By Tatiana Martins, journalist at G&M News.
Lately, Canada’s gaming and betting industry has been entering a new stage of development, driven by the continued maturity of Ontario’s regulated iGaming market and the launch of Alberta’s competitive online gaming framework.
The country remains a fragmented market, with provinces and territories responsible for conducting, managing and regulating most forms of legal gambling. However, the combination of online casino growth, sports betting, technological development and new regulatory models is creating a broader commercial opportunity for operators, payment companies, and technology providers.
This market also experienced an important moment for sports betting. With the FIFA World Cup having taken place across Canada, the United States and Mexico in 2026, operators saw one of the strongest acquisition and engagement opportunities since single-event sports betting was legalized.
At the same time, regulators are placing greater emphasis on responsible gambling, advertising standards, player protection, and the migration of consumers from unregulated platforms into regulated environments.
A fragmented market with growing digital opportunities
Canada does not operate under a single national gambling regulator. Instead, the federal government establishes the criminal-law framework, while provinces and territories are responsible for the conduct and management of legal gaming within their jurisdictions.
A major change came in 2021, when amendments to the Criminal Code came into force allowing provinces and territories to conduct and manage single-event sports betting. Previously, Canadian consumers generally had access to parlay-style sports betting through provincial lottery corporations, but single-game wagering was not permitted under the same framework.
The reform created the foundation for the expansion of commercial sports betting, most notably in Ontario. It also gave individual provinces greater flexibility in determining how online gaming markets should be structured.
The result is a market that cannot be viewed as a single national iGaming jurisdiction. Instead, Canada consists of several different models, ranging from Ontario’s open competitive market to provinces where government lottery corporations remain the primary or exclusive legal online gaming operators. This distinction is important for international gaming companies looking at Canada.
Ontario remains the country’s iGaming powerhouse
Ontario continues to be the center of Canada’s regulated online gaming industry. The province launched its regulated competitive iGaming market on April 4, 2022, creating a framework in which private operators can offer online casino, sports betting and poker products through agreements with iGaming Ontario, while the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) oversees regulatory compliance.
The market has expanded since launch. During fiscal 2024-25, players in Ontario wagered more than C$82.7 billion (USD 60.1 billion), generating C$2.9 billion (USD 2.11 billion) in total gaming revenue. Casino accounted for C$2.2 billion (USD 1.6 billion), betting made C$654 million (USD 475.3 million) and peer-to-peer poker contributed C$59 million (USD 42.88 million).
The number of operators has also increased from 12 at launch to 50, making Ontario one of the most competitive regulated iGaming markets in North America. More recent figures indicate that the market has continued to expand into its fourth year. iGaming Ontario expects adjusted gross gaming revenue to reach approximately C$3.8 billion (USD 2.76 billion) in fiscal 2025-26, with more than one million active player accounts per month.
The agency’s latest three-year business plan projects adjusted gross gaming revenue to reach C$5.1 billion (USD 3.71 billion) by fiscal 2028-29, while net income after stakeholder payments is projected to reach C$369.3 million (USD 268.39 million).
These numbers demonstrate that Ontario has moved beyond the initial market launch phase. The focus is shifting toward profitability, retention, player protection and market efficiency.
Casino continues to dominate online activity
Although sports betting has attracted much of the attention surrounding Canada’s post-2021 gaming expansion, online casino remains the largest product segment in Ontario.
The latest available market data show that casino represents the majority of both wagers and gaming revenue. In the third quarter of fiscal 2024-25, casino accounted for 83% of total wagers and 78% of gaming revenue, while betting represented 15% of wagers and 20% of revenue.
This creates an important distinction between consumer visibility and market economics. Sports betting has a strong connection with professional sports, sponsorships and media, making it highly visible to consumers. Casino, however, continues to generate a much larger share of online gaming activity.
For operators, this means that the Canadian opportunity extends well beyond sportsbooks. Casino content, live casino, jackpots, payments, player-account technology, and retention tools remain central to the market’s progress.
Alberta changes the competitive landscape
The biggest development in Canada’s online gaming market in 2026 is Alberta. On July 13th, 2026, Alberta officially launched its regulated iGaming market, becoming the second Canadian province after Ontario to establish a competitive private-operator model for online gaming. The launch represents a significant change for one of Canada’s largest provincial economies.
The Alberta model is designed to bring consumers who are already using offshore or unregulated websites into a regulated environment. The Alberta government has explicitly positioned the framework as a way to reduce participation in illicit online gaming while providing consumers with regulated options and stronger protection.
Governance is divided between two institutions. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) is responsible for regulatory oversight and enforcement, while the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) manages the commercial side of the market.
The province is taking a different approach from Ontario in several respects. Alberta’s framework includes a revenue model in which 80% of net iGaming revenue is allocated to operators, while 20% is retained by the government. In addition, 3% of gross gaming revenue is allocated to First Nations initiatives and social responsibility programs.
The opening of Alberta is likely to intensify competition for operators, suppliers and technology companies seeking a position in the Canadian market. AGLC’s registry already lists numerous iGaming operators and suppliers, reflecting the rapid development of the new market.
Alberta puts responsible gambling at the center
The Alberta launch also illustrates how Canadian regulation is becoming focused on player protection. The province launched its regulated market with a centralized self-exclusion system, allowing consumers to exclude themselves from participating regulated iGaming platforms through a single process. Operators must also provide tools for financial and time-based limits, account and transaction information, and measures designed to identify and respond to high-risk behavior.
