Ontario Lags Behind Other Provinces with Online Bettors

A recent poll has revealed that Ontario is lagging behind other provinces in terms of the percentage of registered online bettors.

Traditionally, Ontario has been at the forefront of the Canadian gambling industry, especially with the launch of its regulated market for private iGaming operators. However, a recent poll by Ipsos has shown that, despite its leading position, Ontario is behind other Canadian provinces regarding the percentage of registered online bettors.

In 2021, the federal government of Canada decriminalised single-event sports betting, which opened a new page for the country’s gambling industry. Most of the other provinces have given control of the sports betting market segment to local state-run Crown corporations. However, Ontario opened the market to private operators, allowing greater variety and competition.

Percentage of Online Bettors at Over 30%

The recently conducted poll by Ipsos revealed that a growing number of Canadians are wagering online. The survey was conducted between 10 and 13 May 2022 and included 2,001 Canadians over 17. The study also found that the Atlantic Region has the highest percentage of Canadians signed up for online sports betting with 41%.

Ontario’s iGaming market currently sits at 33% of registered users on at least one online betting platform. This places the province just above the country average of 30%. Ipsos noted that the portion of Ontarians registered with private gambling operators is almost equal to those signed up with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s OLG platform, standing at 25% and 23%, respectively.

British Columbia, another jurisdiction where the local government controls the gaming market, has the same percentage of registered adult gamblers as Ontario. According to the study, Quebec comes next with 26%, followed by Alberta with 24%, and then Saskatchewan and Manitoba, both at 22%. On the other hand, the Atlantic region has the highest percentage, with 41%.

Additionally, the Ipsos study has revealed that an average Canadian who wagers online is signed up on three to four websites, with the national average currently standing at 3.6. Once again, the Atlantic region is leading the race in this category, with an average of 4.7. The Saskatchewan and Manitoban gamblers have the lowest index average of 2.7.