Ontario Launching iGaming on April 4th
The Canadian province of Ontario will open up its legal iGaming market on April 4th, 2022, according to iGaming Ontario (iGO). This puts an end to a process which started in April 2019, when the province’s government announced its intentions to end Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s monopoly on igaming, opening up the market to private operators.
After years of anticipation, the Canadian province of Ontario will finally launch its legal iGaming market this year on April 4th, 2022, according to iGaming Ontario (iGO). ©governmentlists/Pixabay
Operators Will Have to Meet Rigorous Measures in Ontario
The Canadian province of Ontario will soon launch its much-anticipated legal iGaming market on April 4th, 2022, according to gambling regulator iGaming Ontario (iGO). This puts an end to a saga that began all the way back in April 2019, when the Ontario government announced its plans to put an end to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s monopoly on igaming, thereby opening up the burgeoning market to private operators.
The provincial government subsequently moved forward with its plans in November 2020, before introducing and passing relevant legislation in 2021. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which iGaming Ontario (iGO) falls under, released its final igaming sports and event betting regulatory standards in September of 2021, which featured changes to advertising practices and integrity rules.
In fact, single-event sports betting was actually officially launched in Canada on August 27th, 2021, however it is currently only being offered by provincial lotteries. The AGCO’s existing Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming was initially published on July 14th, 2021 and will now finally come into effect on April 4th.
From this date onwards, private gaming operators which have registered with the AGCO and have an operating agreement set in stone with iGaming Ontario can begin offering their games to players in Ontario.
iGO’s executive director, Martha Otton, reassured Ontario bettors that operators entering the soon-to-be-launched market will be adhering to the strictest safety standards:
“Consumers can be assured that companies who successfully enter the new Ontario market will have met rigorous standards of game and operator integrity, fairness, player protections and social responsibility, allowing all players to play with confidence.”– Martha Otton, Executive Director, iGaming Ontario (iGO)
These measures include preventing underage gambling, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, and responsible gambling safeguards, with Otton remarking that current iGaming in Ontario does not guarantee such standards:
“Today, most internet gaming by Ontarians takes place on websites not conducted and managed by the province. Our new internet gaming market will give consumers enhanced entertainment choice, support the growth of a new, legal market and generate revenue that can help fund programs and services that benefit all of us.”
Penn National Gaming is First Prospective Operator in Province
Just in time for the news of Ontario’s iGaming market opening up in April 2022, Penn National Gaming and its subsidiary theScore Bet venture became the first prospective private market operators in Ontario to receive the Responsible Gambling Check iGaming Accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).
Penn National Gaming president and chief executive Jay Snowden welcomed the news:
“Launching theScore Bet in Ontario will mark an exciting expansion of our online gaming business into a major new market where we already have an established mobile sports media product in theScore app and a wide base of loyal users. Today’s news is very exciting, and I would like to recognize and congratulate the government of Ontario and the AGCO and iGaming Ontario for their dedication to creating a modern open and regulated sports betting and igaming market.”– Jay Snowden, President and Chief Executive, Penn National Gaming
John Levy, CEO of Penn National subsidiary theScore Bet, added that the operator was particularly looking forward to providing customers with online gambling opportunities in its own home province of Ontario:
“The AGCO and iGaming Ontario have been thoughtful and collaborative in their approach to creating and managing this new industry, and the result is a soon-to-be-launched framework that will bring widespread benefits to Ontarians and establish Ontario as one of the biggest and most important regulated gaming markets in North America.”
theScore Bet Partnered with Golf Canada in August 2021
In other news related to theScore Bet, the operator announced in August 2021 that it was becoming the official betting partner of Golf Canada, which is the governing body for all professional golf in Canada in a multi-year deal scheduled to begin in 2022.
The deal is expected to feature exclusive brand partnerships across all of Golf Canada’s events, including the launching of members club experiences, as well as engaging fans through digital activations across tournament and Golf Canada channels.
Senior vice president of content and marketing at theScore, Aubrey Levy, described the partnership as a chance to connect with Canada’s highly active golf fanbase:
“This partnership provides us with highly engaging access points to introduce theScore Bet to a broad and endemic audience of golf fans. With the RBC Canadian Open taking place in Ontario for all three years and the CP Women’s Open in the province for at least the coming year, it provides us an amazing foothold to interact with Canada’s passionate golf community around two of the most popular golf events in the country.”
Canada Ranked Among Lowest Regulated Markets by IBIA in June
In what was likely surprising news for industry observers, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) ranked Canada 19th of the 20 countries evaluated for the quality of their regulated betting markets in a report published in June 2021.
The countries in the IBIA’s report were analyzed according to five specific criteria: regulation, tax, product availability, integrity and marketing. Canada was ranked as having the second-lowest regulated iGaming market, but seeing as it was about to undergo some major regulatory changes, the IBIA ended up granting it a provisional score.
