Ontario's four-year effort to pull online gamblers away from unregulated offshore platforms is paying off in a big way. A new Ipsos study commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario reveals that 91.1% of the province's online gamblers now play exclusively on licensed sites, making Ontario iGaming one of the most successfully channelized markets in the world.
A Four-Year Transformation
When Ontario's regulated framework launched in April 2022, nearly 70% of online gambling activity was happening on unregulated offshore sites. The survey, conducted between March 30 and April 20, 2026 among 2,012 Ontarians aged 19 and older, shows that share has been cut to just 8.9%.
The Numbers Behind the Shift
In 2025, 83.7% of online gamblers reported using only regulated sites. That figure climbed 7.4 percentage points in a single year. The share gambling exclusively on unregulated offshore sites dropped from 16.3% in 2025 to 8.9% in 2026, representing nearly a 50% decline year over year.
Since launch, Ontario online casinos operating under the iGaming Ontario framework have collectively generated more than $4.2 billion in gaming revenue from over $103 billion in total wagering activity. The province's iGaming sector is now valued at approximately $2.6 billion and supports close to 80 licensed operators.
Player Protection as the Foundation
A core part of Ontario's channelization success has been its commitment to player safety built directly into the regulatory framework. In May 2026, iGaming Ontario launched BetGuard, a centralized responsible gaming tool giving players the ability to voluntarily self-exclude across all licensed platforms simultaneously. The tool blocks account access, prevents new registrations and stops operator marketing communications in a single step.
What This Means for New Casinos in Ontario
The results carry weight beyond the current market. New casinos in Ontario entering the licensed market benefit from the groundwork already laid, including a player base that increasingly defaults to regulated platforms and a level of consumer trust that has taken four years to build. With Alberta set to launch its own regulated iGaming market on July 13, 2026, Ontario's channelization data is already being studied as a blueprint.
For players seeking the highest paying casinos in Ontario, the regulated market offers a meaningful advantage. Licensed operators are required to meet standardized fairness and payout standards that offshore sites are not subject to, giving players better protections and more confidence in their gaming experience.
Ontario as a Global Benchmark
The AGCO has indicated this trajectory builds on a consistent pattern of year-over-year improvement, and that work to further reduce the residual offshore market is ongoing. As of mid-2026, Ontario stands as one of the most compelling case studies in how regulated competition can effectively displace illegal gambling markets.
