Ever wonder if it’s millions or billions? I have.
Since the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced it was putting an end to the use of celebrities in gambling ads, I’ve been wondering about Ontario online casinos beyond my own personal enjoyment. I’ve been curious about their overall impact on my fellow Ontarian players and how much the iGaming industry and our government have been profiting from this recreational activity since it’s been legal and regulated.
I went on a little research hunt and learned some interesting facts about the popularity of Ontario online casinos and the Ontario iGaming industry. In case you’re curious too, I thought, “why not make a post about it?”
This won’t be anything too in-depth or detailed, just a few facts* that cover:
- How much money the government has made from Ontario online casinos.
- The most popular type of online gambling in the province.
- How many Ontarians partake in online gambling activities.
- If problem gambling behaviours have increased.
How much money does the Ontario government make from iGaming?
According to data released by iGaming Ontario (iGO), as of the recent April-June quarter, Ontarians placed a total of $14 billion in online wagers.
Specifically, $11.6 billion wagers were placed on online casino-related entertainment, including online slots, computer-based (RNG) table games, live casino games, and peer-to-peer bingo.
Sports betting accounted for $2 billion, while peer-to-peer poker games made up the remaining $350 million.
Combined, these wagers generated $545 million in gaming revenues. This is a much larger figure compared to the $162 million in gaming revenues generated during the same quarters in 2022, the iGO’s first year of operation.
According to a CBC News report, the iGO told CBC News that the Ontario government received an estimated $260-million share of gaming revenues during the first full year of the market’s existence. This is a significant amount when you consider that the province has just 14.57 million people.
Ontario online casinos or online sports betting – What’s more popular?
In Ontario, it seems that in the world of regulated online gambling, online casinos are the overall preferred choice among Ontario gamblers.
According to data from iGaming Ontario, over the first year of the regulated market, from April 2022, through the end of March 2023, the regulated market saw $35.6 billion in total wagers.
- Nearly $28 billion of these wagers were made on casino games and peer-to-peer bingo.
- $7 billion was spent on sports and eSports betting.
- $992 million was spent on peer-to-peer poker.
Based on these numbers, the amount wagered on casino games was about four times higher than what was spent on sports betting.
When all was said and done, combined, gambling activities for the first year generated $1.4 billion in gaming revenues:
- $940 million came from online casinos
- $433 million came from sports betting
- Poker made up the rest
Why are online casinos more popular among Ontarians? No idea. Perhaps it’s because online casinos appeal to a broader group of people. To be interested in sports betting, well, you need to have an interest in sports LOL! As I’m personally not much of a sports person, this form of gambling has zero appeal to me…and it seems I’m not alone.
How popular are Ontario online casinos?
Very popular. Currently (as of September 2023) there are 63 legal Ontario online casinos, with more popping up all the time.
As for active players, Ontario had over 900,000 active player accounts during the industry’s most recent three quarters.
What’s more, the popularity of gambling at an online casino has exceeded that of gambling at a land-based casino. Not surprisingly, the pandemic and (likely) the official legalization of online casino gambling in Ontario, are the primary reasons for this.
Still, to put this into numbers, according to Ipsos polling, pre-pandemic, as many as 40% of Canadians would report visiting a casino at least once a year. Last year (2022) however, this dropped to 26%, compared with the 30% of Canadians who reported playing casino games via an app or website.
What’s more, according to another Ipsos survey conducted in March 2023, 85.3% of those who took part in the survey and who gambled online in Ontario over the past three months, said they gambled on regulated sties. This is a big shift from the approximate 70% of those who took part in online gambling on unregulated sites prior to the launch of the Ontario online gaming market.
Why are Ontario online casinos so popular?
Though the answer to this question is always debatable, common reasons include:
- It’s legal and regulated – As such, more Ontarians are comfortable/feel safer gambling online.
- It’s fun and easy-to-access entertainment – There are a lot of great games that are fun to play and playing them online is as easy as logging on to your computer or loading a mobile app.
- You can win money – Does this need an explanation???
- It’s easy to play – Casino games – be it slots or table games – are easy to learn and usually many of these games can be demoed, letting you try them out risk-free.
- Connect with other players – It’s a great way to meet other players as certain games like bingo rooms and live casino games have online chat functions.
Problem gambling in Ontario – has legalizing Ontario online casinos and sports betting made it any worse?
When conducting my research, I couldn’t find a precise answer to this question.
However, with there currently being over 900,000 active player accounts in the most recent three quarters, and with iGaming Ontario saying that active players spent an estimated $70 per month, on average, over the past year, there’s definitely a good chance that problem gambling has increased in the province since the online gambling market was established.
Not to mention, with the legalization of iGaming in Ontario, we’ve been inundated with gambling ads, both on TV and social media – especially for sports betting. The constant marketing isn’t only irritating, it can have a seriously negative impact on minors and those vulnerable to gambling addiction.
Thankfully, in August, the AGCO decided to ban the use of athletes (current or retired) in iGaming ads and will also restrict celebrity endorsements as well. This ban comes into effect in February 2024.
Personally, I think they should just get rid of TV/YouTube gambling ads altogether. As much as I do enjoy gambling at Ontario online casinos, I don’t need to see ads for it or for sports betting. The reality is that gambling (like consuming alcohol or smoking/consuming cannabis) is one of those activities – though perfectly legal in Ontario – rides a slippery slope. Though many of us can enjoy it safely, children shouldn’t be exposed to it, and mainstream media shouldn’t be used to encourage gambling.
Personal opinion aside, according to a 2022 Statistics Canada study that examined gambling and gambling problems among Canadians 15 years of age and older (using data from the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, Gambling Rapid Response):
- Approximately 64.5% (18.9 million) of Canadians aged 15+ reported gambling in the past year, and an estimated 1.6% (304,400) of those who took part in gambling were at a moderate-to-sever risk of gambling-related problems.
- The number of gambling activities played increased the risk for gambling-related problems.
Based on these two stats and a glut of gambling ads over the past year, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s been an increase in the number of Ontarians who are at moderate-to-severe risk of gambling-related problems.
Ontario online casinos facts sum up
I hope you found some of this information interesting like I did. In case, you’ve skimmed over the entire post to get to this section, here’s a quick sum up in a simple FAQ (with facts current as of September 2023):
Who regulates Ontario online casinos?|
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Who manages licensing of Ontario online casinos?
iGaming Ontario manages the regulated market. The iGO is a subsidiary of the AGCO.
How many legal Ontario online casinos are there?
There are 63 legal Ontario online casinos.
How many Ontarians take part in online gambling?
There are 900,000 active player accounts.
How much money has the government made from online gambling?
An approximate $260-million share of gaming revenues during the first full year of market operation.
How much has problem gambling increased in Ontario since legalizing online gambling?
Unknown. These numbers have yet to be released.
Until next time, good luck and have fun!
Mia 👩💻
*I’m not a pro researcher or industry analyst. To the best of my knowledge, statics and facts included in this post are accurate as of September 2023.
**All links and images in this post are for information purposes only.
