Canada - Ontario: AGCO/iGO

Overview

Ontario is Canada's first province with an open, regulated online model: private brands operate "in conjunction" with iGaming Ontario (iGO), overseen by AGCO. The market grew rapidly: in 2024/25 f. cumulative GGR ≈ CA $3. 20 billion at rates ≈ CA $82. 7 billion Advertising is one of the strictest regimes in North America (banning public "inducements," with 28. 02. 2024 - ban on the participation of athletes and most influencers).

Regulators and market architecture

AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) - establishes Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming: honesty of games, advertising/marketing, RG, AML control of suppliers.
iGaming Ontario (iGO) - enters into operating agreements with brands, conducts market calculations and reporting, publishes quarterly/annual reports. The first year showed $35. 5 billion bets and $1. GGR 26 billion; by 2024/25, the market has grown multiply.

Licensing and start-up

1. Registration in AGCO (operator and gaming-related suppliers), compliance with Standards.
2. Commercial agreement with iGO (operational circuit, calculations).
3. Go-live in the Ontario domain zone with the required content/platform certifications.
iGO maintains a whitelist of incumbent operators and aggregates market KPIs on a quarterly basis.

What's Allowed/Forbidden (Online)

Allowed: sports and horse racing betting, online casinos/slots/poker at registered iGO/AGCO operators (subject to Standards). Single-event sports betting is federally allowed from 2021, provincial details.
Prohibited/limited: work without registration with AGCO and an agreement with iGO; violation of Advertising Standards (public "inducements," misleading messages, youth-appeal, etc.). For violations - fines/sanctions (see DraftKings, PointsBet cases in 2022).

Advertising and "Inductions": Key Rules

Prohibition of public "inducements" (bonuses, free bets, odds boost, etc.) - they can only be shown on the operator's website/application or through direct marketing with the user's active consent (opt-in) (Standard 2. 05/2. 07).
The ban on the participation of athletes/influencers in iGaming advertising (a wide category of "youth-friendly characters/roles") - has been in effect since 28. 02. 2024.

Responsible Gambling и self-exclusion

My PlayBreak - a single self-exclusion program (OLG/iGO): from 1 day to 5 years, applies to online and terrestrial facilities under the jurisdiction of the province; during the "break," advertisements and promos are not sent.
AGCO standards require limit/timeout tools, informing and aid availability; iGO develops PlaySmart/RG modules on operator sites.

AML/CTF and financial circuit

Ontario coordinates with the federal FINTRAC (Proceedings of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act): KYC, transaction monitoring, reporting. In terms of indirect taxes and VAT regime, special interpretations apply for the iGO share (operator - "distributor," iGO self-assess according to HST).

Economics and Market Performance

FY2024/25: GGR ≈ CA$3. 20 billion, handle ≈ CA $82. 7 billion; + 32% YoY by 2023/24.
Monthly peaks 2025: record levels of rates/revenue according to iGO and industry reports (September: handle ≈ CA $8. 5 billion, GGR ≈ CA $325 million).
Province share: revenue-share model ~ 20% GGR (often described as a "tax" of 20% on online revenue); cumulative receipts exceeded CA $1. 4–1. 5 billion in 3 years.

Enforcement: cases and trends

AGCO actively suppresses violations of advertising/" inducements, "applies fines and public warnings (for example: DraftKings, PointsBet in 2022). In 2024, clarifications to the new advertising rules were accompanied by additional guidelines for youth-appeal and "role models."

High-level checklist

1. Registration + iGO agreement: Without this, activity is illegal in Ontario.
2. Advertising: no public "inducements"; any offers - only onsite/in-app or through opt-in direct marketing; do not use athletes/influencers (with 28. 02. 2024).
3. RG: connect My PlayBreak, limits, timeouts, warnings; synchronize with AGCO/iGO requirements.
4. AML/CTF: FINTRAC compliance, KYC/monitoring/STR procedures.
5. Reporting and KPIs: comply with iGO formats; focus on public quarterly metrics for benchmarking.

Perspective (2025-2027)

Further tightening of advertising practices (point guides for youth-appeal), expansion of RG analytics (early risk signals, personal limits) and preservation of the "20% benchmark" in the financial model are expected. In terms of scale and growth, iGaming Ontario is already in the "top 2" of North America in the first three years of its existence, and continues to pull industry standards at the national level.

Terms

AGCO is the regulator that sets Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.
iGaming Ontario (iGO) - operator "layer" of the province (agreements with brands, reporting, market KPI).
Inducements - bonus/promotional incentives; in Ontario banned from public advertising, only available through opt-in or in the product.
My PlayBreak is a single self-exclusion program (OLG/iGO).
Revenue-share ~ 20% is the benchmark for the online fiscal model in Ontario (conventionally called the "20% tax" on GGR).