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Sub-national
North America

Ontario (Canada): gambling regulation and licensing

Province of Ontario

Part of Canada

  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
  • Online bingoRegulated
  • Lottery and iLotteryMonopoly
  • Esports bettingRegulated
  • Daily fantasy sportsRegulated
  • Prediction marketsProhibited
Regulator
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario · Directory profile
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
21 Oct 2026

Summary

Ontario opened Canada's first competitive regulated online gambling market on 4 April 2022. The Criminal Code lets only a province conduct and manage a lottery scheme, so iGaming Ontario, a Crown agency reporting to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, conducts and manages the games while private operators run sites as its agents under operating agreements. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario registers operators and suppliers and enforces the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. Online casino, sports and event betting, peer-to-peer poker and bingo, esports and fantasy contests are open to players aged 19 and over, while OLG keeps online lottery. There is no separate gaming tax: iGaming Ontario keeps 20% of gaming revenue and remits 80% to operators, and the AGCO charges C$100,000 a year per gaming site. In the year to March 2026 the market took C$103.3 billion in cash wagers and produced C$4.27 billion of gaming revenue, up 32.6%, and an Ipsos study for the regulators found 91.1% of online gamblers used regulated sites. The rules are among the strictest in North America: athletes are banned from advertising, bonuses may not be advertised publicly, slots cannot autoplay, and since 14 May 2026 BetGuard lets a player exclude themselves from every regulated site at once. Enforcement is steady, including a C$350,000 penalty on FanDuel for missed match-fixing signals and a first proposed suspension, of PointsBet. The main open question is international liquidity: a Court of Appeal majority held in November 2025 that Ontario's proposed model would be lawful, and the Supreme Court of Canada heard the lottery corporations' appeal on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment.

Common pitfalls

iGaming Ontario market figures exclude OLG's igaming offering and pari-mutuel horse racing, are unaudited and subject to adjustment, and the annual totals here are sums of the monthly figures. Active player accounts are the monthly average for April 2025 to March 2026 and count accounts, not unique players. The 20% iGaming Ontario share is a contractual revenue share, not a tax. Ontario players cannot yet play against players outside Ontario (Standard 3.02); that changes only if the appeal and the Standards allow it.

Key facts

Regulator
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
Regulator type
Sub-national body
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
19+
Tax base
Ontario levies no separate gaming tax on operators. iGaming Ontario is the principal: operators remit all wagers less winnings and eligible promotional deductions to iGO, which remits 80% of that gaming revenue back to each operator as compensation under its operating agreement and keeps 20%. iGO itself is exempt from income tax and pays most of its earnings to the Province as a dividend.
Capital
Toronto
Currency
CAD
Official languages
English, French

How to get a gambling licence in Ontario

The regulator is the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

We record 3 licence types for Ontario.

For the Internet gaming operator registration (AGCO), the annual fee is C$100,000.

Financial guarantee
Operators must give iGaming Ontario performance security under the operating agreement, as a cash deposit, letter of credit, surety bond or another acceptable instrument.

Licence fees in Ontario

Licence typeApplication feeAnnual feeTerm
Internet gaming operator registration (AGCO)C$100,000 a year per gaming site, paid with the application; each distinct site needs its own registrationNot yet verifiedC$100,000One or two years
Gaming-related supplier registrationC$3,000 a year; C$15,000 for a manufacturer of gaming equipmentNot yet verifiedC$3,000Not yet verified
Non-gaming-related supplier registrationC$2,000 a yearNot yet verifiedC$2,000Not yet verified

Built from the record on this page, last verified 21 Oct 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Not yet verified
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Active licences
49 (as of 1 Sept 2026)
Bank guarantee or bond
Operators must give iGaming Ontario performance security under the operating agreement, as a cash deposit, letter of credit, surety bond or another acceptable instrument.
Certification requirements
Games, random number generators and gaming system components must be approved by the Registrar or certified by an independent testing laboratory registered by the Registrar before use (Standard 4.08).
Barriers to entry
Entry needs two things: AGCO registration for each gaming site at C$100,000 a year, and an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario under which the operator runs the site as iGO's agent and is remitted 80% of gaming revenue. Operators must also stop any unregulated activity that would need registration in Ontario (Standard 1.22). The iGO directory listed 49 operators running 84 gaming websites on 1 September 2026.

