How Ontario’s Regulated Gambling Market Is Pulling Players Away From Offshore Betting Sites in 2026

The regulated gambling market in Ontario is making further progress in shifting players away from offshore and unregulated betting websites. New research released in May 2026 found that 91.1% of those who played online gambling in Ontario did so via a regulated site – a substantial increase over previous years. This indicates that the province’s four-year-old regulated iGaming model is gaining a stronger foothold amongst consumers.

This shift is an important part of establishing the commercial iGaming market – to provide legal alternatives to unregulated gambling websites and offerings. With the market continuing to expand, regulated operators are now competing for a much larger share of online gambling activity.

91.1% of Players Now Choose Regulated Sites

The latest channelization study from Ipsos – commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario – provides perhaps the clearest indication yet of a shift towards regulated platforms among Ontarians.

The figure for May 2026 indicated that 91.1% of players chose legal gambling sites – a finding that marked a 7.4 percentage point increase relative to the previous year’s result. The proportion of respondents who selected gambling only on unregulated sites likewise declined from 16.3% to 8.9%.

The change is even more significant when compared with the situation before Ontario’s regulated market opened in April 2022. At that time, estimates suggested that around 70% of online gambling activity was taking place with unregulated operators.

A Larger Regulated Market

The growth of the regulated market has also given players more choice. iGaming Ontario’s official directory listed 48 regulated operators and 83 gaming websites as of August 6, 2026 – all offering online casino games and sports betting, plus other forms of internet gaming activity.

This is a considerable increase from the market’s early stages. Note that the province opened its competitive, regulated iGaming market on April 4, 2022 – giving a legal framework to commercial operators wanting to offer such services. For consumers, having many regulated websites means that they no longer have to rely on offshore platforms whenever they want to find different betting or casino options.

Money Is Moving Through the Legal Market

The financial scale of Ontario’s regulated market also reveals why channelization matters. During the 2024-25 fiscal year, regulated operators recorded  $82.7 billion in total wagers and $2.9 billion in gaming revenue – both figures were more than 30% higher than the previous year.

Such momentum continued into calendar year 2025 with licensed operators seeing around $98.3 billion in wagers and $4 billion in non-adjusted gross gaming revenue – according to industry reporting and iGaming Ontario figures.  December alone produced a whopping  $9.5 billion in wagers and $425.4 million in revenue. Such statistics indicate the regulated platforms are managing a substantial portion of Ontario’s online gambling activity.

Why Players Are Choosing Regulated Websites

Several factors may explain the continuing shift. One factor is trust. Operators have to comply with requirements established by Ontario’s gambling authorities – rules relating to the integrity of games and responsible gambling practices.

Players also have access to a clear list of authorized websites. The iGaming Ontario directory makes it evident which operators fall within the regulated market. This makes it easier for consumers to distinguish authorized platforms from offshore alternatives.

Another factor is the wider range of regulated options. With 83 gaming websites available through 48 operators, consumers can explore different casino and sports-betting platforms – none of them needing to go to offshore providers to find different casino and sports-betting platforms.

Offshore Sites Have Not Disappeared

Despite the 91.1% channelization rate, offshore gambling has not completely disappeared. The Ipsos research demonstrated that 8.9% of respondents gambled exclusively on unregulated sites. This indicates a portion of the market is outside Ontario’s regulatory framework.

Such a remaining segment continues to pose challenges for regulators and the legal industry. Offshore operators will always have the ability to appeal to consumers due to aspects like foreign brands or different product offerings and approaches – none of which fit within Ontario’s regulatory framework. However, the latest research suggests that their share of the player market has declined significantly.

What the Trend Means for Ontario

The latest figures indicate that the Ontario strategy on regulated gambling is achieving one of its central goals – shifting a large majority of online players towards authorized operators. The safest approach for players is to check whether a gambling website features within iGaming Ontario’s regulated market directory. Players must be at least 19 years old and physically located within Ontario in order to participate in regulated iGaming sites.

The figures point to both opportunity and responsibility for operators. With more than nine out of ten online players now selecting regulated sites, competition for such an audience appears likely to remain intense.

Ontario enters 2026 with the market in a significantly stronger position than it had four years previously. The presence of 91.1% channelization alongside 48 operators, 83 regulated gaming websites, and billions of dollars in annual wagering shows just how the province’s regulated iGaming model has progressed. The next challenge is maintaining such progress while continuing to improve player protection and keeping the regulated market sufficiently attractive to compete with offshore alternatives.