How do I confirm a casino's Ontario registration is currently active and has not been suspended?

Your fastest, most reliable check is the official registry maintained by iGaming Ontario at igamingontario.ca/en/player/regulated-igaming-market. That's the authoritative source — not a third-party review site, not a Google search, not the casino's own claims about itself.

What "fully registered" actually means in Ontario

In Ontario, being a fully registered and authorized operator in the igaming market means the organization has successfully received a registration by the AGCO and, with the exception of OLG.ca, has executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Both steps are required — AGCO registration alone isn't enough. Private gaming operators must successfully register with the AGCO and execute an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario before they may begin offering their games to players in Ontario.

The iGaming Ontario registry is the live record of every site that has cleared both hurdles. It is updated every time a new site offered by a regulated and authorized operator is made available. If a site's name isn't on that list, it has no business taking money from Ottawa players — full stop.

On-site signals to look for

Beyond the registry lookup, regulated Ontario sites carry two logos that serve as visible markers of their standing: the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo. Per iGaming Ontario, seeing both tells you the site is managed by iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO. All igaming operators in Ontario participate in BetGuard, a tool that allows people to opt out of all regulated online gambling in Ontario. An operator that has been suspended or removed from the market would no longer legitimately display these.

Think of the two checks as working together: the logos are a quick visual cue when you land on a site; the registry is the definitive verification you do before depositing.

What happens when an operator falls out of compliance

The AGCO monitors igaming operators and suppliers for compliance with regulatory obligations, and where compliance concerns are identified, can bring operators back into compliance through progressive sanctions — including warnings, suspensions, monetary penalties, and in the most serious cases, revocations. A suspended or revoked operator would disappear from the iGaming Ontario registry. The AGCO's own "List of Registered Internet Gaming Operators" page confirms that the directory of all fully registered and authorized operators and their igaming sites is available via the iGaming Ontario website — so the AGCO itself points you there as the single source of truth.

The practical three-step check for Ottawa players

• Look up the registry. Go to igamingontario.ca and confirm the site's exact domain name appears on the operator list. Domain matters — a near-identical URL is a red flag.
• Check the on-site logos. A legitimate Ontario-regulated site displays both the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos, typically in the footer.
• Verify the AGCO's own page. agco.ca/en/lottery-and-gaming/list-registered-internet-gaming-operators cross-references the same registry and is worth bookmarking.

One practical note for anyone physically in Ottawa: you must be physically located in Ontario to play on these sites, so geolocation is part of the regulated experience regardless of where your account is registered.

If you ever feel your gambling is becoming less of a pastime and more of a pressure, ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is Ontario's free, confidential support line — worth knowing about. Play is for adults 19 and older.