Is online gambling legal in Ontario?

Key takeaways

• Two public bodies, two different jobs. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the regulator. iGaming Ontario (iGO) runs the market of private operators. Online, OLG runs only its own site, OLG.ca, and it does not run the private market. (OLG also conducts and manages land-based commercial gaming and runs OLG Proline at lottery retailers.)
• There is an official list. iGO’s directory shows 49 regulated operators running 84 gaming websites. The listing is accurate as of September 1, 2026. If a site is not on it (and it is not OLG.ca), it is not part of Ontario’s regulated market.
• One opt-out now covers every site. Since May 14, 2026, BetGuard.ca lets anyone 19 or older block themselves from every regulated site in Ontario, OLG.ca included, for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term.

The short answer

Canada’s Criminal Code makes gambling a crime unless a province runs it or licenses it. Under section 207(1)(a), a provincial government may “conduct and manage a lottery scheme” in its province. Section 207(4)(c) then excludes games “operated on or through a computer” from what charities, fairs and other licensees may run. So only the province itself can offer online gambling.

Ontario uses that power in two ways:

1. OLG.ca. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, a government agency, conducts and manages OLG.ca and is also the operator of that site (iGO: What We Do).
2. The private igaming market. Since April 4, 2022, private online gambling and sports betting companies can offer their games in Ontario if they have finished the AGCO’s registration process and signed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario (AGCO player information). iGO calls these companies “Operators”. They offer their sites on behalf of the Province, and the revenue is shared with the Government of Ontario.

The AGCO says Ontario’s market was “the first of its kind in Canada”.

Who regulates online gambling in Ontario?

People often mix up these three bodies. Some older guides say OLG runs the private market. It does not.

Body	What it does	Official source
AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario)	The regulator. It administers the Gaming Control Act, 1992, writes the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, registers operators and suppliers, and monitors them. It can issue warnings, suspensions and monetary penalties, and revoke a registration. It was established in February 1998, and its Board of Directors reports to the Attorney General of Ontario.	Roles of the AGCO and iGO
iGaming Ontario (iGO)	Runs the private market. It conducts and manages igaming offered through private operators, signs and oversees their operating agreements, reconciles revenue for the province, and runs a dispute process for players. It was set up in July 2021 as a subsidiary of the AGCO and became an independent provincial agency in May 2025.	Roles of the AGCO and iGO
OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation)	Runs OLG.ca, the only government igaming site. It does not run the private market. Offline, it also conducts and manages land-based commercial gaming and runs OLG Proline at lottery retailers (AGCO internet gaming FAQ). The AGCO says iGO “does not conduct or manage online gaming at OLG.ca”. OLG.ca is still regulated by the AGCO.	Roles of the AGCO and iGO, iGO: What We Do

What is legal to play online in Ontario

iGO’s directory sorts regulated sites into five categories: casino, poker, sports betting, bingo and betting exchange (iGO directory).

Sports betting is legal. The AGCO says a company that wants to offer sport and event betting in Ontario must be registered with the AGCO and be conducted and managed by either iGO or OLG (AGCO sport and event betting). You can bet legally:

• online, on a regulated site or app listed by iGO,
• online with OLG’s Proline Plus,
• with OLG Proline at a registered lottery retailer, and
• at sportsbooks in some casinos.

Some other points from the AGCO:

• Single-game betting has been legal since August 27, 2021, when Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, came into force (LEGISinfo). Ontario’s private market followed on April 4, 2022.
• Horse racing was left out of Bill C-218 and is not part of the AGCO’s sport and event betting rules. Pari-mutuel betting on horse races falls under section 204 of the Criminal Code and federal rules instead; see our sports betting explainer.
• eSports betting is allowed if the event meets the AGCO’s standard for acceptable events.
• Pay-to-play fantasy sports are treated as gambling and are allowed under the AGCO’s standards. The AGCO says operators are not currently offering them, mainly because players outside Ontario cannot join.
• Only online. Private igaming operators cannot run in-person betting. Land-based gaming is conducted and managed by OLG (AGCO internet gaming FAQ).

Legal gambling age in Ontario

19. iGO says you must be 19 or older to take part in all internet gaming products it conducts and manages (iGO Player FAQs). Its directory adds that you must be physically located in Ontario to play.

