Ontario has transitioned from an experimental to a template-based approach in online gambling regulation, and Alberta is now preparing a parallel model. The two provinces have advanced different timelines but share a common outcome: a competitive market overseen by public agencies that emphasise player protection and clear lines between licensed and unlicensed activity.
Ontario launched its regulated iGaming market on April 4, 2022 and has since tightened standards, clarified advertising expectations, and reported year-over-year growth across casino and sportsbook categories. iGaming Ontario became an independent agency in May 2025, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario adjusted training and harm prevention guidance during the summer of 2025. Alberta, after operating a single-site model through PlayAlberta, introduced and advanced legislation in 2025 to create a competitive online market under a conduct and manage structure.
Ontario’s structure and targets
Ontario’s framework splits roles. iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the market through operating agreements, and the AGCO registers operators and enforces the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. The standards took effect with the market launch and have been updated to address responsible gambling practices and documentation requirements.
In April 2025, the province reported channelisation above 85 per cent, building on a 2023 IPSOS study commissioned by iGaming Ontario, which found that 85.3 per cent of players used regulated sites. An update the following year put the figure above eighty-six per cent. The goal set at launch was to move players away from grey market sites, and the study results signalled progress on that measure.
Officials used the anniversary moments to describe the policy objective. Attorney General Doug Downey called the channelisation statistic another pivotal milestone in building a competitive and safer online market that meets consumer expectations. iGaming Ontario board chair Heidi Reinhart said that collaboration among operators, the government, and players helped create a world-class market that is Ontario-made for Ontarians.
Bill 48 in Alberta
Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, creates a new Crown corporation to conduct and manage online gambling in the province, while assigning regulatory oversight to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The government proclaimed key sections into force on June 4, 2025, which authorised the setup of the Alberta iGaming Corporation and associated governance.
Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally has compared the structure to Ontario’s and has cited an early 2026 launch window, as first reported by BonusFinder. The government has pointed to consultations with First Nations and land-based operators as part of implementation.
Operational pulse, market size and compliance
By mid-2024, Ontario reported roughly fifty operators and more than eighty sites active under iGaming Ontario agreements. Quarterly updates described the casino as the dominant category by wagers, with sports and poker following at smaller shares. Separate communications from the regulator emphasised harm prevention obligations, including guidance on identifying players at risk of harm and documenting interventions.
In July 2025, the AGCO removed a requirement for formal Registrar approval of responsible gambling training programs for casino and lottery employees. The regulator described the change as an outcomes-based adjustment that keeps safeguards while reducing administrative steps. The same period saw the AGCO publicly ask media companies to stop carrying ads for unlicensed operators, followed by Meta updating its advertising rules to require proof of licensing and compliance for gambling promotions in Canada.
What the milestones mean for market participants
For licensed brands, Ontario’s two-agency structure and regular reporting have provided a clear set of expectations on audits, net revenue reporting and player risk controls. The ad guidance and platform outreach put additional attention on channelisation by constraining the visibility of unlicensed offers. For payment firms and suppliers, the cadence of standards and guidance has created predictable integration work.
Alberta’s milestones signal a second jurisdiction moving toward a multi-operator model. The formation of the Alberta iGaming Corporation and the separation of conduct and management responsibilities from the regulator are intended to set a foundation similar to Ontario’s. Vendors describe timelines that align with pilot cohorts and a phased ramp, subject to consultations and technical standards.
Ontario’s sequence of launches, study data, and standards adjustments has created a benchmark for Canadian online gambling. Alberta’s legislation and public timeline indicate a second test of the model under a different political and geographic context. The next steps sit with implementation teams, technical standards and operating agreements that convert statutes into day-to-day market activity.
