers online casino content, including a range of online slots, table games and live dealer content, from a variety of suppliers including Evolution, Relax Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Games Global and many more.

That content will still be available in theScore Bet app, as will original titles from PENN Game Studios, bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title theScore can offer thanks to its exclusive partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays. Customers can use their existing theScore Bet credentials to log into the new app.

“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand,” said PENN Interactive Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive, Aaron LaBerge. “We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven standalone app.”

iCasino is king, after all

Online casino, which also includes peer-to-peer bingo under iGaming Ontario’s definition, comprises 85% of all regulated online gaming handle in Ontario and 76% of gross revenue as of the end of February 2025. More than $6 billion has been spent on online casino gambling via licensed platforms every month since last October. For comparison, monthly online sports betting handle has only been over $1 billion six times in three years.

This February, total online sports betting gross revenue for operators was $62 million; in online casino, it was $214 million. Although the fact that there are more licensed online casinos in Ontario than there are sportsbooks likely has an impact, it’s clear iCasino is where the dollars go.

iGO does not break down its reporting by operator, so we don’t know exactly how much money theScore makes from online casino vs. sports betting. But PENN executives said last fall that theScoreBet held down a double-digit market share in Ontario’s online sports betting market and a high-single-digit share in online casino in the first half of 2025. It seems likely that the proportionately smaller iGaming slice is worth significantly more than its sports wagering cut.

PENN leaders also said in October that the company has seen a 60% cross-sell rate from online sports betting to online casino among its theScore Bet users in the province. Capitalizing on theScore’s sports cache to fuel online casino has likely been a key goal for the brand under PENN’s rule. Per PENN’s last earnings call in late February, theScore Bet’s monthly active users grew 43% for online casino from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024, far outstripping the sports betting growth of 16% for online sports betting.

PENN CEO Jay Snowden has also stated multiple times that he sees a big opportunity in both sports betting and online casino in Alberta, if and when that province opens its doors to commercial online gaming operators.

theScore Casino follows PENN taking Hollywood Casino digital in US

The launch of the standalone theScore Casino comes as PENN has spread a new Hollywood Casino standalone app across the U.S. 

Formerly a retail-only casino brand with a physical presence in several states, PENN took that brand online via an iCasino app that began life in Pennsylvania and has since expanded into Michigan and New Jersey.

The new theScore Casino app uses the same proprietary technology platform as the Hollywood Casino platform. Snowden suggested late last year that the Hollywood Casino app would be brought to Ontario in the future, pending regulatory approvals, but that is yet to materialize.

The CEO added in February that Hollywood Casino has boosted PENN’s operations in North America. PENN reported at that time a combined 61% year-over-year increase in online casino net gaming revenue across Hollywood Casino and theScore Bet in Ontario.

PENN’s other legacy sports brand, ESPN Bet, does not offer online casino gaming in any of its U.S. markets and is not available in Canada.

Playnetic approved by AGCO to offer games to licensed Ontario operators

Global B2B iGaming content provider Playnetic has received approval as a licensed gaming supplier by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

As a result, Playnetic has now secured its first Canadian market entry and will be able to provide its library of games to licensed operators in the province’s regulated market.

The company called its Ontario entry the “starting point paving the way for further expansion into other regulated provinces in the future.” It has already begun discussions with operators in the market and expects to go live with some online casinos over the coming months.

Company personnel will also be attending SBC’s Canadian Gaming Summit in June.

“Acquiring AGCO approval for our gaming-related supplier application is undoubtedly a big step for Playnetic,” said CEO Dan Phillips. “The new license not only secures our first Canadian market entry, but also reaffirms Playnetic’s position as a trusted provider in iGaming and underlines our commitment to compliance and operational excellence.”

Playnetic already looking to Alberta

When it comes to serving the Canadian market, Playnetic does not intend to stop at Ontario.

The company’s release noted that “given signs of change emerging within the Canadian market” and Alberta making progress toward an Ontario-like regulated online model, its AGCO license positions it strongly to expand its footprint in the country and continue its growth.

Alberta Minister Dale Nally introduced Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, on March 26. The bill, which would outline a framework for online gaming in the province, is expected to be debated in the legislature as soon as this week.

Whenever Alberta does open its doors to commercial gaming operators, Playnetic intends to ensure its games are available.

