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Ontario’s regulated commercial iGaming market has many player supports in place, but one thing it doesn’t have is a simple and effective way for gamblers to cut themselves off from all licensed operators. That will change in 2026, as iGaming Ontario (iGO) will finally launch its long-awaited centralized self-exclusion (CSE) system for players.

As we approach four years since Ontario’s market launched in April 2022, and as it swelled to around 50 operators running more than 80 iGaming sites, iGO President and CEO Joseph Hillier acknowledged that centralized self-exclusion has been a long time coming.

“I think there’s a recognition that we’re overdue for this system,”Hillier told Canadian Gaming Business in an interview.

After a long ramp-up period, it sounds like things are on track for the program to finally go live in 2026.

“I think we’re pretty confident that midway through next year, we’ll be in a position to do our public launch,” said Hillier.

80+ websites, one way to self-..

There is still no firm launch date for Alberta’s regulated online gambling market, but there is progress this week when Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) published its Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming (SRIG) on Jan. 13.

Alberta’s iGaming will be run like Ontario’s, wherein the AGLC is the market regulator and the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) is the conduct-and-manage agency that is roughly equivalent to iGaming Ontario (iGO).

Unlike the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), AGLC will be both regulator and operator. It will continue to run Play Alberta, the province’s only regulated iGaming platform, that will soon compete with commercial licensed online sportsbooks and casinos. Per various analyses, Play Alberta currently holds around 25% to 30% of iGaming play in the province.

While AGLC is now accepting applications from operators and suppliers, the commercial online casino and sports betting market launch is still months away. In the meantime, the 85-page draft AGLC standards answer some key questions that were left hanging when the province passed the iGaming Alberta Act in spring 2025.

Tax rate and licensing fees

Applicants to enter Alberta must complete a two-step process where they first register with the AGLC and subsequently sign a commercial agreement with the AiGC.

AGLC confirmed that operators will pay a one-time $50,000 application fee and a $150,000 annual registration fee, and must pay the annual fee for each iGaming site that they run in the province. On the supplier side, platform and gaming system providers will pay a $15,000 annual registration fee while other suppliers, such as payment providers, oddsmakers and Independent Integrity Monitors, will pay $3,000 per year.

Operators, the Canadian Gaming Association and other stakeholders called in the past for Alberta to adopt a similar tax rate to Ontario, which taxes operators at 20% of their non-adjusted gross gaming revenues.

Alberta appears to have heeded that call. While not specified in the standards, Canadian Gaming Business understands that the proposed tax rate is close to the 20% mark. The big difference from Ontario is that Alberta will deduct 3% of GGR before taxing it. A total of 2% will go towards First Nations funding and another 1% will be dedicated to social responsibility initiatives. After those deductions, operators will pay 20% of their remaining GGR to the government.

How can (or can’t) operators advertise?

Once fully registered and paid, operators will be allowed to start advertising and signing up customers immediately in Alberta in the ramp-up to the market actually beginning play.

Like Ontario, Alberta will place some restrictions on how operators can promote themselves. Most notable is a line in the standards that stipulates that “advertising and marketing materials must contain a responsible gambling message.”

While Ontario has certain requirements for operators regarding things such as spending a certain amount on responsible gambling messaging and only using public figures to advertise RG resources, Alberta seems to be proposing that all iGaming advertising must have an RG slant. An Alberta government release issued on Wednesday added that gaming companies will be required to ensure their advertising does not target minors and that pro athletes are not used to promote gambling activities.

Another note dictates that operators must ensure that none of the third parties they use for direct-to-consumer marketing or player referral services also work with unlicensed operators in the province.

AGLC puts player protection top of mind

As promised by Minister Dale Nally during legislative discussion of Bill 48 last year, Alberta’s regulations will place a strong focus on player protection.

Written into the iGaming Alberta Act itself was the use of a centralized self-exclusion system (CSE), a tool similar to the one iGO is aiming to launch for Ontario in mid-2026. AGLC confirmed that all licensed platforms must integrate with the CSE, which will allow every player to opt out of all iGaming sites, all land-based gambling venues or both categories at once. Operators will need to exclude any self-excluded players from all marketing.

The AGLC standards add that operators must also offer players in-app tools such as deposit and wager limits and cool-off periods, and that platforms’ responsible gambling materials must be periodically reviewed and updated to meet requirements and best practices.

Like Ontario does, Alberta will also mandate that operators take steps to prevent betting manipulation. Licensees will also have an obligation to establish controls to identify suspicious betting activity and report it to an Independent Integrity Monitor. AGLC has a detailed list of instructions for what needs to be reported, to whom, and how quickly.

iGaming Corporation recruitment ongoing

Minister Nally’s office told Canadian Gaming Business in November that the intent is to finalize the regulations soon. A spokesperson also added that work was underway to finish building out the AiGC.

AGLC Vice President of Gaming Dan Keene is currently serving as the AiGC’s interim CEO. Consulting firm Odgers Canada is leading recruitment for several other key positions, including chief compliance and operations officer, chief financial officer, chief information officer and general counsel.

