85.3% of Ontario Players Gamble Legally
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
A new report commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) reveals that over 85% of players are gambling through regulated sites in Ontario. The report was carried out by the research entity Ipsos in honor of the one-year anniversary of the province’s regulated igaming market, which first launched on April 4th, 2022.
A new report ordered by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has shown that over 85% of players are gambling via regulated sites in the Canadian province of Ontario.
19.5% of Respondents Wager on Both Legal and Illegal Websites
Encouraging trends coming out of the Canadian province of Ontario, based on a new report carried out by research company Ipsos, which has revealed that over 85% of gamblers in the province are gambling through legal and regulated sites.
The call for the report came from both the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario in honor of the one-year anniversary of the launch of the province’s legal igaming market, which first kicked off on April 4th, 2022.
To actually carry out the report, Ipsos asked 1,850 Ontario residents aged 19 and over about their gambling habits during a period which ranged from February 28th to March 13th, 2023. The results revealed that 85.3% of players who had placed wagers online in the province over the last three months had done so on a regulated website. From this total, 19.5% played on both legal and illegal sites, leaving a remainder of 14.7% who had played on illegal, and therefore unregulated, websites.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Pleased to see Such a Major Shift of Players from Illegal to Legal Gambling Channels
To mark the occasion of such encouraging results coming out of the survey, Tom Mungham, registrar and CEO of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clarified that the showings fell in line with the AGCO’s overall strategy:
“A key objective in this first year has been to move Ontario players from playing on unregulated sites to the regulated market, so that they would benefit from high standards of operator and game integrity, fairness and player protections including responsible gambling safeguards.”– Tom Mungham, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), Press Release
Mungham and the organization are therefore pleased to see such optimistic results, though foresee more work in the future:
“Although there’s still much work to be done, we’re pleased to see such a substantial shift towards gaming on regulated sites so far, and everything that it represents for players and for the province.”
Doug Downey, who is the attorney general of the Canadian province of Ontario, celebrated the success that the province’s online gaming market has been experiencing during its first year of operation:
“Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s igaming market has displaced the existing unregulated market and made Ontario an internationally recognized leader in this industry. We are truly proud of this strong, responsible, competitive online gaming model.”– Doug Downey, Attorney General, Province of Ontario, Press Release
Markor Technology Given Green Light to Launch in Ontario in January 2023
In other recent Ontario gambling industry news, the casino software aggregation database and provider of technology solutions company Markor Technology was given the green light to launch in the province by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in January 2023.
Markor now has the privilege to work closely together with casino brands and operators in the province. It offers a wide range of offerings to said providers, including slots, table games, and live dealer titles coming from a selection of different developers. That’s not all though – Markor can also provide its multi-vertical and multi-licensed player account management (PAM) service to operators who have the legal right to operate in the Ontario gaming market.
Markor chief executive Melissa Summerfield stressed that seeking out legitimate licensing has always been a goal of Markor’s, while also indicating to gambling providers that pairing up with the company will bring them plenty of operational benefits moving forward:
“The acquisition of proper licensing and certification has always been at the very heart of Markor Technology’s long-term expansion plans, so we’re obviously delighted to have been granted approval from AGCO to offer both our content aggregation platform and PAM services to all locally-licensed casino operators in Ontario. Being formally registered as a Gaming-Related Supplier with AGCO will open up a lot of new doors for our business and allow us to connect with new partners in the rapidly expanding Ontario market. We’re very much looking forward to helping operators in the province further enhance their operations and bolster the range of high-quality casino content that they’re able to offer to players.”– Melissa Summerfield, Chief Executive, Markor Technology,Press Release
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) Stepped Into Ontario in September 2022
Back in September 2022, the up until that point largely US-based casino and entertainment resorts company, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, launched its Ontario-focused online gambling offering – conducted through its Fallsview Casino Resort located in the province.
The iGaming platform has been titled PlayFallsview, giving Ontario-based players the ability to put down online wagers on a rich selection of different professional sports. The Fallsview Casino Resort complex is owned and operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) and is located in the proximity of Niagara Falls.
Todd Stender, Mohegan’s director of products, thanked Mohegan’s partners, in particular Pala Interactive, Kambi, and Evolution, for helping it arrive to the launch thanks to their technological expertise:
“We’re thrilled to be launching playfallsview.com with the help of some of the most powerful technology in the industry. Our partnerships with Pala Interactive and Kambi’s powerful sports betting platform has allowed us to deliver a full suite of the best casino content. We’re excited to be offering the top slot games our customers know and love, in addition to live dealer games via Evolution, and expanded sports wagering content powered by Kambi.”
