Major European Operators Finding Growing Success in New Ontario Market

For years, decades even, the established iGaming industry predominantly founded in Europe has looked west to new markets and new opportunities. It wasn’t until 2018 that they were finally able to gain passage to the US, and in 2022, part of the coveted Canadian market finally opened its doors. As we reported at EuropeanGaming, the Canadian Gaming Association and Ontario government have been looking to regulate the online gambling space since at least 2019.

Not to undervalue the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta – which have 2022 population estimates ranging from 4.5 million to 8.6 million – but Ontario is the big fish in Canada. Home to major metropolitan areas of Toronto and Ottawa, The Loyalist Province boasts some 15 million people. This is a major reason why massive brands from across the Atlantic that are already established in the likes of London, Guernsey, and Malta have leaped at the opportunity to offer iGaming in Ontario.

Now, two quarters into Ontario’s new iGaming market, it’s clear to see that brands have quickly found an audience and have done so by offering the best of what they have to offer. Furthermore, there’s even space to grow and connect more deeply with Canada’s betting population.

Ontario’s strong start and notable growth

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The regulated space of gambling in Ontario has long proven popular with residents. In 2020, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) reported that its returns grew from $1.7 billion in 2015 to just under $2.5 billion, with expectations of eclipsing $3 billion set for 2022/23. Key to this has been the lottery run by OLG, which saw $4 billion in sales from 2015 to 2020 across some 10,000 points of sale across the province.

On 4 April 2022, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) opened a new space for iGaming, with the transition period to being fully regulated ending on 31 October 2022. During this time, several major brands applied for and were granted licenses to operate within Ontario’s regulatory framework, including last year’s highest percentage owner of the market, Betway.

Leading up to the end of September, Ontario has had two quarters to record data. The first quarter, ending 30 June, saw CA$4.07 billion in wagers, which grew by 48.4 per cent to CA$6.04 billion, according to iGamingBusiness. In that time, revenue grew by 64.8 per cent, from CA$162 million to CA$267 million, aligning with a similar jump in operators from 18 to 21. Simply put, iGaming’s already big business in Ontario.

Instant competition by bringing their best

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In decades gone by, we’ve seen some operators decide to tease their way into markets, offering a limited number of games and options to effectively show growth as the removed parts get added. This can also be caused by limiting regulations and licensing agreements, but with the Ontario iGaming market, platforms are bringing their best products, with Ontario and UK platforms being identical in some cases.

In the case of the online casino Betway offers, all of the slots, live casino, and sportsbook options are the same in the current .ca platform as they are in the .com version. The brand has brought all of the aspects that made it popular in the UK and across Europe, immediately helping to set a high standard for the nascent market. Just as you’ll find the hit game Dragon’s Cache, you’ll also be able to play the newer Amazon Kingdom.

These two games, in particular, demonstrate that the newest and most popular games are being offered in Ontario. SpinPlay Games, the creator of Dragon’s Cache, is one of the coveted studios now under the Microgaming umbrella, as is Amazon Kingdom from JustForTheWin. Throw into the mix the latest live casino games from Pragmatic Play, Authentic Gaming, OnAir, and Evolution Gaming, and you can see that Canadian players can enjoy all of the same high-tier content as those in much more established and even more populous markets.

Partnerships and ambassadorships for growth

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Since the US opened up to sports betting – as well as the total iGaming industry to a lesser degree – major brands have been making partnerships with sports leagues. Most pertinent to Canada, the new partnerships the NHL signed will have been noticed for US games, such as Betway becoming the official sports betting partner of the NHL. At the time, Ontario wasn’t up and running, but now, there may be space for a similar partnership. They’re also a key partner of the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils.

So, there looks to be potential room for partnerships with teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in the future, or even as the NHL’s official betting partner in Ontario. Also on the table is athlete ambassadorships. A tried-and-trusted tradition for many iGaming brands in Europe, the likes of cricketer Kevin Pietersen, footballer Roy Keane, jump jockey Katie Walsh, and actress Nargis Fakhri are all ambassadors in iGaming. Perhaps a Buds or Sens legend would be interested in an iGaming ambassadorship to raise brand prestige.

Ontario has proven to be a strong market for iGaming from the get-go, with there being plenty of opportunities for further integration in the future.