To keep up with the fast pace of technology, the Canadian province of Ontario has launched iGaming Ontario to look after the digital side of gambling and online gaming.
In July 2021, the government of Ontario announced the launch of iGaming Ontario. Despite being a brand new subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, it stands as a distinct legal entity and has a clear and direct mandate to manage the province’s open and competitive iGaming and online gaming markets.
At the time, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation was the only officially regulated body permitted to license gambling in the province and this is the first step towards diversifying the situation and making sure all stakeholders are properly taken care of. The role of iGaming Ontario will be to oversee and license all online gaming offerings.
According to its website, the body is governed by a board of directors that will enter into commercial and licensing agreements with online operators while ensuring integrity, player protection, social responsibility and the ideals of fairness are adhered to at all times. The idea is to create an environment in which the players feel free to play with confidence on the best online gambling sites.
To reassure gamers they mean business, iGaming Ontario came in hot with some significant changes right off the bat. One of the standouts from their first list of new rules is the complete and outright ban of the “auto-play” feature on digital slot machines. This feature would allow the gamer to continue playing the game they wanted without any additional input from the player as long as they have funds to play with.
However, this feature has now been blocked to protect both the player and the online casinos from scenarios that involve unwanted spins and money being spent accidentally. Under the new rule, each game needs to be physically committed to by the player by pressing and releasing the play or start button every time.
That is not all though, as the new regulator in Ontario also instituted a minimum spin speed of 2.5 seconds. This means the game has to continue for at least 2.5 seconds from when play has been pushed to when the game ends. Along with this is the new ruling that playing online slots on split and multiple screens are also prohibited.
Online games are now also compelled to display the players’ standing in the game in real Canadian Dollars rather than in-game credits so that players always know where they stand. Marketing cannot be deemed to be targeting minors in any way, placed anywhere near a school or feature a fictional character that might appeal to the younger generation.
Additionally, the new body has also released a new draft for betting standards that would see marketing opportunities become a bit more limited but would in no way restrict the operators’ product offerings.
To make things as straightforward as possible for new and established online gaming operators alike, iGaming Ontario has also published a wide range of operator application guides to make sure everyone has everything they need at their fingertips.
There is no doubt it is still early days for iGaming Ontario and change is always a nerve-wracking experience, especially in an industry as big online gaming but the initial reaction to the formation of iGaming Ontario and their first moves in the industry have been positive from both operators and gamers alike.