Licence types

  • Internet gaming operator registration (AGCO)

    Scope
    Operating an internet gaming site in Ontario; the operator must also sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario
    Term
    One or two years
    Annual fee
    C$100,000
    Fee basis
    C$100,000 a year per gaming site, paid with the application; each distinct site needs its own registration
    Renewal terms
    Fees payable to match the chosen term

  • Gaming-related supplier registration

    Scope
    Suppliers of gaming services and equipment, including game studios supplying Ontario sites
    Annual fee
    C$3,000
    Fee basis
    C$3,000 a year; C$15,000 for a manufacturer of gaming equipment

  • Non-gaming-related supplier registration

    Scope
    Suppliers of non-gaming goods and services
    Annual fee
    C$2,000
    Fee basis
    C$2,000 a year

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
4 Apr 2022
Tax base
Ontario levies no separate gaming tax on operators. iGaming Ontario is the principal: operators remit all wagers less winnings and eligible promotional deductions to iGO, which remits 80% of that gaming revenue back to each operator as compensation under its operating agreement and keeps 20%. iGO itself is exempt from income tax and pays most of its earnings to the Province as a dividend.

Earmarked levies

  • iGaming Ontario share of gaming revenue: 20% of gaming revenue (wagers less winnings and eligible deductions); operators are remitted 80% (iGaming Ontario, then the Province of Ontario)
  • Ontario First Nations revenue sharing: 1.7% of the prior fiscal year's unadjusted gross gaming revenue, paid monthly by iGaming Ontario (Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership)
  • GST/HST on operator fees: 13%, self-assessed by iGaming Ontario on the fees it pays operators (Government of Canada)

Compliance

Minimum age
19+
KYC timing
Before account creation
AML regime
Operators must run AML policies supporting obligations under the federal PCMLTFA, give the Registrar copies of FINTRAC reports, and set risk-based points at which they corroborate a player's source of funds (Standards 6.02 and 6.03). NorthStar Gaming was fined $100,000 in August 2026 for failing to apply its own enhanced due diligence.
AML supervisor
AGCO (Registrar's Standards) alongside FINTRAC under the PCMLTFA
Deposit limits
Operators must offer deposit and loss limits at registration and at any time, over periods including 24 hours, 7 days and one month; a request to relax a limit takes effect only after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours (Standards 2.23 and 2.24).
Loss limits
Loss limits must be offered on the same terms as deposit limits (Standard 2.23).
Session limits
Time-based limits must be offered, and players must be able to take a break of one day, one week, one month, two months or three months (Standards 2.13 and 2.23).
Affordability checks
No prescribed affordability test. Operators must monitor player risk profiles and intervene when signs of harm appear (Standards 2.01 and 2.10); theScore was fined $105,000 in October 2025 for failing to do so.
Source of funds thresholds
No prescribed threshold; each operator sets risk-based triggers (Standard 6.03).
KYC requirements
Name, date of birth, address, contact details and the information required under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act must be collected and validated before an account is created (Standard 3.04). One account per player per site.
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Mandatory player messaging
Slots sessions must show the player's net position in Canadian dollars, players must be able to track time, and advertising must carry a responsible gambling message (Standards 2.08, 2.21 and 2.22).
Reporting obligations
Operators notify the AGCO under its notification matrix, give it copies of FINTRAC reports, and must report unusual or suspicious betting to Independent Integrity Monitors.
Game content restrictions
Slots: no autoplay, no simultaneous multi-slot play, at least 2.5 seconds per game cycle, no turbo, quick spin or slam stop, and no win celebrations for returns at or below the stake (Standards 2.16 to 2.20).

