Ontario market expands as provinces weigh changes
11 November 2026
Ontario's regulated online gambling market continues to grow at a rapid pace, now serving as a model for other Canadian provinces considering similar frameworks. In September 2026 alone, the Ontario iGaming market recorded a staggering CA$9.71 billion in wagers, a 13.6% year-over-year increase, according to figures from iGaming Ontario. This breakneck expansion is far from isolated, as multiple provinces are currently exploring or have already begun implementing Ontario-style competitive iGaming frameworks.
Underpinning Ontario's online gambling boom are its increasingly permissive legal and regulatory landscape. Ontario first opened its online gambling market to private operators in April 2022, allowing for thriving competition among casino games and sports betting operators in the space. Since then, the market has rapidly matured, with 49 licensed operators running 84 gaming websites as of 2026. This has resulted in a significant impact on Canada's casino sector: C$3.6 billion in iGaming revenue for 2026 so far, taxed at a 20% effective rate and excluding Proline platform revenue. To put things in perspective: at the mid-year mark of 2026, casino operators had already booked C$1.83 billion in revenue, a 47.3% increase year-over-year compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
Meanwhile, other provinces are closely monitoring Ontario's success and actively debating whether to follow suit. Alberta, for instance, opened its competitive online gaming market on July 13, 2026, only several months ago, and the results are already noticeable. By the end of September 2026, the province had already recorded CA$1.28 billion in wagers, a substantial increase from CA$1.06 billion in August. With 29 operators and 50 approved brands, Alberta's market is still in its infancy but showing strong early signs of growth. The Alberta iGaming Corporation reports that from its July 13 launch through that September, commercial platforms in the province produced $122 million in gross gaming revenue across 51 active websites. With a model where the provincial General Revenue Fund receives 20% of private operators' net revenue and 1% of gross gaming revenue is earmarked for responsible gambling initiatives, Alberta seems poised for continued expansion.
League Executives Express Enthusiasm for Ontario
The success of Ontario and Alberta has not gone unnoticed by industry insiders. Jay Snowden, CEO of PENN Entertainment, recently expressed optimism about the potential for other provinces to join the fray. In a Q3 earnings call, Snowden characterised Ontario as "a really good story" in terms of online sports betting, iGaming, and tax generation, and commended Alberta on its promising start. He went on to state, "I would be surprised if there will not continue to be conversation at the other provinces in Canada," adding that he is "encouraged that will likely play out over the coming quarters and years."
Another major player looking on with keen interest is the Canadian Football League (CFL). As leagues across North America increasingly embrace legal sports betting as a revenue stream, the CFL has been particularly active in talks with potential partners and stakeholders, particularly in the provinces with more permissive regulatory landscapes. With Ontario and Alberta leading the charge, CFL executives have made it clear they see emerging opportunities to maximise the new market by expanding partnerships and content through its recent CFL iGaming partnership.
Nova Scotia Not Immune to iGaming Expansion
While some provinces are already embracing Ontario's model, others are still weighing their options. Nova Scotia's Finance Minister, John Lohr, revealed in late October 2026 that conversations about expanding the province's online gambling market are underway, with a particular focus on the developments in Ontario and Alberta. Currently, Nova Scotia permits only one regulated online gambling platform, operated by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, while residents can also access unlicensed offshore sites that fall outside provincial regulation. Lohr has expressed concern about the lack of a full picture of the social impact of online wagering and the potential harms of gambling addiction.
A Public Health Perspective
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's opposition parties are calling for caution. Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin has demanded a public health risk assessment before expanding gambling services, while NDP Leader Claudia Chender has advised the province to "tread very, very carefully" before increasing government involvement in online gambling.
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Indeed, Ontario's expansion of regulated online gambling has coincided with a doubling of emergency department visits related to gambling disorders, according to research from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). Additionally, data from Ontario high schools shows that the share of students reporting online gambling rose from about 1% in 2019 to approximately 9% in 2026, highlighting the potential risks for younger demographics.
Addressing these concerns, Ontario has introduced restrictions on athletes appearing in gambling advertisements and allocated 1% of gross gaming revenue to responsible gambling initiatives. However, critics argue that more coordinated efforts are needed to mitigate the potential negative impacts of expanding online gambling.
| Responsible Gambling Initiatives in Ontario | Details |
|---|---|
| Athlete Restrictions | Ontario has restricted athletes from appearing in gambling advertisements |
| Revenue Allocation | 1% of gross gaming revenue is allocated to responsible gambling initiatives |
| Social Impact Studies | The province has conducted research on the social impact of online gambling, including a doubling of emergency department visits related to gambling disorders from previous years |
Ontario: A Challenge for Offshore Operators in Atlantic Canada
If Northeast Canada is one of the last remaining bastions of offshore interests, market research from TRM Public Affairs estimates the addressable online iGaming market at C$921 million in gross gaming revenue annually, with about 25% of activity in regulated channels and 75% flowing to offshore operators. This translates to a potential C$168 million in forgone government revenue at a 20% provincial tax rate, providing a significant fiscal incentive for provinces to consider adopting Ontario-style frameworks. New Brunswick, for example, has already introduced Bill 8 to create a regulatory framework for live-dealer online casino games and is considering whether to adopt an Ontario-style commercial model. Moreover, Quebec's recent election results, with parties that campaigned on ending Loto-Québec's iGaming monopoly winning 99 of 127 National Assembly seats, signal a potential shift in policy towards a licensed private-operator framework modeled on Ontario and Alberta.
The Alberta iGaming Corporation has also confirmed its interest in exploring shared liquidity pools within Canada for online poker, with discussions on a memorandum of understanding with Ontario to potentially allow players from both provinces to compete in the same games. If realised, this would create a combined pool of more than 21 million people, with the potential for significant growth in the Canadian online poker market.
In Summary
Ontario's online gambling market has seen explosive growth, with CA$9.71 billion in wagers recorded in September 2026 alone. This rapid expansion has captured the attention of other Canadian provinces, with Alberta already opening its competitive online gaming market and other provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec, actively exploring or considering similar frameworks.
As the iGaming landscape in Canada continues to evolve, stakeholders are closely monitoring the developments in Ontario and Alberta, assessing the potential opportunities and challenges posed by the growth of online gambling. With the success of Ontario's model and the continued interest from industry insiders and potential partners, it remains to be seen how the Canadian iGaming market will shape up in the coming years and what the future holds for the provinces that follow in Ontario's footsteps.