iGaming Ontario’s Mission To Control Regulated iGaming Market
In June 2021, a historic event took place in Canada. That’s the month that the Canadian government or Parliament passed Bill C-218. This historic bill brought legalized online casino gambling or iGaming to the residents of a Canadian Province for the first time with the first province being Ontario.
The bill in question effectively put control over iGaming in Ontario in the hands of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). It was AGCO that established iGaming Ontario (IGO) as its regulatory partner in the province. While AGCO oversees the licensing process for iGaming operators, IGO has been charged with setting the regulatory environment and overseeing the actions of licensed operators.
iGaming Goes Live in Ontario
Before the passing of Bill C-218, Canadians had to use offshore online casino operators if they wanted to such games. While the Canadian government did nothing to restrict such activities, they make clear that they could assist with offshore gambling disputes. That created a level of risk that most Canadians were unwilling to take.
With the passing of the aforementioned bill, Canadian online casino gambling enthusiasts were finally given a secure environment in which they could gamble. The ball got rolling in April 2022 when the first group of licensed iGaming operators went live.
iGaming Ontario’s Mission
Today, Canadians have access to dozens of licensed iGaming operators. Each of these operators has been properly vetted and held to very high standards established by iGaming Ontario.
The goal or vision of IGO is to create a regulatory iGaming model that can serve as a template for other countries. For sure, other Canadian provinces will be looking to create their own iGaming markets at some time in the future. IGO is just the beginning.
As for IGO’s stated mission, here’s a quote from the regulator’s website: “To conduct and manage Ontario’s safe, efficient, and legal world-class igaming market.”
Ultimately, IGO’s job is to protect Canadians who want to play fair online casino games. If IGO is successful in this endeavor, there is every reason to believe that while Canadians are having fun, the Canadian government will benefit from an influx of revenue from license fees and taxes.
Player Protections Provided by IGO
As you contemplate joining in the iGaming fun in Canada, you have a right to question the safety of doing so. The best way to show how IGO is going to protect you and others is by comparing their regulations to those of unpermitted operators. Let’s start with the benefits afforded by IGO:
- Thorough vetting and proper licensing of all operators
- Random and fair testing certification of all online casino games
- No predatory advertising to minors and problems gamblers
- All personal information and financial data of customers must be secure
- Enforcement of strict guidelines related to timely and accurate customer payouts
Let’s now contrast this information with the offshore regulatory environment you and other Canadians might encounter:
- The vetting and licensing process is not strictly enforced in some jurisdictions
- Randomness and fairness testing is only required of licensed operators
- Predatory advertising to minors and problems gamblers often go unchecked
- The risk of personal information and data theft due to inadequate firewalls and SSL encryption technology
- Operators have a lot of leeway in terms of processing withdrawals (effects limits and timeliness)
Clearly, IGO exists to ensure the Canadian iGaming industry adheres to complete transparency. The primary objective focuses on creating an online gambling community that benefits all participants at every level.
As I read through IGO’s website at igamingontario.ca, one thing really stands out. The Canadian government has no issues with legalizing online gambling as long as residents don’t fall victim to problem gambling issues. To fight that battle, IGO focuses on two primary requirements:
IGO Priorities
1. All licensed operators must ensure that customers have fast and easy access to problem gambling resources. Their employees must also be able to identify customers with characteristics common to problem gamblers.
2. Each operator must create a process by which problem gamblers can exclude themselves from the operator’s casino. In the future, IGO hopes to create a centralized self-exclusion process that is similar to the GamStop program in the UK. It’s noteworthy that the UK Gambling Commission played a big role in the creation of this program. The benefit of a centralized program like this is players can self-exclude from all participating gambling sites at the same time. This would help save a lot of time and effort.
IGO’s Executive Director Weighs In
The following press release (dated 8/1/2024) from IGO head Martha Otton indicates the process for creating a viable centralized self-exclusion program is underway:
“We look forward to working with IC360, IXUP, OLG, and our operators to develop a centralized self-exclusion program for Ontario’s igaming players.” She then added, “This project reflects our ongoing commitment to build on the existing player protections here in Ontario. With IC360’s tech-first expertise in betting integrity through ProhiBet and IXUP’s demonstrated success with BetStop in Australia, we’re confident they will help us build a robust self-exclusion system for Ontarians who decide to take a short- or long-term break from gambling.”
Based on the aforementioned information, it looks like IGO has established strong control over Ontario’s iGaming market. That’s great news for Canadian online gamblers looking for a safe environment to play online casino games of chance.