In a long-awaited move, legal Ontario online casinos will launch on April 4, 2022. Here’s what’s happening and what to expect.
Ontario online casinos launch in April
iGaming Ontario announced in January that starting on April 4, the province of Ontario will allow private gambling websites that have complied with a licensing process to begin accepting bets. This will apply to both casinos and sportsbooks. iGaming Ontario is the body that will oversee online casinos in the province. This new organization is a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Right now the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is the only entity officially registered in Ontario to accept online casino players. The province site playOLG has a number of casino games available, but players have not necessarily been flocking to the site as the selection is limited.
Canadian casino bets online are mostly placed on the “grey market”. A number of online casinos operate in an area that is legally murky. Using online casinos may technically be illegal, but the law is not clear on legal casinos that are registered elsewhere but allow Ontario residents to play.
The AGCO has already started issuing registrations. PointsBet Canada was one of the first to confirm that it had been granted a license. While the brand is primarily sports betting, it has offered online casino services as part of its repertoire in states south of the border, like Michigan. Rivalry Corp and theScore Bet have also been granted permission to operate.
Background to legalization
Previously it was illegal for Canadians to bet online on single games of sport, including racing, and any other type of wagering online, which covers online casinos too. In fact, since 1892, gambling has been illegal in all forms under the Canadian Criminal code. Gradual changes have come about but nothing as significant as the most recent reversal in policy.
In June 2021 Bill C-218 passed in Canada’s Senate. This bill marked a huge shift for the Canadian legal system. Over time more governments have realized the profits that could be made by making gambling legal.
The law has opened the door to provinces being able to regulate their own markets, but each province still has to decide exactly how to put online gambling provisions into practice.
What Ontario residents can expect
To capture a piece of the lucrative online gaming market, there will most likely be plenty of opening offers from large online casino operators. If recent stateside launches are an indication, there will be a number of special offers to entice Ontarians to register with the new online casinos.
For example, most online casinos when they launch offer the opportunity to gamble for free, or some form of free bonus money to spin online slots and other games. Casinos like Golden Nugget Casino Ontario will more than likely have offers like matching a player’s first deposit at a rate of up to 100%.
Other casinos have offers like a no-deposit bonus, where players don’t have to deposit anything at all but receive some form of casino credit to try the casino with no obligation.
In New York state, the launch in January 2022 of legal online casinos and sports betting was welcomed by residents. In the first nine days alone, 603 Million USD was wagered on sports alone.
There is also massive interest from Ontario bettors, who will be setting an example for the rest of the Canadian provinces. Lessons learned in Ontario will be used by others looking to launch online casinos, such as British Columbia or Alberta.
Benefits to the province
Legalizing online casinos in Ontario is expected to have a number of advantages for the province. Revenue from the casinos is the first and most significant. However, there are also the benefits that bettors will experience.
Right now Ontario residents have only one option for legal, regulated online gaming. The province-operated OLG is the only Canadian-registered casino online. That means that many people now bet at offshore and unlicensed casinos.
These casinos, some of them fraudulent, are not covered by Canadian law. This leaves Ontario online casino fans with no legal protection. Regulating the industry will ensure that Ontario casinos have oversight from a government body. Among other things, one of the roles of a regulator is to make sure games are fair and that the organizations running the casinos are legitimate.
As online casino play becomes more popular, it is likely to generate larger income for the province and attract more investment. This could pave the way for some exciting times ahead and the opportunity to do more with the monies the province collects. Ontario has a population of 15 million people, making it the fifth most populous province in the United States and Canada. The money collected by the province from online casinos is projected to be impressive.
What’s next for Ontario’s online casinos
Recently a number of hurdles to the launch, including legal challenges, have come to the forefront. Controversy in the form of outcry from First Nations groups, as well as the land-based casino industry representatives, Great Canadian Gaming, means that there is a possibility the launch may be delayed or even shut down completely.
However, none of the challenges so far have succeeded. So for now April 4 is still the projected date when Ontarians can start gambling in a regulated, safe market.
