iGaming Ontario: Ontario among top five North America igaming jurisdictions

April 5, 2023 11:55 AM
Photo: Shutterstock
  • Mark Keast, CDC Gaming Reports
April 5, 2023 11:55 AM
  • Mark Keast, CDC Gaming Reports

In only one full year, Ontario has emerged as one of the Top 5 igaming jurisdictions in North America, according to data released by iGaming Ontario.

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The industry celebrated the one-year anniversary of an open, legal, igaming market on Tuesday. In that year, the market handled around $35.6 billion in total wagers (total cash wagers, not including promotional bets or bonuses) and around $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue. Since the market opened on April 4, 2022, more than 40 operators have jumped aboard, with over 70 gaming sites. Over 1.6 million accounts have been set up (counting individuals who have accounts with different operators). The average spend is around $69 per month, iGaming Ontario’s executive director Martha Otton told industry executives at a sold-out Canadian Gaming Association event celebrating the anniversary yesterday at the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

“I don’t think I’ve used the word “thrilled’ as many times as I have over the past year,” Otton told the audience. “We launched with 12 operators. It’s important t0 remember what the government goals were, player choice and player protection, and to provide opportunities for the legal market to raise revenue for the province and reduce red tape.”

In Ontario, igaming operators that have been successfully registered by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario must also execute an operating agreement with iGO.

“Today’s numbers demonstrate that Ontario has one of the best online-gaming markets in the world,” said Dave Forestell, iGaming Ontario Board chair. “Since Ontario opened the market, we’ve seen new investment, job creation, and captured revenue that used to leave the province. Ontario is well on its way to becoming the best gaming jurisdiction in the world.”

Perhaps surprisingly to some, the most popular sport to bet on was basketball at 28 percent of handle, followed by soccer at 15 percent, football at 14 percent, hockey at nine percent, and baseball at eight percent. In the online-casino category, nearly half (48 percent) of all casino wagers were on slots, nearly a third (32 percent) on table games with a live dealer, and the remainder (19 percent) on computer-based table games.