Ontario launches first government-backed online gambling operator
Alcohol and Gaming Commission subsidiary to compete directly alongside the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Officials in Ontario have launched iGaming Ontario, the Canadian province’s first government-backed online gambling operator.
The firm serves as a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which regulates igaming and caters exclusively to players in Ontario, which is Canada’s largest province.
IGaming Ontario will be managed by an interim board of directors initially before permanent appointments are made.
AGCO has said iGaming Ontario will target commercial agreements with operators who meet “rigorous” standards of game and operator integrity, fairness, player protection and social responsibility.
As part of this emphasis on rigorous standards, a share of revenue generated by these commercial relationships will be returned to the government of Ontario to support provincial priorities.
AGCO has said iGaming Ontario will work within the wider government of Ontario’s market objectives, which include promoting consumer choice and protection as well as promoting legal market growth and returns to the province.
The final objective, AGCO has confirmed, is to reduce red tape and the regulatory burden on businesses, enabling quicker innovation and speed to market.
It is understood the management and conduct of iGaming Ontario will be run independently of the AGCO’s regulatory role.
The new firm will directly compete with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which has pursued gambling in the province since 2006.
“iGaming Ontario is working with the government of Ontario and the AGCO to establish a safe, open and competitive online gaming market that will help protect consumers and provide more choice while ensuring a level playing field for new businesses,” iGaming Ontario said.
The newly established firm will solicit insights from stakeholders to support the development of its market oversight model throughout the summer period ahead of making a draft commercial agreement available to operators in the autumn.
A registration period for potential commercial partners will open soon after, with iGaming Ontario targeting an agreement and a full IT system testing and readiness process by the end of autumn.
Registered operators under contract with iGaming Ontario may start offering their products and services to people in Ontario in the regulated market from December under proposals.