You can open an account or sign in to an existing one while you are outside Ontario. You cannot place a bet until you are back in the province (iGO Player FAQs).

How to check that a site is legal

1. Search the iGO directory. iGaming Ontario keeps a directory of every regulated site. As of September 1, 2026 it lists 49 operators and 84 gaming websites. iGO says it updates the list each time a new regulated site goes live. Our Ontario licensed operators tracker is built from that directory and has an “Is this site licensed?” lookup.
2. Look for the logos. iGO says every site from a registered and approved operator shows the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos (iGO Player FAQs). A logo can be copied, so check the directory as well.
3. Watch for sites that “stayed on”. The AGCO says that if you have an account with a site that did not join the regulated market on April 4, 2022, that site is unregulated (AGCO internet gaming FAQ).
4. OLG.ca is the one exception. It is legal but is not in the private-operator list, because OLG runs it directly.

Why it matters. iGO says regulated sites protect your deposits, pay out winnings and keep your data secure. On unregulated sites it warns that payouts “could be delayed or not given at all” and that such operators “have no accountability to regulators” (iGO directory). Neither iGO nor the AGCO can help with a dispute on an unregulated site (AGCO complaints).

Self-exclusion: BetGuard

iGaming Ontario launched BetGuard on May 14, 2026 (iGO announcement). Here is what it does:

• One sign-up covers the whole regulated market. This includes OLG.ca. It stops you signing in to existing accounts, stops you opening new ones, and tells operators not to send you direct marketing.
• You choose the length. The terms are 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term. BetGuard says you cannot shorten the term once you sign up, but you can extend it at any time (BetGuard.ca).
• It does not end on its own. When your term is over you can pick a new term or remove yourself. If you do neither, “BetGuard will keep you centrally self-excluded for seven years after your term ends” (BetGuard FAQ).
• It does not cover casinos. OLG says BetGuard “does not cover land based (in-person) casinos”. For casinos and charitable gaming centres, use OLG’s My PlayBreak (1-800-387-0098, or ask staff on site) (OLG). Our self-exclusion guide compares the two.
• Who can use it. Anyone 19 or older with a valid government photo ID, a permanent Canadian or US address, a cellphone and an email address. You do not need a gambling account. Only you can sign yourself up, and BetGuard confirms who you are with your ID and facial recognition.
• It is separate from each site’s own self-exclusion. If you have already excluded yourself from one site, you are not automatically signed up for BetGuard (BetGuard FAQ). Each regulated operator also runs its own self-exclusion program (iGO Player FAQs).
• Help with BetGuard. The contact centre is at 416-479-0008 (Greater Toronto Area) or 1-833-776-7171 toll-free (Canada and US) (BetGuard FAQ).

Every regulated site must also offer at least spending limits, time limits, a short-term break and longer self-exclusion, under the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming (iGO Player FAQs).

Only use the official site, betguard.ca. BetGuard’s own homepage warns about impostor sites.

How to complain about a regulated site

Both iGO and the AGCO ask you to go to the operator first. Here is the order:

1. Complain to the site. Read its terms and conditions, then use its formal complaints process. You will get a complaint reference number. The AGCO says a decision can take up to 90 days (AGCO complaints).
2. Take the dispute to iGaming Ontario. If the operator does not answer, or you are unhappy with the result, you can escalate it to iGO. Have the site name, your player ID and the complaint number ready. iGO says it “cannot directly settle any bets, refund wagers or award compensation” (iGO Player Support).
3. Report broken rules to the AGCO. If you think a regulated site broke the rules, complain to the AGCO through iAGCO. For complaints about responsible gambling, suspected illegal activity or advertising, you do not need to contact the operator first. In the Complaint/Dispute Reference Number field, enter zero. The AGCO says it can penalize operators but “can’t get your money back” (AGCO complaints).

AGCO response times: an initial review takes about 2 business days. A compliance review takes up to 5 weeks. A complex review takes 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer.

