Ontario is Among North America’s Top Gambling Jurisdictions

Ontario has skyrocketed to the top tier of North America’s online gambling industry.

In just three years, Ontario has built a regulated iGaming market rivaling the biggest U.S. states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania.

With billions in revenue, fierce competition among private operators, and strong government oversight, Ontario’s model is winning both players and industry leaders.

Let’s explore how Ontario became a digital gambling powerhouse — and what’s next for this dynamic market.

Ontario’s Online Gambling Boom: How the Province Climbed Near the Top in North America

3 Key Points You Should Know

• Ontario generated over USD $5.2 billion in iGaming revenue in its first three years.
• Online casinos, not sports betting, drive most of Ontario’s gambling surge.
• BetMGM leads among 49 licensed operators, but competition is fierce.

Ontario’s Rise: From Regulation to Record Revenues

Ontario launched its regulated online gambling market in April 2022. Before that, gambling in Canada was largely dominated by government monopolies and unregulated offshore sites.

Opening the market to private operators proved to be a game-changer.

By early 2025, Ontario reported USD $5.22 billion in iGaming revenue — second only to Michigan among North American jurisdictions with legal online casinos and sports betting.

Impressively, this figure does not include revenue from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which historically contributes around 20% of the province’s gambling income.

If OLG numbers are added, Ontario might even overtake Michigan as the continent’s top regulated market.

Casino Gaming Powers Ontario’s Growth

While sports betting grabs headlines, the real revenue engine in Ontario is online casino gaming.

In fiscal year 2024–2025, Ontario’s gross gaming revenue hit CA$3.2 billion, up 32% year-over-year.

Of that, online casino games contributed CA$2.4 billion, a 36% increase from the previous year.

Sports and novelty betting generated CA$724 million, while peer-to-peer poker added CA$66 million.

Players wagered a staggering CA$69.6 billion on casino games, dwarfing the CA$11.4 billion bet on sports and the CA$1.7 billion wagered on poker.

Ontario’s final fiscal quarter (ending March 2025) set a new record:

• CA$903 million in revenue
• CA$22.9 billion in total wagers

BetMGM: Leading in Ontario’s Competitive Field

Ontario’s regulatory model encourages robust competition. As of early 2025, the province hosts 49 licensed operators running 84 gaming websites.

Among them, BetMGM has emerged as the market leader.

CEO Adam Greenblatt announced at the Canadian Gaming Business conference that BetMGM expanded its market share in Ontario in Q1 2025.

Previously, at the 2024 SBC Summit North America, Greenblatt noted BetMGM’s 22% market share across casino and sports betting.

This leadership demonstrates the strength of BetMGM’s brand — but also the intense competition pushing all operators to innovate.

Ontario Outpaces the Rest of Canada

Ontario’s open-market model has left other Canadian provinces in the dust.

• British Columbia still runs under a government monopoly, projecting CA$470 million in 2024–25 revenue.
• Alberta expects CA$235 million.
• Quebec, despite reporting CA$2.9 billion in total gambling revenue, includes land-based casinos and lotteries, not just online gaming.

Ontario’s strategy of inviting private operators has clearly paid off.

As Heidi Reinhart, Chair of iGaming Ontario, put it:

“These results show Ontario is home to a truly dynamic iGaming market with a strong roster of operators and a world-class list of games available for players.”

The Challenge of Illegal Gambling

Despite strong regulation, Ontario faces a stubborn problem: illegal and unregulated gambling sites.

An IPSOS study commissioned by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) revealed:

• 83.7% of players used licensed sites in 2025.
• 16.3% of players still gambled exclusively on unregulated platforms, up from 13.6% the year before.
• 20.2% of players using regulated platforms also placed bets on illegal sites.

This suggests that the grey and black markets remain entrenched.

The AGCO acknowledged:

“A notable amount of gaming continues to occur on unregulated sites. Those players are therefore not safeguarded by Ontario’s high standards of game integrity and player protections.”

To combat this, the AGCO has ramped up enforcement, but critics say progress is slow.

Ontario’s Future: A Model for Other Provinces

As Ontario enters its fourth year of regulated online gambling, the market shows no signs of slowing down.

The province’s success offers a blueprint for other Canadian regions, especially Alberta, which is exploring regulatory reform to open its gambling sector.

According to Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association:

“Given the strong revenue numbers for the year, it’s clear Ontarians prefer operators in the regulated marketplace.”

Ontario has become a powerhouse in North America’s online gambling industry.

Its open-market model, driven by strong regulation, competitive operators, and player trust, has propelled it near the top.

While challenges like illegal gambling remain, Ontario’s progress stands as a testament to the potential of well-regulated, competitive iGaming markets.

For other provinces — and even U.S. states — Ontario offers a case study in how to balance innovation, revenue growth, and consumer protection.

As the province moves forward, expect even more expansion, innovation, and leadership in the digital gambling space.