On the 4th of April 2022, a new space was officially created for new digital businesses to exploit. This significant day was serenaded in the province of Ontario following the approval by Premier Doug Ford of legislation to provide a legal and regulated framework for online gambling activity within the borders of Ontario.
The passing of this bill made a small piece of history as Ontario became the first state to legally regulate online gambling operators including online casinos and online sports books in Canada. Since this moment, the iGaming market in Ontario has gone from strength to strength, raking in increasingly larger revenue numbers by the year.
Responsible for staggering revenue figures of $3.20 billion in 2024/25 are the 50-odd iGaming operators legally licensed for operation. However, it is not just businesses within Canada that are keeping a keen eye on proceedings in Ontario. For one online casino and sports book, Ontario represents opportunity.
The Rise of Tony
Tonybet is an online casino and sports book operator from Estonia, which first hit the market under the name, Omnibet. Since Omnibet was formed in 2003, the company has used its experience and expertise to become a reputable player in the iGaming industry. Omnibet was bought by a poker player, Antanas Guoga, also known as Tony G, in 2009 and since then, the enterprise has expanded to other markets such as Ireland and Ontario.
Getting Ahead of the Game
By forming Tonybet Ontario, the online casino and sports book have made an early venture into a market that has only been regulated since April 2022. However, the progressive strides made by Ontarian law makers to enforce secure and responsible user standards have accelerated the growth of the iGaming industry in Ontario.
By getting a foot into the virtual door at an early stage, Tonybet aimed to offer its entire catalogue to online casino enthusiasts and avid sports fans in the province in a bid to build its reputation in Ontario before emerging competitors followed suit. With quality prioritized above everything else, stones have not been left unturned even with a venture into international territory and the expansion into Ontario has been fueled by the same attention to detail that has made Tonybet a success for over 20 years.
Raising the iGaming Bar
Having established itself in the Ontarian iGaming market, the aim is to continue impressing and to continue to provide the “one-of-a-kind one-stop experience” for its customers. Tonybet works with some of the finest minds in the industry to keep the entire games catalogue updated, including new, innovative games and features such as live casino play and in-play sports betting.
Tonybet sets itself high expectations and the expansion into an established, lucrative market can only serve to motivate the Estonian company further and drive its standards to higher levels. iGaming prospects in Ontario look promising with the province looking to open its doors to international customers to provide mixed peer-to-peer competition on the whole range of games.
When Antanas Guoga, the former PokerNews website owner, purchased Omnibet, the iGaming industry in Ontario was not even an afterthought. Now it is one of the leading markets in industry worldwide and Tonybet continues to grow its own name in this ever-growing space.
