April 4th, 2022 marks the day that the Canadian province of Ontario launched its online gambling market. The legal and regulated market is the result of three years of hard work put in by legislators and gambling authorities. Legislation was introduced in 2020 which potentially put an end to Ontario Lottery’s monopoly on the market and allowed other operators to apply for licenses.
Operators which have successfully applied for – and received – licenses include:
- FanDuel
- 888
- the Score
- Bet365
- Rush Street Interactive
PointsBet Goes Live on the Day
One of the operators to go live on the day was PointsBet, which is now offering Ontarians an igaming and online sportsbook platform to enjoy.
Commenting on the event, the chief executive of PointsBet Canada, Scott Vanderwel said: “Just moments after 12:00am local time this morning, PointsBet Canada became one of the first private sportsbooks to take a legal wager.”
“On behalf of the entire PointsBet Canada team, I’d like to share how thrilled we are to see the province’s sports wagering market officially open.”
Responsibility over Ontario’s iGaming Market
The province gave iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, responsibility over the new market, including regulation and licensing.
The Commission has published a guide for operators as they navigate the new market, including steps that the authority will take to combat unregulated and illegal igaming operations.
