What happens to my personal data if I stop using an Ontario online casino account?

Closing vs. deactivating: the distinction matters

Under the AGCO's Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, a "deactivated account" is simply a player account that has been made no longer available to the player for log on and use. That's a functional lock, not an erasure. Players may elect to deactivate their account at any time and, once that election is made, the account is deactivated — but the underlying records remain. The standards are explicit: if player information is removed, it must be retained in accordance with Standard 1.09 or other records retention requirements that may apply.

Standard 1.09 sets the floor: information, including logs, related to compliance with the law, the Standards and Requirements, and/or adherence with control activities shall be retained for a minimum of three years, unless otherwise stated. In practice, some categories of records are kept longer — financial transaction data, for instance, is subject to anti-money-laundering rules under federal FINTRAC obligations that can require retention beyond that baseline.

What exactly gets kept, and why

The breadth of what operators are required to log is substantial. The standards mandate that records include player identity details (including verification results), account details and current balance, changes to account details, any self-imposed player protection limitations or exclusions, details of any previous accounts including reasons for deactivation, and deposit/withdrawal history. This isn't bureaucratic overkill — it exists so that disputes can be resolved, investigations completed, and any remaining funds returned to you. On that last point: where an account becomes dormant or is deactivated by a player or another authorized individual, the player shall be able to recover the balance of their account owing to them.

The security obligations don't expire when you close the account either. Sensitive data, including player information, shall be secured and protected from unauthorized access or use at all times. And data backups shall be stored off-site in a secure location and in accordance with applicable policies and laws.

Privacy law and your rights

Ontario's regulated iGaming market sits at the intersection of two privacy frameworks. Personal information collected by iGaming Ontario or operators on its behalf is collected in accordance with Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and other applicable laws. Private-sector operators are also subject to PIPEDA, Canada's federal commercial privacy law, which requires that data be used only for the purpose it was collected and disposed of securely once it's no longer needed.

Critically, you retain rights even after closing your account. You have the right to request deletion of any personal information in iGaming Ontario's custody or under its control; if that information cannot be deleted, you will be informed of this decision. The catch: some data legally cannot be deleted — anything tied to regulatory compliance, anti-fraud, or anti-money-laundering requirements has to stay. You can make a written access or correction request directly to iGaming Ontario or the operator. After the applicable retention period for records containing personal information has lapsed, the records will be securely disposed of in accordance with iGO's policies and applicable laws.

One thing worth knowing: personal information collected while providing and administering igaming services may be stored by operators outside the Province of Ontario or Canada, and is retained in accordance with its records retention policies. That's standard for global platforms operating in Ontario's regulated market, and it's disclosed in operator privacy policies — worth reading before you sign up, not after.

If you're stepping back from gambling for any reason, Ontario's centralized self-exclusion service, BetGuard (betguard.ca), lets anyone 19+ exclude from all registered Ontario online operators in a single request. It's worth knowing that's available. And if you ever need to talk to someone, ConnexOntario is reachable at 1-866-531-2600.

For the definitive list of which operators are registered in Ontario, the AGCO directs players to the directory of all fully registered and authorized operators and their igaming sites, available via the iGaming Ontario website. That's the only source worth trusting — any site not on that list falls outside the regulated market.