Ontario has provided an update on the latest developments regarding the opening of its iGaming market to private operators.
The province of Ontario has provided insight into the liberalisation of its iGaming market segment and its opening to private licensed operators. According to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the launch of private operator licenses has been delayed and will commence during the first quarter of 2022.
AGCO previously announced that operator applications are now open. AGCO’s subsidiary, Gaming Ontario, runs the operator assessment process and is expected to award the licenses at the beginning of 2022. The approved operators will also be allowed to offer new single-game wagering on sports.
An Unexpected Delay
iGaming Ontario has begun panning out the terms of a commercial agreement with all the applicants, with the process expected to be concluded soon. Earlier this year, the province issued a term sheet of the deal, and drafts are now available to operators who had previously registered via the iGaming Ontario portal and signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Prospective operators are required to complete the necessary registration with the gaming commission, which is obligatory for all online operators that wish to offer regulated gambling services in the province. All registrations are made through the AGCO website. The commission has already published its guidelines and information for operators to help them while applying.
The AGCO and iGaming Ontario informed potential operators that to be considered and eligible for a license, they will need to terminate all their unregulated online gaming offerings. They must also disassociate themselves from other companies that operate in the grey market since the commission plans to move all local players from unregulated online casinos to legal ones.
The iGaming industry in Ontario is set to witness some exciting months in 2022, as iGaming Ontario’s contractual terms should be finalised with all candidate operators. The new gaming regime is believed to be a huge step forward for the province as it would make the market more competitive for all stakeholders and offer gamblers a more comprehensive range of services.
