In August 2021, Canadian legislators passed Bill C-218, which repealed the historic ban on single-event sports betting in the Great White North. Subsequently, individual provinces have been able to regulate sports and casino betting within their boundaries, across both retail and online verticals.
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To date, however, only Ontario has moved to create a fully open and competitive online marketplace, with Alberta finally expected to follow suit early in 2026. As for provinces like British Columbia and Quebec, bettors can access both state-regulated platforms and operators that are licensed offshore.
Despite this, the Canadian iGaming market has gone from strength to strength and is poised to grow further in the coming years. We’ll explore the sector’s past and future growth below, while also addressing the role that Ontario has played in this.
Then and now – A glance at Canada’s igaming market
Canada’s online gaming industry generated cumulative revenues of $19.31 billion in 2025 across both the casino and sports betting verticals. The sports betting market was worth approximately $4.10 billion during the same period, and is expected to more than double in size between now and 2030.
In the next five years, the sports betting market alone is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.6 per cent. This will ultimately create a market that’s worth $8.75 billion by 2030. Ontario will continue to drive this future growth, with the province now home to 48 licensed operators and 82 different betting websites.
The market in this particular province launched in April 2022. Since then, operators have taken in $247 billion in cash wagers and generated more than $2 billion in tax revenue.
As we’ve touched on, Alberta is also expected to launch its own regulated iGaming market at some point in 2026. This will create further opportunities for growth, with the 2023/24 fiscal year seeing the province generate an estimated $1.57 billion in net operating income. Some 64.6 per cent of Albertans aged 15 and over have also gambled during the previous 12 months, so there’s a large market available to target.
Just how generative is Ontario’s igaming market?
The Ontario market provides a fascinating case study for provinces like Alberta, which are home to a single state-backed betting site and numerous offshore operators. Sure, the Alberta market may be initially smaller and offer only a few licenses, but it will look to achieve a similar rate of growth and success.
By creating a competitive and well-regulated space, the ON government has been able to generate significant tax revenues while also introducing effective player safeguards. Licensed brands operating within the marketplace have successfully targeted an engaged and motivated marketplace too, with an estimated 84 per cent of residents now betting regularly online.
Ontario’s growth peaked between April 2024 and March 2025, with the 12-month period generating $3.20 billion in total. Wagering across casino and sports betting verticals soared to $82.7 billion during the reporting period, with this up a staggering 31 per cent year-on-year.
Of course, this fiscal year was the third since the regulated ON marketplace launched in the spring of 2022. The sum of $3.20 billion comfortably superseded the $2.40 generated during year two of legal gambling in Ontario, while it’s an incredible 129 per cent higher than year one’s figure of $1.40 billion.
The bottom line – An engaged marketplace and huge growth potential
Ontario’s growth highlights the benefits of regulation and competition, while also revealing the cultural prominence of gambling in the province and across Canada.
Remember, some 60 per cent of Canadians regularly partake in gambling nationwide, with 3 per cent of this number classified as high-stakes bettors who commit more than $100 each month.
Alberta will be the second province to capitalize on the demand for licensed gambling, as it looks to create a market outside of the government-run Play Alberta site. In theory, this will help move people away from the unregulated offshore marketplace in the province, helping lawmakers to maximize tax revenue and player safety.
If provinces such as BC and Quebec also follow suit in the near term, Canada’s regulated iGaming market will experience even more impressive, exponential growth.
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