Can other Provinces in Canada replicate the success Ontario is having in the iGaming industry?

In a landmark decision for the province, Ontario launched its own legal, regulated iGaming market on April 4, 2022. Since then, this newly established entertainment industry has grown significantly, and is now considered to be a leading force on the North American iGaming scene. The region’s well-regulated online gambling industry has led to considerable investment and interest, with the vast majority of Ontarian residents – over 83% – now choosing to play on regulated sites. A competitive landscape has since emerged, with over 85 gaming websites now available to choose from in the province, generating over CA $3 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2024-25. This impressively well-regulated model has attracted considerable interest from other provinces in Canada, with many now considering whether they can follow in Ontario’s footsteps in the future. We’ve taken a closer look at the status of iGaming in other Canadian provinces, and considered whether they may be able to replicate Ontario’s recent success.

What is driving the success of Ontario’s iGaming market?

Now over three years since its legalization back in April 2022, Ontario’s iGaming market appears to be going from strength to strength. Behind its ongoing success is a rock-solid combination of regulation and licensing, upheld by the regulatory body known as the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) and the licensing body known as iGaming Ontario. This robust system has allowed the province to enforce player protection measures across the board, which helps to reduce the impact of rogue operators, and has boosted the overall confidence and trust of players in the region today. Alongside this world-leading regulatory system, Ontario has also fostered a competitive market, in which a dynamic atmosphere has played a major part in its ongoing success. According to Casino.org, Ontario has welcomed 50 regulated operators, and revenue continued to grow at an impressive rate – around 32% year-on-year – in 2024-2025. Clearly, there is an ongoing demand for this form of entertainment amongst Canadians, which shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

How can other Canadian provinces replicate this approach?

Whilst replicating a similarly legalized iGaming market could bring significant tax revenue and increased player protections for other Canadian provinces, there are a number of important considerations and decisions which would need to be made along the way. Any province hoping to follow in Ontario’s footsteps would need to establish a solid regulatory framework much like that of the AGCO in order to monitor online gambling operators and enforce their own local rules and standards. Policymakers would need to agree upon new rules and guidance to help build a set of transparent and well-enforced regulations, including clear advertizing standards and licensing criteria, so that operators can adapt their offerings accordingly to meet local expectations. Thankfully, the careful and continued decision-making of regulators and lawmakers in Ontario means there is an existing model to take inspiration from – meaning that the other Canadian provinces do not need to start from scratch. Additionally, smaller provinces could certainly benefit from working together to create a consistent approach across regions, which could make it easier to set up their own individual markets.

Whilst a clear regulatory framework is hugely important, other provinces would also need to carefully consider which private operators would be allowed to join their markets. For example, the government of British Columbia runs its own online gambling platform, PlayNow, which is currently the only iGaming option available in the province. To achieve a similarly successful market to that of Ontario, regulators in British Columbia would need to decide how PlayNow would fit into a more varied and competitive landscape. The province could start slowly by choosing to license only casinos trusted by players worldwide at first, so that the introduction of these leading private operators could be carefully managed and regulated. Interestingly, in Alberta, the Play Alberta platform soon may be met with increased competition. The province has recently begun to carve a new path, as the recent introduction of the iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) proposed the creation of the ‘Alberta iGaming Corporation’ to manage private operators. This bold move means that Alberta is now much closer to becoming the next Canadian province to launch its own competitive, licensed online gambling market – only time will tell if this will be successful.

What might be the potential challenges for other provinces?

It looks increasingly likely that other Canadian provinces will soon attempt to replicate the success of Ontario’s regulated iGaming market. However, there will undoubtedly be challenges along the way, and discussions around responsible gaming will be hugely important in order to build a transparent industry which puts the needs of players first. There may also be political roadblocks in certain regions, with some facing more significant opposition to the regulation of online gambling. Most importantly, it will be difficult to replicate the sheer scale and success of Ontario’s iGaming landscape, which is already well-established on the international scene. Smaller provinces may struggle to attract quite as many leading brands, meaning that their overall revenue from online casino sites might not be quite as significant as that of Ontario so far. However, whilst building a solid and resilient industry does take time and effort, other provinces could soon be tempted to give it a try.

Ultimately, other provinces in Canada could certainly follow in Ontario’s footsteps by opening up their own legal, regulated iGaming markets – and some may well do so over the coming years. Since the Ontarian online gambling scene is now setting a high standard for regulation throughout North America, this well-established regulatory model could provide a useful framework for other provinces in the future, and could potentially be adapted to suit the unique needs of each individual region. Whilst there may be challenges along the way, the potential for significant revenue generation and increased player protections is becoming increasingly evident. Whatever happens next, it is certainly a fascinating moment for the online gambling landscape in Canada, so be sure to look out for any new developments in the months ahead!