Is online gambling legal in Ontario?
Short answer: yes — as long as you play on a site that’s part of Ontario’s regulated market and you’re 19 or older.
How Ontario’s market works
Ontario opened a regulated, competitive online gambling market on April 4, 2022. Before that, the only legal online option was the provincial lottery corporation. Today private operators can offer online casino games, sports betting and poker, under a two-body system:
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) | The regulator. Registers operators and suppliers, sets the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, and enforces them with fines or deregistration. |
| iGaming Ontario (iGO) | The provincial agency that conducts and manages the market. Operators sign an operating agreement with iGO, and iGO publishes the official directory of regulated sites. |
To legally serve Ontario players, an operator needs both: AGCO registration and an iGO operating agreement.
Who can play
- You must be 19 or older.
- You must be physically located in Ontario when you place real-money bets. Regulated sites use geolocation to check this.
- You’ll need to verify your identity, normally at sign-up or before your first withdrawal.
What about other provinces?
Ontario’s iGO market only covers Ontario. Other provinces run their own systems, and a site regulated in Ontario isn’t automatically regulated anywhere else.
What about offshore sites?
You’ll still find sites that accept Ontario players without being registered here. They aren’t part of the regulated market, so the AGCO’s rules on fair games, protection of funds, identity checks and responsible gambling don’t apply to them — and there’s no Ontario regulator to complain to if a withdrawal never arrives.
Read more: Regulated vs offshore casinos · How to check if a casino is legal
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Ontario?
Yes, for adults 19 and over who play on sites registered with the AGCO and contracted by iGaming Ontario. Ontario's regulated market launched on April 4, 2022.
What is the legal gambling age in Ontario?
19. Regulated sites must verify your age and identity.
Can I play at an Ontario site while travelling outside the province?
No. Regulated Ontario sites must confirm you are physically located in Ontario to play for real money.
Are offshore casinos legal in Ontario?
Sites that serve Ontario players without AGCO registration operate outside the regulated market, and you get none of its protections there.