Advertising is another major area of attention. Alberta requires advertising to avoid targeting minors and high-risk or self-excluded individuals and prohibits misleading representations of gaming products. Operators must also include responsible gambling information in their advertising.
The approach reflects a broader Canadian trend: market expansion is being tied to stronger player-protection requirements rather than simply greater commercial access.
British Columbia maintains a government-led model
British Columbia represents a different model from Ontario and Alberta. The province’s PlayNow platform is operated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and remains the official gaming site for residents of British Columbia. Its offering includes casino games, poker, lottery products, and sports betting.
The province therefore offers legal online gaming without replicating Ontario’s open competitive commercial structure. For international operators, this means market entry strategies need to be assessed province by province. A company that can operate commercially in Ontario or Alberta cannot simply assume that the same model applies in British Columbia.
Quebec continues to favor a centralized approach
Quebec also maintains a government-controlled online gaming model through Loto-Québec. Loto-Québec describes its website as the province’s only legal gaming website, offering casino, poker, bingo, lottery products and sports betting. Sports betting is available through Mise-o-jeu, Loto-Québec’s sports betting product, both online and through retail and gaming locations.
The province’s position remains focused on strengthening oversight and capturing gaming revenue within the regulated system. In its 2025-26 annual report, Loto-Québec highlighted the importance of maintaining its position in online gaming, including sports betting, while emphasizing a responsible approach designed to capture existing demand rather than stimulate it.
This makes Quebec another example of why Canada’s gaming market cannot be approached with a single national strategy.
Atlantic Canada shows another model
The Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, operate through Atlantic Lottery. The corporation’s digital offering includes online lottery, casino, and sports betting products, including PRO•LINE.
Atlantic Lottery reported that its market share of total online betting and gaming activity in the region increased to 34% in 2024-25, compared with 22% the previous year. The growth illustrates that digital gaming is expanding even in jurisdictions without Ontario’s private-operator framework.
Sports betting enters a major year
Sports betting is likely to remain one of the most important growth and engagement drivers for the Canadian gaming sector. The legalization of single-event betting created a new commercial ecosystem around sportsbooks, sports media, sponsorships, data and payments. Ontario’s experience demonstrated the scale of demand, while Alberta’s market opening introduces another large population to a competitive regulated environment.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup added another layer to the opportunity. Canada was one of the three host nations, alongside the United States and Mexico, with matches played in Toronto and Vancouver. The tournament provided operators with an unusually strong sports calendar for acquisition, live betting, sponsorship and content strategies.
However, the World Cup also puts regulatory scrutiny on the sector. The visibility of sports betting advertising, particularly around major sporting events, has intensified discussions around responsible marketing and exposure to younger audiences.
Regulation is becoming more sophisticated
The evolution of Canada’s gaming activity is not simply about adding more operators. Regulators are focused on how operators market their products, manage customer data, prevent money laundering, identify risky behavior, and provide responsible gambling tools.
Ontario, for example, has been moving toward a centralized self-exclusion system. In April 2026, the AGCO established standards supporting the development of centralized self-exclusion across the province’s regulated iGaming ecosystem.
iGaming Ontario’s 2026-29 business plan also identifies centralized self-exclusion, an automated anti-money laundering platform and a modern data strategy among its key initiatives for the coming years.
Payments, data, and technology become strategic priorities
As the market matures, opportunities are also emerging beyond traditional operators. Payment providers, KYC and AML technology companies, geolocation services, player-account platforms, game suppliers, affiliate businesses, sports data companies and responsible gambling solutions all have potential roles in Canada’s expanding ecosystem.
The growth of online casino and sports betting also increases demand for fast, reliable and compliant payment infrastructure. At the same time, operators are becoming more interested in technologies that can improve player segmentation, fraud detection, personalization and responsible-gambling interventions.
For suppliers, Canada’s fragmented regulatory structure implies additional complexity, but it also creates opportunities for companies capable of adapting their products to different provincial requirements.
The challenge of the grey market
One of the central issues for Canadian regulators is the migration of players from offshore and unregulated sites to legal domestic platforms. Ontario has reported encouraging results in this area. In May 2026, iGaming Ontario said that more than 90% of Ontario iGaming players were choosing regulated-market sites after four years of market growth.
Alberta’s market launch has a similar objective. Government has stated that its regulated framework is intended to reduce participation in illicit online gaming by giving consumers access to regulated alternatives. This is likely to remain one of the defining competitive issues in the Canadian market.
Legal operators need to compete against offshore brands that may offer different product ranges, promotional structures or fewer local regulatory restrictions.
Moving from expansion to maturity
Canada’s gaming and betting industry is therefore entering a more complex phase. Ontario has demonstrated that a competitive regulated iGaming market can reach significant scale, with billions of dollars in annual wagering and gaming revenue. Alberta is now testing whether a similar model can capture a significant portion of existing online demand while maintaining strong player protection.
Meanwhile, British Columbia, Quebec and Atlantic Canada continue to operate models built around provincial lottery corporations. This creates both fragmentation and opportunity.
For international gaming companies, Canada is no longer an emerging sports betting market. It is a collection of mature and developing provincial ecosystems with different regulatory structures, commercial opportunities, and consumer behaviors.
The next stage will likely be defined by competition for market share, profitability, responsible gambling, payments, data, and customer retention rather than by market access alone.
With Alberta newly open, Ontario continuing to scale and the 2026 World Cup providing a major catalyst for sports engagement, Canada has become one of the most closely watched regulated gaming markets in North America.
The challenge for the industry will be converting that growth into a sustainable ecosystem, one in which innovation and commercial competition develop alongside consumer protection and regulatory confidence.