TLDR
- National gambling participation in Canada dropped from 76% in 2002 to 64.5% in 2018, yet the industry keeps expanding
- Ontario’s regulated online gambling market revenue surged from CAD 1.3 billion in 2022–23 to CAD 2.9 billion in 2024–25
- Online casino games, not sports betting, drive roughly 75% of Ontario’s regulated online revenue
- Growth is fueled by deeper engagement from existing players rather than new players joining
- Sports betting partnerships with leagues like the NHL, CFL, and CEBL have made gambling far more visible in Canadian culture
Fewer Canadians are gambling today than two decades ago. But the country’s gambling industry is bigger than ever.
In 2002, 76 percent of Canadians aged 15 and older said they had gambled in the past year, according to Statistics Canada. By 2018, that number had dropped to 64.5 percent.
Despite that decline, the money flowing through Canada’s online gambling market has been rising fast. The growth is concentrated in Ontario, which launched a regulated online gambling market in April 2022.
In its first full year, Ontario’s market brought in about CAD 1.3 billion in gaming revenue, according to iGaming Ontario. That jumped to CAD 2.2 billion the following year.
By 2024–25, it reached CAD 2.9 billion. Total wagers climbed from roughly CAD 63.2 billion in 2023–24 to CAD 82.7 billion in 2024–25.
The province recorded about 2.6 million active player accounts in 2024–25. Ontario has a population of roughly 15 million.
So how does the market grow when fewer people are participating? The answer is that existing players are spending more time and money on gambling platforms.
Online Casino Is the Real Revenue Driver
Sports betting gets most of the attention. Single-event sports betting became legal in Canada in 2021 after Bill C-218 passed. But it is online casino games that bring in the bulk of the revenue.
In 2024–25, online casino generated about CAD 2.2 billion of Ontario’s CAD 2.9 billion total. That means casino accounts for roughly three quarters of all regulated online gambling revenue in the province.
Sports betting reshaped the public image of gambling in Canada. Casino games quietly drive the economics.
Dmitry Arabuli, CEO at Tonybet, said Ontario’s regulation shifted the competitive landscape. He said many of the largest North American operators entered the market, and the focus moved from casual players to more engaged ones.
He also noted that regulation pulled players away from offshore and grey-market sites into the licensed system. That did not grow the total number of gamblers, but it redirected them into a regulated environment.
Betting Partnerships Are Everywhere in Canadian Sports
Since legalization, gambling brands have become a fixture in Canadian professional sports. The National Hockey League has official betting partnerships with ESPN BET and theScore Bet across North America.
The Canadian Football League partnered with ToonieBet as its official sports betting and casino partner. The Canadian Elite Basketball League works with TonyBet as its official online sportsbook partner.
Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment signed a deal with Betty as its official online casino partner in Ontario.
Betting brands now appear on arena signs, during broadcasts, and across digital content. Gambling is increasingly woven into how Canadians consume professional sports.
Yet this growing visibility has not translated into more people gambling. It has instead changed how gambling is perceived, especially among younger audiences who see it as part of the sports experience.
Canada does not operate under a single gambling model. Ontario has a competitive system with dozens of licensed operators. Other provinces still rely on government-run platforms.
Alberta has signaled plans to launch its own regulated framework, suggesting further changes ahead.
Most recent growth data comes from provincial digital markets, not national surveys. The shift from physical lottery tickets and casino venues to smartphone apps represents a structural change in how Canadians gamble.
Regulators are now paying closer attention to responsible gambling tools and how risk is distributed when a smaller group of players drives a larger share of revenue.
Alberta’s upcoming regulatory plans indicate Canada’s gambling landscape is still evolving. As of March 2026, Ontario’s regulated market recorded CAD 82.7 billion in total wagers for the 2024–25 fiscal year.
