In April 2022,Ontario sports betting and online casinos launched, but it wasn’t until late 2024 that monthly reports were available. Before then, iGaming Ontario, which administers legal, regulated gambling in Canada’s largest province, only released quarterly numbers.
OntarioBets.com brings you this guide to explain terms such as handle and revenue for mobile sports wagering and online casinos (also known as iGaming).
In 2024, sports betting – a category that also includes esports, props and novelty bets – accounted for more than $10.87 billion in handle, which is the industry term for total wagers accepted.
The companies offering Ontario sportsbook apps include major companies with name recognition across North America, including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel.
However, there are also dozens of operators that are either Canada-based or ones that made their name primarily in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom.
You can place a wager with any of those Ontario sports betting companies. Anyone interested can sign up and use their smart phone, laptop or desktop computer to wager.
The iGO administers online gaming in the province but the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulates legal wagering in the province, offering the most robust gaming market in Canada. The iGO is a subsidiary of the AGCO.
The same applies for Ontario online casinos, which draw more wagers than sports betting. For instance, in 2024, online casinos accounted for more than $65 billion in wagers.
Ontario Sports Betting, April vs. March
Total Handle
Total Revenue
April
$7.795B
$313.3M
March
$7.955B
$296.0M
Change
Down .02%
Up 6%
Coming off a record setting March, Ontario’s iGaming operators saw their collective handle drop marginally in April. However, the market shows signs of continued growth as Canada’s only regulated open gaming market enters its fourth year.
The combined handle for Ontario’s online casino, sports betting and poker in April was $7.795 billion, according to data released by iGaming Ontario, the provincial agency that manages the commercial market. That handle was $160 million, or .02% less, than the monthly record of $7.955 from March. However, on a year-over-year basis, April’s handle was a 26.4% increase from the $6.166 billion that was wagered during April 2024.
Online casino apps accounted for $6.584 billion of April’s betting traffic in the province, with Ontario’s mobile sports betting apps accepting $1.067 billion. Poker apps reported a handle of $144 million. While the total amount wagered fell very slightly in April, Ontario’s operators posted a second straight month of revenue gains. The $313.3 million operators reported in April was up 6% from the $296 million.
Monthly revenues essentially stayed the same for Ontario’s online casino apps, with the operators reporting $243 million in monthly income for April, compared to the $241 million in March. Ontario sports betting apps saw their winnings rise from $48 million in March to $65 million in April. Poker receipts went from $6.7 million in March to $5.9 million last month.
According to iGaming Ontario, there were 1.09 million active player accounts. That was an increase of about 300,000 accounts from March. The average revenue per account was $287, equaling a 3% hike from the $279 reported in March.
Sports betting and iGaming in Ontario launched in April 2022. Since then, it has become the largest regionalized gaming market in North America. The total market in the United States is larger than Canada but Ontario’s market has seen more handle than any state, with New York being the biggest legal market in the USA.
As of late 2024, iGaming Ontario issues numbers each month for wagering revenue and handle throughout the province. In the first two-plus years after the market launched, numbers were submitted quarterly. Monthly numbers are released 2-3 weeks after the end of each month.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulates legal wagering in the province. Its subsidiary, iGaming Ontario, administers legal online wagering for sports and casino games.
The money placed by bettors using online devices – such as desktops, laptops or mobile phones – is referred to as mobile sports betting handle.
Handle is simply the amount of wagers accepted each month. Anyone wishing to place a bet must be physically located within Ontario’s borders to wager. Revenue is the money that operators keep after they pay out winning bets. The province offers Ontario online poker in a peer-to-peer format as well as sports betting and casino games such as slots and other card games.
The veteran team of Ontario sports betting and casino experts behind OntarioBets.com help you find the best Ontario sportsbooks and online casinos that are right for you.
