iGaming Ontario (iGO) is responsible for conducting and managing online gaming. It ensures that the province's online gambling market is conducted responsibly and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

As Ontario’s regulated online gaming market grew, industry stakeholders suggested more regular market reports be made available. iGaming Ontario made that change, and the management entity has started sharing its market performance reports every month, replacing traditional quarterly reporting.

This shift aligns with how regulated gaming markets report in the US. Notably, iGO is now showing historical data for each month going back to April 2022, when the province officially launched its regulated iGaming market.

Smart Changes To Reporting

Going forward, a snapshot of the total amount wagered (total handle), gross gaming revenue (GGR) and other key metrics will be available on a rolling basis via the iGO website.

The regulator commented on the change in reporting:

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“It is the result of our decision to be more transparent by sharing aggregate revenue and market insight figures more frequently and in a format that is easier to ingest and analyse.”

The agency went on to say that it has no immediate plans to dissect the data by operator, which is unsurprising considering the market hosts 50 operators across 83 websites as of December 31st, with the latest additions including Aristocrat Interactive white-labelled brand Betiton, which launched in December.

The revised reporting procedures come as iGO becomes a fully independent board-governed agency. Ontario’s enactment of the iGaming Ontario Act of 2024 saw the severing of the tie between iGO and AGCO. 

The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General commented that the change was made in part to address a concern of a conflict of interest raised by the Auditor General. The Act will be proclaimed in early 2025.

 Ontario’s Online Casino Boom Continues

Ontario’s gamblers spent $22.7 billion online during Q3, the highest amount on record. That total handle (total amount wagered) across all types of online gaming was 32% higher than the corresponding quarter in 2023 and up 22% on the preceding quarter of the 2023/24 financial year. 

Overall, GGR was $826 million, a 26% year-on-year increase and 12% month-on-month. Again, this was the best quarter on record for Ontario’s regulated market as it approached its third anniversary.

Since the regulated market’s inception in April 2022, online casinos have dwarfed sports betting and other digital gaming, underscored by $18.9 billion or 83% of the $22.7 billion total quarterly spend being on online casino games, up 38% on the previous year.

Online casino revenue increased 37% to $644 million, approximately 78% of total GGR. iGaming’s percentage share in the total amount wagered (handle) dropped from the previous quarter’s 86%, but GGR rose from 75%.

Sports betting, including esports betting, saw a 6% drop in revenue to $16 million despite a 10% increase in the total amount wagered to $3.4 billion. Sports betting comprised 15% of total bets and 20% of total GGR in the quarter. 

 December 2024: Best Month On Record

December was the busiest online gambling month on record in Ontario, with a massive $7.8 billion total amount wagered, eclipsing the previous record set in November 2024 by 4% and up 28% from December the previous year.

November 2024’s $291 million in revenue set the record - 10% above that of December’s $269 million.