FanDuel is being ordered by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to pay a hefty penalty for the operator’s failure to detect and report suspicious betting activity.

On Thursday, the AGCO ordered FanDuel Canada to pay a $350,000 penalty following a probe that identified wagers placed in Ontario that indicated instances of match-fixing.

The probe centered around 144 wagers placed between October 2024 and November 2024 by three Ontario player accounts on Czech Table Tennis Star Series matches. The AGCO’s investigation found that FanDuel failed to take proper action, allowing the three player accounts to place suspicious wagers for several weeks. According to the AGCO, FanDuel did not meet its obligations to identify unusual and suspicious betting behavior.

“While we are disappointed with the decision made by the AGCO to issue this fine, we are unwavering in our commitment to working with them to identify areas of integrity concerns and protect sports from those who seek to undermine fair competition and the games we love,” said a FanDuel spokesperson in a statement to Canadian Gaming Business.

The AGO’s investigation into the suspicious wagering activity found that FanDuel should have detected and taken action against instances of synchronized wagering across the three player accounts that led to unusual shifts in betting lines on two specific athletes.

The AGCO’s reporting requirements for suspicious activity

The AGCO requires licensed operators to report all suspicious wagering activity to Independent Integrity Monitors that share the unusual behavior with other operators in the province, allowing them to monitor their own services to determine whether illicit wagering is also taking place on their platforms. The Independent Integrity Monitors also share suspicious betting activity reported by operators to leagues and governing bodies.

“In an era of heightened scrutiny on sports integrity, iGaming operators must be vigilant and proactive in detecting suspicious betting activity and taking appropriate steps to protect their patrons,” said AGCO CEO Dr. Karin Schnarr. “We will continue to hold all regulated operators accountable to these standards. Protecting fair play is essential to maintaining public trust.”

FanDuel believes it took the necessary reporting steps

FanDuel is taking a different tone compared to the AGCO by contending that it took the necessary steps in detecting and reporting the unusual betting behavior in Ontario. FanDuel pointed to its integrity monitoring system that it said properly detected the wagers.

“Our integrity monitoring program enabled us to be the only operator to proactively identify, investigate and report this suspicious activity to integrity monitors. FanDuel then proactively reported this activity to the AGCO,” continued the Flutter-owned operator.

The company also voiced its displeasure the AGCO’s decision to levy a monetary penalty.

“As an operator that prides itself on the trust we have built with our stakeholders, we do not feel that this action accurately reflects the commitment and investment we have consistently demonstrated regarding protecting the industry, our customers, and the integrity of sport,” added FanDuel. “We are also concerned it could discourage the industry from engaging in best efforts to identify, investigate, and report on irregular activity.”

FanDuel has the opportunity to appeal the AGCO’s monetary penalty. The operator can submit an appeal within 15 days to the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT), which is independent of the AGCO. Entities that appeal monetary penalties typically receive a decision from the LAT within 40 days of appeal submission, with hearings on the matter also on the table.

FanDuel has not yet made a decision on whether it will appeal the AGCO’s penalty.

AGCO penalizes another licensed sports betting operator

The AGCO also recently levied a monetary penalty against theScore.

The commission imposed a $105,000 penalty for theScore failing to adhere to responsible gaming and player protection standards. An AGCO probe determined that theScore failed to detect potential gambling-related harm when a customer wagered $2.5 million with the operator, resulting in roughly $230,000 in losses over an eight-month period.

Great Canadian Entertainment’s Elements Casino Surrey has been ranked No. 1 in Canada and second internationally by the Responsible Gambling Council’s RG Check accreditation program for its approach to responsible gambling.

The RGC describes RG Check as the most comprehensive responsible gambling accreditation program in the world. Developed by the council in consultation with policymakers, gambling providers, players and people who have experienced gambling harm, the certification evaluates land-based gambling venues and iGaming operators on their responsible gambling practices.

RG Check assesses gaming facilities on a set of best-practice criteria, including player safeguards, staff training, self-exclusion options, advertising standards and continuous improvement practices. Operators must achieve 50% in each standard area and 70% overall to be accredited. The RGC says it aims not only to attest to gambling operators’ existing efforts but also to help them determine the actions they need to take to improve.

In all, 10 Great Canadian casinos achieved reaccreditation in October, the coast-to-coast land-based operator announced:

Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, Chances Maple Ridge, Elements Casino Surrey and River Rock Casino Resort in B.C.
Elements Casino Brantford, Casino Ajax, Elements Casino Mohawk and Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel in Ontario
Casino Nova Scotia Halifax and Casino Nova Scotia Sydney in Nova Scotia

“Receiving RG Check reaccreditation at 10 of our properties in October is a tremendous milestone,” said Great Canadian Entertainment Social Responsibility and Sustainability Manager Keno Maseli. “Responsible gambling is at the heart of our operations, and this recognition reaffirms our unwavering commitment to ensuring our guests can enjoy safe, fun and sustainable experiences.