Minimum age by vertical

  • Lottery and iLottery: 18+

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Affiliate rules
Operators are responsible for third parties acting for them (Standard 1.19) and must ensure their affiliates do not also market sites taking bets from Ontario without AGCO registration (Standard 1.21).
Sponsorship rules
The Standards contain no sponsorship-specific rule; the content restrictions in Standard 2.03 apply to all advertising and marketing materials.
Celebrity and influencer rules
Athletes are banned outright unless the content only advocates responsible gambling. Celebrities, role models, influencers, entertainers, cartoon figures and symbols are banned where they would likely be expected to appeal to minors.
Social media rules
The ban on public inducement advertising covers targeted and algorithm-based ads; direct messages on social media count as direct marketing and need opt-in consent (Standards 2.05 and 2.07).
Bonus advertising rules
Bonuses may be advertised only on the operator's site or by direct marketing after active consent, must disclose material conditions, and may not be called free or risk-free if the player must risk their own money (Standards 2.05 to 2.07).
Mandatory warnings
Advertising and marketing materials must contain a responsible gambling message (Standard 2.08).
Penalties for breach
The AGCO can impose monetary penalties or move to suspend or revoke a registration; PointsBet was penalised for advertising and inducement breaches in May 2022. A provincial bill to ban igaming advertising (Bill 107) was lost at second reading on 14 May 2026.

Restrictions

  • Advertising by registered operators is governed by the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, enforced by the AGCO.
  • Since 28 February 2024 active or retired athletes may not be used in igaming advertising and marketing except exclusively to advocate responsible gambling (Standard 2.03).
  • Celebrities, role models, social media influencers, entertainers, cartoon figures and symbols likely to appeal to minors are prohibited, as are billboards next to schools and media aimed mainly at minors (Standard 2.03).
  • Advertising must not target high-risk, underage, self-excluded or centrally self-excluded people (Standard 2.03).
  • Public advertising of inducements, bonuses and credits is prohibited; they may appear only on the operator site or in direct marketing to players who have actively opted in (Standards 2.05 and 2.07).

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Prohibited
Withdrawal timeframe rules
Withdrawals must be paid as soon as is practicable after verification, and only to an account the player legally holds (Standards 5.70 and 5.71).
Currency restrictions
Balances are shown in Canadian dollars; operators may not extend credit, allow negative balances or transfer funds between player accounts; cryptocurrency may not be accepted (Standards 5.69 and 5.74 to 5.79).

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
Warnings, orders of monetary penalty, conditions, and proposed or immediate suspension or revocation of registration; operators may ask the Licence Appeal Tribunal for a hearing within 15 days
Criminal penalties
Gaming Control Act offences carry fines of up to $50,000 or one year in prison for individuals and up to $500,000 for corporations (s.46)
Operator liability
Operators of gaming websites accessible in Ontario must be registered with the AGCO. Registered suppliers are penalised for letting their games reach unregulated sites.

Notable actions

  • NorthStar Gaming (Ontario) Inc.27 Aug 2026

    Order of monetary penalty for AML control failures

    Fine: C$100,000 as of 27 Aug 2026

  • Booming Games (Malta) Limited20 Aug 2026

    Monetary penalties for supplying slots with prohibited autoplay

    Fine: C$70,000 as of 20 Aug 2026

  • Betty Gaming Ltd.6 Aug 2026

    Monetary penalties after underage players created and funded accounts

    Fine: C$120,000 as of 6 Aug 2026

  • Relax Gaming Limited and Arrise Solutions Limited7 May 2026

    Orders of monetary penalty of $40,000 each for games found on unregulated sites accessible in Ontario

    Fine: C$80,000 as of 7 May 2026

  • PointsBet Canada12 Feb 2026

    Notice of proposed order to suspend its registration for five days over unreported suspicious NBA bets, a first in the Ontario igaming market

  • FanDuel Canada ULC8 Jan 2026

    Penalty for failing to identify and report suspicious betting on table tennis matches

    Fine: C$350,000 as of 8 Jan 2026

  • Score Media and Gaming Inc. (theScore)7 Oct 2025

    Monetary penalty for failing to address a high-risk player

    Fine: C$105,000 as of 7 Oct 2025

Market data

Figures on this record are drawn from official regulator data.

