How does Ontario's iGaming regulatory model compare to a lottery-based model used in other provinces?

Ontario's approach to online gambling is genuinely unlike anything else in Canada right now — and understanding the difference matters if you're playing from Ottawa.

The core legal framework: one Criminal Code, two very different implementations

Canada's Criminal Code prohibits gambling broadly, with a key exception for lottery schemes that are "conducted and managed" by provincial governments. Every province that offers legal online gambling — Ontario included — operates within that same exception. The difference is in how each province uses it.

In most other provinces (British Columbia with PlayNow, Alberta with PlayAlberta, Quebec with Espace-jeux, and so on), the provincial lottery corporation is both the operator and the only legal option. One government-run site, one product catalogue, take it or leave it. That's the traditional lottery-monopoly model: the province conducts, manages, and directly runs the site itself.

Ontario went a different direction. A regulated igaming market means the provincial government has instituted rules to determine what organizations may operate legally — similar to industries like alcohol and cannabis. Rather than running a single government site, Ontario built a framework where multiple private operators can enter the market, compete with each other, and serve players — provided they clear a rigorous approval process.

How the Ontario model actually works

Two bodies share responsibility, with deliberately separate roles. The AGCO is the regulator of Ontario's regulated igaming market. iGaming Ontario was originally established in July 2021 as a lottery subsidiary of the AGCO; iGO became an independent agency as of May 2025 and is responsible for conducting and managing igaming when provided through private operators.

Being a fully registered and authorized operator in the igaming market means the organization has successfully received registration by the AGCO and, with the exception of OLG.ca, has executed an operating agreement with iGO. To complete these steps, these organizations will have met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections and social responsibility.

The AGCO sets the rules and enforces them. iGO signs the commercial contracts, reconciles revenues, and oversees operator obligations. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation conducts and manages OLG.ca as an Ontario government agency. Before Ontario's igaming market launched on April 4, 2022, OLG was the only internet gaming site regulated by the AGCO. Following the launch of Ontario's new internet gaming market, other internet gaming operators registered by the AGCO and under the conduct and management of iGaming Ontario are also able to offer their games and services to Ontarians. So OLG.ca still exists and still competes — it just no longer has the field to itself.

What this means for players in Ottawa

The practical difference is significant. Where the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's casino, poker, and sports betting offering were once the only option, players in Ontario can now select from different gaming options with even more variety. In a monopoly-model province, you get one platform's game selection, one set of banking options, and one customer service operation. In Ontario, multiple private operators compete for your business under the same regulatory standards — which tends to drive broader game libraries and more payment flexibility.

The tradeoff is complexity: you need to know which sites are actually registered. Ontario's open and regulated internet gaming market is a model that continues to gain national and global attention, but not every site that accepts Ontario players is part of it. The full list of registered operators is published and kept current at iGamingOntario.ca — that's the live source of truth. Registered sites display both the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo; seeing both is your signal the site is legitimate and regulated by the AGCO.

The market's channelization rate — the share of Ontario online gamblers playing on regulated sites — has also climbed steadily. The 2024–25 fiscal year saw wagers placed by 2.6 million active player accounts, and 83.7% of Ontario players reported playing on a regulated site in an online survey fielded between January and February of 2025. That's a meaningful shift away from unregulated offshore sites, which is exactly what the model was designed to achieve.

One player-protection feature Ontario's model shares with the monopoly provinces — and has now extended across all registered operators — is centralized self-exclusion. BetGuard (betguard.ca) lets any 19+ Ontario player exclude themselves from every registered operator in a single request, with terms ranging from six months to a custom period. If you ever want that resource, or any support around gambling habits, ConnexOntario is available at 1-866-531-2600.