“We’re very excited to now be in a position to offer our library of innovative gaming content in Ontario, and the groundwork to do that with some of the region’s biggest licensed operators is already underway,” added COO Julian Borg-Barthet. “Over time, we’re confident this license will also help us expand further into current markets and emerging regulated provinces, such as Alberta.”

Regulated Ontario online gambling celebrates third birthday

Friday, April 4, 2025 is the third anniversary of Ontario launching its regulated online gaming and betting market. It’s safe to say the province has come a long way.

When Ontario opened its doors to commercial gaming companies three years ago, it was the culmination of a years-long effort from the industry to bring online gaming under close oversight. The core goals were to stamp out as much of the unregulated market as possible, increase both choice and protection for consumers and drive innovation in the sector, all while generating tax revenue for the province.

Green shoots quickly blossomed into full bloom.

Ontario is now home to 83 regulated online gaming or betting sites run by 49 licensed private-sector operators, in addition to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) platform. Some operators have thrived, some have struggled to make an impact and some, like Unibet and Fitzdares, have left altogether.

But when it comes to those goals, it’s hard to say it hasn’t been a success.

$7 billion in regulated online gaming every month

In just under three years (April 4, 2022 to February 29, 2025), Ontario gamblers have placed a total of $173.6 billion in online casino, sports or poker wagers across all the licensed commercial platforms available to them, per the latest numbers reported by iGaming Ontario (iGO).

That in itself is a huge number, and diving a little deeper illustrates how things have grown year by year.

Beginning at $1.1 billion in the market’s first month, private-sector online gaming had broken the $4 billion monthly handle barrier by December 2022 as more operators joined the fray, more casino game suppliers added their offerings to licensed platforms and consumers got used to the regulated market. By December 2023, it was over $6 billion. It first exceeded $7 billion last October and has been above that threshold in every month since.

What’s become clear is that, while Ontarians love to bet on sports, this is an overwhelmingly online casino-first market. Casino gaming, which includes slots, live dealer and table games and peer-to-peer bingo under iGO’s definition, comprises 85% of handle and 76% of revenue as of February 2025. That vertical alone has seen more than $6 billion in gambling spend and more than $200 million in operator revenues every month since last October. Online sports betting handle, by contrast, has only been over $1 billion in six months out of the three years.

Aross all regulated online gaming, all-time gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated by operators is at $6.8 billion through the end of February 2025, and broke $300 million in a month for the first time in January 2025. With Ontario’s competitive online gaming tax rate is set at 20%, the provincial government has made close to $1.5 billion in tax revenue from regulating online gaming.

Market still growing amid strong channelization

While it may not be booming at the same rate as it did in earlier years, the market is still growing. At last count, a new record of 1.13 million player accounts were active in the province across all regulated platforms. Handle, GGR and active player accounts are up 26.9%, 32.5% and 23% year-over-year, respectively.

An iGO spokesperson told Canadian Gaming Business on Friday that the growth is down to “a strong roster of operators and a robust list of games.” Those comments were echoed by Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns.

“Ontario’s iGaming market is a rising star in the gaming industry, showing impressive growth as it steps into its third year,” Burns told CGB this week. “This success boils down to effective regulatory measures, diverse market adoption and strong consumer protection.”

It’s all resulted in better-than-expected conversion from the unregulated market to regulated gaming. An estimated 70% of Ontario online gambling was done in the grey market rather than on OLG’s platforms pre-regulation; as of April 2024, iGO boasted an 86% channelization rate. It has outlined a goal to achieve 90% within five years. Data provided to CGB by H2 Gambling Capital last fall suggests that, when you include OLG in the mix, 93% of Ontario online gaming is now on regulated platforms.

The province is not resting on its laurels, though. The provincial regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), said in January that it is working on “a comprehensive strategy” to further limit access to the unregulated market “by delivering a second generation of high-impact, coordinated and relevant regulatory activities.”

Change is (still) gonna come

As for what year four of the market may bring, there are several developments to watch.

The iGaming Ontario Act, which officially establishes iGO as a standalone agency fully independent of the AGCO, is expected to be enacted soon. Meanwhile, the conversation around establishing a national framework on sports betting advertising is likely to continue in some form no matter who wins this month’s federal election.

And, while peer-to-peer poker is currently a drop in the Ontario ocean, at around 2% of both handle and GGR, there’s potential for that to change if international liquidity pooling is determined to be legal by the Court of Appeal. CGB understands a verdict in that reference question could arrive as soon as June.