Is Online Gambling Legal in Ontario? Online Casinos Explained

How Ontario's regulated market works

Ontario's regulated online gambling market launched on April 4, 2022. Two provincial agencies share the job:

The AGCO is the regulator. It registers operators and suppliers and sets the rules they must follow, the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.
iGaming Ontario conducts and manages online gaming. Private operators provide their games under an operating agreement with iGO. iGO started as a subsidiary of the AGCO and became an independent agency on May 12, 2025.

OLG's own site, OLG.ca, is regulated too. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation conducts and manages it, and it has to meet the same standards as the private sites.

In Ipsos's year-four study, commissioned by iGO and the AGCO, 91.1% of respondents who gambled online said they did so on regulated sites, up from 83.7% the year before.

Why it's legal

Canada's Criminal Code bans most gambling, but section 207 makes an exception: a province may conduct and manage a lottery scheme under its own laws. Ontario does this through iGO, with private operators working under iGO's control.

The model has been tested in court. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke argued that private operators, not the province, were conducting and managing the games. In May 2024, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the challenge, finding that Ontario, through iGO, conducts and manages the market as the Criminal Code requires. The Council said it would not appeal.

Who can play

You must be 19 or older. iGO says you must be 19 or older to take part in its online gaming products. Under the AGCO's standards, anyone under 19 is ineligible for an account, except 18-year-olds who are only buying lottery tickets.
You must be in Ontario when you play. Regulated sites must detect your location, keep checking it while you play and detect software designed to get around those checks. iGO says you can't place wagers on your accounts while you're outside Ontario. If a site can't confirm where you are, see our guide to location and ID checks.
Your identity is checked before your account opens. Sites must collect your name, date of birth and address and validate them before creating your account.
Some sites ask for more. DraftKings' Ontario casino page, for example, says you need a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number. See our DraftKings Casino review.

Regulated and unregulated sites

A site is part of Ontario's regulated market only if its operator is registered with the AGCO and has an operating agreement with iGO, or if it's OLG.ca. As of September 1, 2026, iGaming Ontario's directory listed 84 sites from 49 operators.

The AGCO spells out what you give up on an unregulated site: game transparency isn't required, payouts may not be timely or accurate and could be withheld or delayed, and your personal data may not be secure. iGO also can't help with disputes about unregulated sites.

Our guide to checking that a casino is regulated shows how to confirm any site.

What regulation means for you

Your age and identity are verified before you can play.
You can set deposit and loss limits, take a break or self-exclude, one site at a time or from all of them at once. Our guide to limits and self-exclusion explains each tool.
Before you bet, you must be given accurate information on a game's odds or returns to players. Our RTP and volatility guide explains what those numbers mean.
If an operator doesn't resolve your complaint, you can take it to iGO.
iGO says regulated operators protect your deposits, pay out your winnings and keep your personal information secure.

Do you pay tax on winnings?

Usually not, if you gamble for fun. The Canada Revenue Agency lists lottery winnings among the amounts you don't report on your tax return, unless the prize counts as income from employment, a business or property. Canadian courts have generally treated casual gambling winnings the same way and have taxed winnings as business income only in exceptional cases. Interest you earn on your winnings is taxable.

This is general information, not tax advice. If you gamble in a business-like way, check with the CRA or a tax professional.

Questions

Are online casinos legal in Ontario?

Yes, on regulated sites. Online casino games are part of Ontario's regulated market, which opened on April 4, 2022. Play only on sites listed in iGaming Ontario's directory, or OLG.ca, and only while you're 19 or older and physically in Ontario.

Are online slots legal in Ontario?

Yes, on regulated sites. Slots are among the casino games regulated operators provide under their agreements with iGO. Every site on our top 10 is regulated.

Can I play while I'm outside Ontario?

No. iGO says you can't place wagers on your accounts while you're outside Ontario, and regulated sites keep checking your location while you play.

Is online poker legal in Ontario?

Yes, on regulated sites. Poker is part of Ontario's regulated market, and iGaming Ontario's directory has a separate poker category listing the regulated poker sites.

Is sports betting legal in Ontario too?

Yes. iGaming Ontario's directory lists regulated sites for casino, sports betting, poker, bingo and betting exchange.

What if I have a problem with a regulated site?

Use the operator's complaints process first. If that doesn't resolve it, you can take it to iGO. Our guide explains how complaints work.

Sources

We checked every fact in this guide against these sources on October 8, 2026. Rules and site details can change, so check a site's own terms before you play. Read how we research and fact-check.

More guides

How to check a casino is regulatedFour checks that confirm a site is part of Ontario's regulated market, and what to do if something goes wrong.Deposit limits, breaks and self-exclusionThe safer-play tools every regulated Ontario site must have, and how to exclude yourself from all of them at once.Slot RTP and volatility, explainedWhat RTP, house edge, volatility and hit frequency mean, with real figures from game developers.

All guides · Our top 10