What has changed recently

• May 2025. iGO becomes an independent provincial agency, separate from the AGCO (AGCO).
• May 14, 2026. BetGuard, the central self-exclusion tool, launches. In the same announcement, iGO says the market generated $262 million in 2025-26 in revenue that went back to the province. It also says Ontario has invested over $421 million since 2018 in public education, responsible gambling support and research (iGO).
• January 8, 2026. The AGCO fines FanDuel $350,000 for accepting 144 bets on Czech table-tennis matches that showed match-fixing indicators without identifying or reporting them (AGCO).
• February 12, 2026. For the first time in Ontario igaming, the AGCO moves to suspend an operator’s registration: a proposed five-day suspension of PointsBet over its alleged failure to report suspicious NBA bets (AGCO).
• August 2026. The AGCO penalizes Betty Gaming $120,000 after a defect let 9 people under 19 open, fund and gamble on accounts (AGCO), and NorthStar Gaming $100,000 over anti-money-laundering checks (AGCO). Every AGCO action we have sourced is in our fines tracker.
• September 1, 2026. iGO’s directory lists 49 operators and 84 sites (iGO directory).

Do you pay tax on gambling winnings in Ontario?

For most people, no. The rule is federal, so it is the same across Canada: the Canada Revenue Agency says you do not report lottery winnings “of any amount” unless the prize is income from employment, a business or property, or a prize for achievement. Interest your winnings earn afterwards is taxable (CRA). When gambling counts as a business is covered in Are gambling winnings taxable in Canada?

Practical next steps

1. Before you sign up anywhere, look the site up in the iGO directory or our operators tracker. The government-run site is OLG.ca.
2. Set limits on day one. Every regulated site must offer spending and time limits.
3. Need a break from every site? Sign up at betguard.ca. The term cannot be shortened, and you stay excluded for seven more years unless you act when it ends. For casinos, use OLG’s My PlayBreak.
4. Worried about your gambling or someone else’s? Call ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600, text CONNEX to 247247, or chat at connexontario.ca. It is free, confidential and open 24/7 (BetGuard FAQ, AGCO).
5. Live in another province? The rules are different. See our guides for Alberta, which opened its own regulated private market on July 13, 2026, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Each one lists that province’s help line.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Ontario?

Yes. It is legal on sites whose operators are registered by the AGCO and contracted by iGaming Ontario, and on OLG.ca. iGO’s directory lists 49 operators and 84 sites as of September 1, 2026.

Is sports betting legal in Ontario?

Yes. Single-game betting has been legal in Canada since August 27, 2021. In Ontario you can bet online on regulated sites and apps, online with OLG Proline Plus, with OLG Proline at lottery retailers, and at sportsbooks in some casinos. Horse racing is not covered by those rules: pari-mutuel betting on races falls under section 204 of the Criminal Code.

What is the legal gambling age in Ontario?

You must be 19 or older to gamble online in Ontario, and physically in Ontario to place a bet on a regulated site.

Who regulates online gambling in Ontario: the AGCO, iGaming Ontario or OLG?

The AGCO is the regulator. iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the private operator market. Online, OLG runs only OLG.ca; it does not run the private market. Offline, OLG also conducts and manages land-based commercial gaming.

How do I self-exclude from all online gambling sites in Ontario?

Sign up at betguard.ca. It covers every regulated site in Ontario, including OLG.ca, for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term, and keeps you excluded for seven more years after the term unless you act. You need to be 19 or older and have a valid government photo ID. BetGuard does not cover land-based casinos; OLG’s My PlayBreak does.

Can I be charged for using an unregulated gambling site in Ontario?

In law, a player can be. Section 207(3)(b) of the Criminal Code makes taking part in a lottery scheme that no province authorizes a summary conviction offence; operators face up to two years in prison under s. 207(3)(a). The AGCO’s own enforcement is aimed at operators and suppliers, and neither iGO nor the AGCO can help you with a dispute on an unregulated site.

Are Kahnawake-licensed sites legal in Ontario?

Not unless they are also in iGO’s directory. The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission says its authority is an inherent Indigenous right, and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke challenged Ontario’s model in court. On May 13, 2024 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed that challenge, finding iGaming Ontario’s model consistent with the Criminal Code.

How do I complain about an Ontario gambling site?

First use the site’s own formal complaints process. If it is not resolved, escalate to iGaming Ontario. If you think the site broke the rules, or the issue is about responsible gambling, illegal activity or advertising, complain to the AGCO through iAGCO.

This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice. Last reviewed September 30, 2026, against the official sources listed below.