New figures published by iGaming Ontario reveal another record year for the province’s online gambling market. The market performance report is good news for the sector and for Ontario. As the first Canadian province to establish its own competitive iGaming market, this was uncharted territory. However, any fears that the market could slow down have now been alleviated.
The sector grew by more than 20% year on year in January 2026, according to the first report of the year from iGO, which commercially manages Ontario’s private operators. iGo works with regulator AGCO to oversee Canada’s only competitive online gambling market. Ontario launched its regulated iGaming market in April 2022, allowing private operators to legally compete under provincial oversight. In contrast, most other provinces still operate under a model of provincial government monopolies.
The newly published figures show that Ontario’s market has grown quickly. As a result, Ontario is not only the largest regulated market in Canada by a long stretch, but one of the largest iGaming markets globally. Ontario’s total operator revenue has now reached around $10.2 billion.
The cumulative tax revenue for Ontario over that period is estimated at $2.04 billion, with last year’s tax revenue contributing $807 million of that sum. Those funds ultimately go to the provincial government, helping to fund infrastructure, hospitals, education, and community programs. The fact that Ontario is able to raise such large sums for its coffers without the need to raise traditional taxes is undoubtedly a point of envy for other provinces.
Those jurisdictions that don’t operate a competitive market like Ontario’s are losing out to offshore operators, who take the profits but fail to contribute to the local economy. Tax revenue is only part of the impact, though. Ontario’s thriving iGaming market supports a wide range of jobs across marketing, technology, and customer support, to name a few. Toronto is now home to numerous international operators, who have planted their offices there and further afield in the province.
A portion of that gambling-related revenue is funneled into funding responsible gambling programs. These include addiction treatment programs, public awareness campaigns, and research into gambling behaviors. These programs help to offset the social costs that can arise from the gambling industry and focus on protecting players.
Ontario’s residents benefit in other ways, too. By regulating the market, Ontario is able to reduce instances of fraud and the number of unsafe platforms. Quality control is exercised when managing licenses, which ensures fair play and access to secure payment platforms. Players who encounter issues are able to raise these within a legal framework. While regulation does come with its own costs, these are by far outweighed by reduced enforcement costs and the reduced financial harm to consumers.
Ontario’s online gambling market is largely fueled by the online casino niche. In December 2025, iGaming was responsible for around $8.3 billion of the total $9.5 billion wagered. Last year saw a number of new operators join Ontario’s market. Currently, The Ontario iGaming market consists of 47 licensed operators. Together, these operate a total of 81 casino platforms. As with any online gambling market, competition is rife, and navigating the best platforms, games, and bonuses can be a tricky task for consumers. Ontarians can discover the best Ontario based online casinos at Casino.org Canada, where a team of experts has compiled clear and concise guides.
While it is clear that online casinos remain the powerhouse of Ontario’s online gambling market, sports betting also performed well. Monthly handles consistently approached $1 billion. During December 2025, sportsbooks saw $1.09 billion placed in wagers, around 11% of the year’s total. This surge was fueled by major sports events, including the NFL. December’s total was an impressive 150% higher than the year prior, when $39.6 million was generated.
DAZN Bet is a significant new entry to the province this year. The multimedia sports streaming platform will now be able to offer residents access to its sports betting and iGaming platform. As a streaming provider, DAZN aims to be a one-stop shop for those who enjoy watching and wagering on sports, such as the NFL.
It will be interesting to see what impact DAZN Bet will have on Ontario’s sports betting market, considering its unique structure. Its entry to the market marks a growing trend for platforms that prioritize convenience and blur the lines between gambling and broader entertainment.
This trend is evident at online casinos too, where social features are on the rise. In an effective bid to appeal to new and younger audiences, operators are increasingly incorporating features like community leaderboards, weekly competitions and prizes, and the capacity to communicate with other players.
That strategy appears to be working, as the newly published figures show that customer engagement is steadily rising. The number of active accounts rose 24.5% on the previous year, to 1.267 million. Those accounts were far from idle, with the average revenue per account increasing 27% to $334.
The continued rise of Ontario’s online casino market signifies a positive shift amongst residents towards locally licensed and regulated platforms. A study published by AGCO and iGo found that 83.7% of players surveyed between January and February 2005 said that they had used a regulated gambling site. At the time of the market launch, this figure was much lower as most online gambling activity took place at offshore platforms.
This is evidence, if any is needed, that consumers are willing to move away from offshore sites when competitive, regulated alternatives are provided. That is a fact that other provinces considering following Ontario’s lead are sure to take note of. Alberta is already well on its way to following suit, and is on target to launch its own private iGaming market in the summer.
The success of Ontario’s online gambling market isn’t measured purely by healthy revenue growth. The rate of channelization, or the shift from offshore to regulated sites, is key to gauging how well Ontario’s private operators are performing. The fact that the majority of players are opting for regulated sites over unregulated sites is proof that the competitive market is not just working, but thriving.