“This achievement is also a testament to the work of our team members, the Responsible Gambling Council and our Crown partners in setting the high standards of excellence in player protection across our entire portfolio.”

The RGC did not confirm to Canadian Gaming Business which casino took the top spot globally, as sharing scores is at the discretion of operators.

RG Check baked into Ontario iGaming requirements
RG Check accreditation lasts for three years before the recipients must go through the process again to re-earn the certification. Several of the Great Canadian’s other casinos currently enrolled in the RG Check program will undergo the reaccreditation process later this year and in 2026 as part of their annual assessment cycle.

The RGC first introduced RG Check in the 2010s and expanded it from land-based casinos to iGaming platforms when Ontario opened Canada’s first regulated iGaming market in 2022.

In March 2022, before Ontario opened its doors, a commitment to achieve RG Check accreditation was embedded into iGaming Ontario’s requirements for all operators seeking to enter the market. Some iGaming operators went through the process in advance of entering the market, while others such as Caesars earned it after starting to do online business in the province.

The RGC said last year that in 2024, it accredited more operators than ever before, handing out at least 44 new accreditations. The council’s Senior Vice President of Accreditation, Advisory and Insights Tracy Parker told Canadian Gaming Business earlier this year that the more it accredits operators, the more it learns.

“As we’ve been processing all of those operators, we’ve been learning a lot and doing some work on an update to the accreditation program to make sure it’s keeping up,” she said. “We’ve done stakeholder expert interviews, player surveys, public consultations, research and reviews, all with the aim of pulling together the evidence base that exists to make sure that the standards that we’re assessing operators against are meaningful and relevant and robust.”

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has warned all licensed land-based casinos and charitable gaming operators in Ontario that they must be careful when using the term “free play” in any promotions or advertising.

The province’s market regulator issued a statement this week reminding operators that offers advertised as “free play” must comply with Standard 2.2.2 of the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming, which requires that players should not need to risk or spend their own money to access any bonus, inducement or credit described as “free.”

“If you promote something as ‘free,’ it must genuinely be free,” wrote the commission.

The AGCO stressed that promotions that fail to meet this condition are considered misleading and may be subject to regulatory action such as financial penalties. The statement adds that, whether intentionally misleading or not, “free play” advertising could undermine responsible gambling efforts by encouraging players to overspend.

As an example of a non-compliant offer, the AGCO posed a hypothetical scenario in which an operator offers new reward members the chance to earn $100 in free play by signing up for the casino’s rewards program, playing using their rewards card before Aug. 1, 2025 and receiving any losses before Aug. 31 back in the form of free play credits of up to $100.

In that example, players would have to spend and lose their own money before receiving the “free” credits. Because a financial risk is required, the offer cannot truthfully be called “free” and would therefore violate regulations, stressed the AGCO.

The regulator strongly encouraged all registrants to review current and planned marketing materials to ensure they fully comply with the Standards. Future non-compliance may result in regulatory action, including monetary penalties or other sanctions.

Operators have fallen afoul of the AGCO for marketing regarding “free play” in the past. In one instance early in the regulated market’s lifespan, in 2022, PointsBet Canada was fined $30,000 for advertising two gambling inducements for customers to play for free, one via posters on trains and in multiple products and the other via posters at two train stations. In that case, the violation was of Standard 2.05, which restricts the advertising of inducements, bonuses or credits, except when they are on an operator’s site or through direct advertising and marketing issued after receiving active player consent.

AGCO shuts down unapproved gambling machines in convenience stores
Also this week, the AGCO has revoked the lottery seller registrations of a number of retailers in the Greater Toronto Area that were found to be offering unapproved electronic gambling machines under the Prime Slot brand.

“Over the past decade, unregulated gaming machines have increasingly proliferated across North America,” said the regulator. “While they largely rely on chance like traditional slot machines, manufacturers have claimed they are games of skill and have installed terminals in convenience stores and other locations where gaming machines would otherwise be prohibited.”

“Unapproved gambling machines have no business being in convenience stores or other locations, particularly those that are available to children and youth,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr.

The AGCO said it will continue to take every action within its authority to protect the public against the risks posed by unregulated machines, particularly in locations easily accessible to children and youth.

Discussion about the proposed Alberta iGaming framework began in the provincial Assembly in Edmonton on Wednesday. While proponents point to the benefits of regulating online gaming, other lawmakers are concerned about the lack of detail in the proposal.

Minister Dale Nally’s Bill 48 would create the Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee a private-sector market. Under the initial version of the proposed iGaming Alberta Act, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) would serve as the regulator as well as operate its own Play Alberta platform, currently the only online casino and sportsbook under the Alberta government’s oversight.

The Alberta iGaming Corporation would be the conduct-and-manage entity, similar to the role iGaming Ontario (iGO) serves in Ontario, currently Canada’s only regulated commercial iGaming market.

Bill 48 was introduced for second reading on April 9 after having its first reading on March 26.

‘If you don’t gamble today, please don’t start tomorrow’
Nally s..