The decision has been praised by both operators and suppliers.
Ontario’s iGaming sector is set to open on April 4, 2022. This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the regional administration and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Operators who have registered with the AGCO and been approved by its subsidiary, iGaming Ontario, will receive access to the fifth largest gaming market in North America by population this spring.
iGaming Ontario stated in a statement that each operator licenced for launch will undergo extensive testing for honesty, fairness, player protection, and social responsibility.
Since the announcement, several of the gaming industry’s biggest names have praised the decision, including Penn National Gaming’s President and CEO, Jay Snowden, who said, “Today’s news is very exciting, and I would like to recognise and congratulate the government of Ontario, the AGCO, and iGaming Ontario for their dedication to creating a modern open and regulated sports betting and iGaming market.”
Penn National will make its debut in the region through theScore, a company that has made the move from sports broadcasting to sports betting and iGaming.
“We applaud the Ontario government’s tireless efforts throughout this process, and we’re excited to finally have a launch date,” said John Levy, CEO of theScore.
“The AGCO and iGaming Ontario took a thoughtful and collaborative approach to establishing and managing this new industry, and the result is a framework that will soon be launched, bringing widespread benefits to Ontarians and establishing Ontario as one of the largest and most important regulated gaming markets in North America.”
In Canada, the path to launch has been long, with the introduction of single-event sports betting adding fuel to the iGaming fire in recent months.
Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, told Gaming America that efforts to launch an iGaming market across the country have been in the works for more than a decade, with the success of sports betting in the US finally providing the evidence authorities needed to make Canadian iGaming a reality.
In a statement given to the Canadian Gaming Association, Burns said: “This is another major milestone and achievement for Ontario’s gaming industry after sports betting. The move to establish a regulated iGaming market in this province will ensure that the people of Ontario have access to safe and legal gambling options online while encouraging investment and job creation in Ontario.”