TORONTO, April 4, 2023 /CNW/ - In just one year, the new legal igaming marketi in Ontario has delivered about $35.6 billion in total wagersii and approximately $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue,iii placing the province among the top 5 igaming jurisdictions in North America.
iGaming Ontario is thrilled to announce these totals to mark the open market's one-year anniversary. Ontario was the first Canadian province to launch an open, regulated igaming market on April 4, 2022. Since then, more than 1.6 million active player accountsiv on websites run by 40+ Operators with agreements with iGaming Ontario have made the province the most competitive market in continental North America.
"Ontario's igaming market has displaced the pre-existing unregulated market and made Ontario a recognized leader internationally in this industry since its launch in April 2022. We are truly proud of this strong, responsible, competitive online gaming model," said Attorney General Doug Downey. "I want to especially commend the strong leadership of Executive Director Martha Otton, Board Chair Dave Forestell and the rest of the team at iGaming Ontario for helping us transform Ontario into a global leader in the sector."
"Today's numbers demonstrate that Ontario has one of the best online gaming markets in the world," said Dave Forestell. "Since Ontario opened the market we have seen new investment, job creation, and captured revenue that used to leave the province. Ontario is well on its way to becoming the best gaming jurisdiction in the world."
"Every player who places a wager with a legal Operator is doing so in a safe, regulated, and protected environment," added Martha Otton. "I want to thank the players, our 40+ Operators and our government partners for placing their trust in us. Together we can help this market continue its strong performance."
Digging into player choices and market trends over the last year:
- On average, iGaming Ontario numbers show the monthly spend per active player account over the last year to be about $70.
- According to an Ipsos survey conducted in March 2023 and released today by the AGCO, around 85% of respondents who gambled online in Ontario over the past three months gambled on regulated sites.
- The most popular sport[v] to bet on was basketball at 28% of betting wagers, followed by soccer at 15%, football at 14%, then hockey at 9% and baseball at 8%.
- Within the online casino category, nearly half (48%) of all casino wagers were on slots, nearly a third (32%) on table games with a live dealer, and the remainder (19%) on computer-based table games.
QUOTES
As one of the first companies to join Ontario's regulated igaming market, we welcome that our ongoing relationship with iGaming Ontario has allowed us to offer a quality product for our customers in a safe and responsible environment. We look forward to working together into the future to continue to raise standards in the regulated market.
— Bet365
At Flutter, we are so proud of Ontario's success in establishing a regulated and competitive igaming market over the past year. We invested in growing our local Canadian team to launch a full range of both FanDuel and PokerStars' safe and trusted products as registered operators in the province, allowing Ontario sports fans and Casino players to engage responsibly.
— George Sweny, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Flutter International
It has been an exciting first year for BetRivers in the province. We have enjoyed a positive and receptive response from customers to our many products. It has been great collaborating with iGaming Ontario, who has been instrumental in making this launch a success for all stakeholders.
— Bruce Caughill, Managing Director, Canada, Rush Street Interactive
As Canada's first province to establish a legal market for private operators, Ontario has distinguished itself while proving the widespread benefits that derive from a consumer friendly and commercially minded framework.
— Benjie Levy, President and COO, theScore and Head of PENN Interactive
iGaming Ontario (iGO) is working collaboratively with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Government of Ontario to bring world class online gambling experiences to the province in a safer environment, helping to protect consumers and provide more choice. Gaming companies (Operators) that have been successfully registered by the AGCO and have executed an operating agreement with iGO may offer their games to players in Ontario on behalf of the province. Through these relationships, gaming revenues will be shared with the Government of Ontario in support of provincial priorities.
i The numbers in this report are unaudited and subject to adjustment. They include all igaming Operators that operated pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario from April 4, 2022 to March 31, 2023. As such, they do not include OLG's igaming offering. See the up-to-date list of live Operators and igaming sites on the iGO website. |
ii Total cash wagers does not include promotional wagers (bonuses). |
iii Total gaming revenue is total cash wagers, including rake fees, tournament fees and other fees, across all live Operators minus player winnings and does not consider operating costs or other liabilities. |
iv Active player accounts are accounts with cash and/or promotional wagering activity from April 4, 2022 to March 31, 2023 and do not represent unique players as individuals may have accounts with multiple Operators. |
v Sports categories encompass wagers placed on a range of sporting events including but not limited to professional leagues. |
SOURCE iGaming Ontario
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