Online gambling revenue in Ontario more than doubled year-on-year in Q2 to CA$540m (£324m/€375m/US$395m), while player spending in the Canadian province rocketed 132%.
Total igaming revenue in Ontario for the three months to 30 September was up 105% from $267m in Q2 of last year – the second full quarter since the regulated market opened in April 2022.
Of this total, $407m came from online casino activity in Ontario. A further $118m in revenue was generated from internet sports betting and $16m online poker. Revenue covers all cash wagers, rake fees, tournament fees and other fees, minus player winnings.
As for player spending, total igaming wagers in Q2 reached $14.20bn. This was significantly more than the $6.04bn spent during Q2 of last year.
Consumers spent $11.90bn on internet casino games, $1.90bn on sports betting and $397m online poker. Players spending does not include promotional wagers such as bonuses and free bets.
Ontario: an expanding igaming market
The figures, published by local regulator iGaming Ontario, also show an increase in the total number of active operators. Some 47 licensed operators were live in Ontario in Q2, up from 24 last year.
Players had access to 71 websites operated by licensees during the quarter, compared to 42 in Q2 of 2022.
Meanwhile, active player accounts also increased from 628,000 to 943,000. Active player accounts are classed as those with cash or promotional wagering activity during the period. They do not represent unique players as individuals may have accounts with multiple sites and operators.
In addition, iGaming Ontario said the average monthly spend per active player account in Q2 was $191. This was higher than the $142 average spend reported in the previous year.
Last month, iGB took a closer look at Ontario market and its development during the first year of regulation. Only Ontario has a regulated igaming market, which went live in April 2022.
Online gaming is prohibited in other Canadian provinces outside of the provincial lottery corporations, which have a de facto monopoly. As such, NorthStar’s new dotcom venture will not be regulated by Canadian authorities outside of Ontario.
