TLDR
- A new Ipsos poll shows 91.1% of Ontario gamblers now use legal, regulated platforms, up 7.4% from 2025
- Players using only illegal gambling sites dropped nearly in half, from 16.3% in 2025 to 8.9%
- Before Ontario launched its regulated market in 2022, an estimated 70% of players used unregulated operators
- Ontario officials say the data proves their regulatory model is working to protect players and fight illegal gambling
- Alberta is set to launch its own regulated online gambling market on July 13, citing Ontario’s success as a model
Ontario’s Regulated Market Shows Strong Growth
Four years after Ontario opened its legal online gambling market, new data shows that the vast majority of players have moved away from illegal sites. An Ipsos poll commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario found that 91.1% of Ontario gamblers now play on regulated platforms.
That figure is up 7.4% compared to 2025 results. Before Ontario launched its regulated market in April 2022, roughly 70% of players were gambling on unregulated sites.
The shift away from illegal operators has been steady. The share of players who said they gamble only on illegal sites fell from 16.3% in 2025 to 8.9% this year. That is nearly a 50% drop in just one year.
The AGCO and iGaming Ontario have commissioned Ipsos to conduct these annual surveys since the market launched. The data is used to track progress and target remaining illegal operators.
Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey said the results confirm the province’s approach is working. He called Ontario an international leader in maintaining a safe and competitive online gaming market.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO of the AGCO, said it is encouraging to see more Ontarians choosing regulated sites. She added that the commission remains focused on addressing what is left of the illegal market.
How the Regulated System Protects Players
Ontario’s regulated iGaming market is built on enforceable standards, according to the AGCO. These standards include consumer protections, game integrity safeguards, and responsible gaming requirements.
Unregulated sites, by contrast, do not offer the same protections. The AGCO says illegal operators put player information and funds at risk. They also lack safeguards against criminal activity like money laundering and match-fixing.
Stan Cho, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, said the government has prioritized player protections. He pointed to responsible gaming tools embedded in the regulated market as a key factor.
iGaming Ontario President and CEO Joseph Hillier said the findings show the province is balancing player choice with protection. He said iGaming Ontario is committed to building a safe marketplace for both players and operators.
The success of Ontario’s model is now being watched closely by other provinces. Alberta has set July 13 as the launch date for its own regulated online gambling market.
Alberta officials have argued that regulation will give residents more choice while curbing illegal gambling and recapturing lost tax revenue. Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, spoke about the province’s approach at the SBC Canadian Gaming Summit last week.
Nally said his government has a responsibility to act rather than ignore the reality of online gambling. He argued that the best way to deal with an illegal market is to create a healthy, legal alternative.
Ontario’s four-year track record now provides data to support that argument. With Alberta’s launch less than two months away, the Ipsos poll results offer a concrete case study in how regulation can shift players toward legal platforms.
The AGCO said it will continue working to bring the remaining 8.9% of players on illegal sites into the regulated market.
