In April 2022, Ontario became a trendsetter when it created its own regulated online gaming market. The province is one of Canada’s more tolerant of gambling. Besides permitting online casinos to operate in the province, and citizens to play at them as long as they’re within the province when they do it, Ontario provides plenty of traditional casinos, horse racing tracks, slot machine access, and other gambling services. Quebec is also relatively liberal about gambling, whereas some other provinces, such as Saskatchewan, offer slightly less access. Below is a look at Ontario’s recent major success in the gaming world, what triggered this success, and how online casinos might capitalize on this development. 

Sportsbooks are more profitable than ever

The Ontario market is facilitating some eyebrow-raising insight into it, thanks to its decision to release monthly reports instead of quarterly ones. 

January 2025 was an exceptional month for the Ontario gaming market, one that saw it generate more revenue than ever, at nearly 92 million Canadian dollars. Punters placed even more money on sports events than in December 2024, setting record revenue generation for sportsbooks. 

Despite the sportsbooks’ success, casino gaming is still dominating Ontario’s igaming market, and the number of active player accounts increased from December to January. Meanwhile, poker remained roughly the same in terms of popularity and revenue generation.

What’s behind it all?

Sports fans in Canada are likely to have been following the NFL, especially as the Super Bowl approached, and laying their bets down on the league’s flagship event. 

Past research by the Responsible Gaming Council has shown as much as 40% of sports bettors in Ontario are willing to wager money on the Super Bowl. The research also revealed that a lot of bettors in Ontario are confident in their American football knowledge and believe it would give them an edge when predicting outcomes.

The Ontario sports betting market witnessed some notable increases in wagers and enjoyed a slightly larger market share than usual. The stats reflect an increasing appetite for online gambling, as December 2024 had also been a record-breaking month. Sports betting had hit a record high that month, part of a year-on-year increase for quarter three from the previous year.

Making the most of it

The success of Ontario’s iGaming marketing, especially of the sportsbooks, in January 2025 is a pleasing development for the gambling industry. The province’s decision to regulate its own market so players can game more safely has reinforced the case for regulation and led some of Canada’s other provinces, such as Alberta, to pursue regulated markets of their own. 

The success also suggests there are some big opportunities in the Canadian market. The regulatory developments mean that government-operated online casinos won’t always monopolize online casino gaming in Canada. These markets are creating space for private operators, and in the future, provinces that allow online casino gaming could also do the same and allow the best online casinos in Canada for real money to operate there. Private operators should pay careful attention to the Canadian market and look for opportunities to expand into it.

Appealing to players and regulators

Online casinos can make themselves more appealing to potential players and to regulators in several ways. One is by offering plenty of payment methods. This has really boosted the industry because not only does a range of playing options provide more security, but players also don’t have to wait unreasonable times to receive their winnings. 

Harnessing the power of technology

Harnessing the power of technology as much as possible could also make an online casino more appealing to regulators and players. Mobile gaming, for instance, is massive. It’s easy and, thanks to games’ availability on mobile devices, the games are portable, so players can game on the go. This has enabled igaming websites to really establish themselves.

Opportunities for investments in the industry

The success of the market also suggests there are some big opportunities for investment in the industry, helping it to grow further:

• Technology and software: online casinos rely heavily on technology and software and strive to stay up to date with innovations.
• Affiliate marketing: online casinos are masterful marketers and use affiliate marketing to attract visitors to their websites. Investing in an affiliate marketing company or platform that works with online casinos is an excellent opportunity to both earn some money and support the industry.
• Equity investment in online casinos: Many online casinos are publicly traded. Buying shares in a company can both help an online casino run its operations and make the investor money. 

Ontario’s online gambling market is growing more and more, showing demand for gambling services in the province and suggesting there are lots of opportunities for igaming service operators. Operators looking to expand should follow events in Canada, as some provinces have started to follow Ontario’s lead. Further down the line, there could be more opportunities.