Online GGR
C$4,265,800,000 as of 31 Mar 2026
Reporting year
2026
Year-on-year growth
32.6%
Channelisation
91.1% (Ipsos survey commissioned by the AGCO and iGaming Ontario (year four, published May 2026): share of respondents who gambled online who reported doing so on regulated sites.)
Licensed operators
49
Active player accounts
1,171,000

GGR by vertical

  • Online casino: C$3,370,600,000 as of 31 Mar 2026
  • Online sports betting: C$823,900,000 as of 31 Mar 2026
  • Online poker: C$71,300,000 as of 31 Mar 2026

Timeline

  1. 4 Apr 2022

    Ontario's regulated igaming market opens and the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming take effect

  2. 2 Feb 2024

    Order in Council 210/2024 refers the international play question to the Court of Appeal

  3. 28 Feb 2024

    Ban on athletes in igaming advertising takes effect

  4. 12 May 2025

    iGaming Ontario Act, 2024 comes into force: iGaming Ontario separates from the AGCO and becomes a standalone Crown agency reporting to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming

  5. 12 Nov 2025

    Court of Appeal majority holds international play under the proposed model lawful (2025 ONCA 770)

  6. 10 Dec 2025

    Lottery corporations file a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada

  7. 8 Jan 2026

    FanDuel ordered to pay a C$350,000 penalty over betting integrity failures

  8. 14 May 2026

    BetGuard central self-exclusion launches and Standard 2.14.1 takes effect; Bill 107 advertising ban lost at second reading

  9. 21 May 2026

    Ipsos study puts the share of online gamblers using regulated sites at 91.1%

  10. 7 Oct 2026

    Supreme Court of Canada hearing on international play; judgment reserved

Outlook

The Supreme Court of Canada heard the international play appeal (file 42141) on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment; it will decide whether Ontario may let its players join games with players outside Canada, while the iGaming Ontario Act already allows games run with other provinces. The AGCO has said it will revisit whether operators must keep their own self-exclusion schemes within 12 months of the BetGuard launch, so by May 2027. Federally, Bill S-211 on a national sports betting advertising framework is at committee in the House of Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates online gambling in Ontario?
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario registers operators and enforces the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. iGaming Ontario, a Crown agency, conducts and manages the games, and operators run their sites as its agents under operating agreements.
Is there a gaming tax on Ontario operators?
No separate gaming tax. iGaming Ontario keeps 20% of gaming revenue (wagers less winnings and eligible deductions) and remits 80% to the operator, and the AGCO charges C$100,000 a year for each gaming site.
Can Ontario players play poker against players abroad?
Not yet. Games must be limited to players in Ontario unless run with another province. A Court of Appeal majority held international play under the proposed model lawful in November 2025 and the Supreme Court of Canada heard the appeal on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment.
What is the minimum age?
19, except that players aged 18 may buy lottery tickets online.
Is there a central self-exclusion scheme?
Yes. Since 14 May 2026 BetGuard lets anyone aged 19 or over exclude themselves from every regulated site, including OLG, for six months, one year, five years or a custom term, and all operators must take part.
Can operators advertise bonuses or use athletes?
Bonuses may be promoted only on the operator site or by direct marketing to players who have opted in. Athletes may appear only in content that exclusively promotes responsible gambling.
How much does a gambling licence cost in Ontario?
For the Internet gaming operator registration (AGCO), the annual fee is C$100,000. For the Gaming-related supplier registration, the annual fee is C$3,000. For the Non-gaming-related supplier registration, the annual fee is C$2,000. Last verified 21 Oct 2026.
Is online gambling legal in Ontario?
Online casino and online sports betting are both legal for licensed operators in Ontario. The status of every vertical is at the top of this page. Last verified 21 Oct 2026.

