Ontario Reports Decline in Unregulated Online Casino Use
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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has reported encouraging results in combating unregulated online casinos.
The regulatory agency commissioned a study, conducted by Ipsos in February 2024, that found 86.4% of Ontarians who partake in iGaming have done so with regulated operators over the preceding three months. The figure is a significant drop from the estimated 70% of online gambling on unregulated sites by Ontarians before Canada’s most populous province became an open, regulated sports betting and iGaming market in 2022.
“In Ontario, regulated sites are held to high standards of game integrity, data security, and player protections, including having significant responsible gaming safeguards,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr. “While it’s encouraging to see most participants are choosing regulated gaming options, those who are not are unfortunately risking far more than their wagers.”
Despite the promising results for regulated sites, the study found that 20% of online gamblers used both regulated and unregulated platforms over the prior three months. Unregulated sites continue to have traction with 13.6% of Ontarians wagering strictly on those platforms. Participants in the study named over 350 active unregulated sites.
As of April 4, Ontario is home to 47 licensed operators that offer 77 regulated sites.
Earlier this week, the 2024 Ontario Budget reported $87 million in net income from iGaming activities in the 2022-23 fiscal year. The budget projects net income in the current fiscal year to reach $162 million, while 2024-25 could see $172 million in net income.
In May 2022, an Ontario Auditor General report estimated $75 million in combined net income over the first three years of regulated iGaming in Ontario.