Glossary and directory

Glossary terms for this profile

iGT coverage of Ontario (Canada)

Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

  1. Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), section 207 (permitted lotteries; definition of lottery scheme)

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  2. Gaming Control Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 24 (consolidated from 12 May 2025)

    Government of Ontario (e-Laws)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  3. iGaming Ontario Act, 2024, S.O. 2024, c. 20, Sched. 9 (consolidated from 1 April 2026)

    Government of Ontario (e-Laws)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  4. Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming (printer version, last updated 14 May 2026)

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 May 2026
  5. Internet Gaming Fees

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  6. Internet Gaming Operator Application Guide

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  7. Internet gaming complaints

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  8. Monetary penalties (and AGCO Board guidelines under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019)

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  9. AGCO to ban athletes in Ontario's igaming advertising to protect minors

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 29 Aug 2023
  10. AGCO's Centralized Self-Exclusion Standards Are Now in Effect

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 May 2026
  11. Number of Ontarians choosing regulated over unregulated online gaming sites surges to 91%: Ipsos study

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 21 May 2026
  12. AGCO imposes $350,000 penalty to FanDuel for failing to appropriately protect betting integrity

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 8 Jan 2026
  13. AGCO moves to suspend PointsBet for failing to report suspicious NBA bets on Jontay Porter

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 12 Feb 2026
  14. AGCO issues $105,000 in penalties to theScore for alleged failure to address patron's high-risk gambling

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 Oct 2025
  15. AGCO takes enforcement action against two companies for allowing their games on unregulated gaming websites

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 May 2026
  16. AGCO penalizes Betty Gaming Ltd. $120,000 after underage individuals created and funded online gambling accounts

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 6 Aug 2026
  17. AGCO orders $70,000 penalty on Booming Games for undermining player protection with prohibited auto-play feature

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Aug 2026
  18. AGCO issues $100,000 monetary penalty to NorthStar Gaming for anti-money laundering control failures

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Aug 2026
  19. Monthly Market Performance Report and data tables (updated with data to July 2026)

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 26 Aug 2026
  20. Over 90% of Ontario igaming players choosing regulated market after 4 years of growth

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 21 May 2026
  21. BetGuard, Ontario's new tool to opt out of online gaming, is now available

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 May 2026
  22. What sites are regulated for play in Ontario? (directory accurate as of 2026-09-01)

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Sept 2026
  23. Financial Statements 2024-2025 (year ended 31 March 2025)

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 25 Jul 2025
  24. Reference re online gaming and international play (COA-24-CV-0185): Order in Council 210/2024 and record

    Court of Appeal for Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  25. Case 42141: Atlantic Lottery Corporation, et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario (docket; lower court ruling 2025 ONCA 770)

    Supreme Court of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026
  26. Factum of the appellants Atlantic Lottery Corporation et al., SCC file 42141 (summarises the 2025 ONCA 770 majority and dissent)

    Supreme Court of Canada (filed case document)

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026
  27. S-211 (45-1), National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act

    Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  28. Bill 107, Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, 2026 (text, status and votes)

    Legislative Assembly of Ontario

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  29. Decision in brief: Ontario Securities Commission v Blockratize Inc., Enforcement Proceeding, Settlement, April 17, 2025

    Capital Markets Tribunal (Ontario)

    Tier 1Accessed 21 Oct 2026Published 17 Apr 2025
  30. Prediction markets: CSA and CIRO provide guidance on certain types of event contracts (Joint CSA and CIRO Staff Notice 91-307)

    Canadian Securities Administrators

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Aug 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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