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, four years later.
“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-exclude
Ontario’s licensed operators are required by the market regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), to host their own self-exclusion programs, and that requirement will remain in place.
But the AGCO has also stipulated since 2022 that some form of CSE system must be developed, a tool to allow in-need Ontario players to cut off their access to all of their online gaming accounts with regulated operators without needing to do so manually on each sportsbook or online casino that they use. iGO also lists participation in a future centralized CSE as one of its requirements for operators, similar to its mandate that all companies must commit to completing the Responsible Gambling Council’s RG Check certification.
WhenHillier took up the new role at the province’s iGaming conduct-and-manage agency in August 2025, he inherited a self-exclusion development process that had already been underway for a year. Having put out a request for a CSE tool to be created, iGO selected a joint bid from sports betting integrity monitoring specialist Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and technology firm DataWorks, the company formerly known as IXUP that developed Australia’s BetStop system.
Centralized means everyone, no exception
While iGO only conducts and manages Ontario’s commercial iGaming operators, not the government-run Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) platform, the intention is for OLG to be included in the new CSE system along with all licensed online gambling sites.
“Ensuring all operators are participating in this program is critical,” Hillier told Canadian Gaming Business. “Ultimately, if we don’t have all the operators included, we don’t have a centralized self-exclusion program.”
The CEO added that iGO is cognizant of the fact that each operator has its own player protection protocols, its own technology plans and timelines, and its own thresholds for responsible gambling intervention action. He also noted that the large majority of licensed operators in Ontario operate in other jurisdictions too.
“The data situations of operators could differ very significantly from one to the other, so we’ve really tried to take that direct engagement and one-on-one approach to find what works and what doesn’t,” he said.
Ontario’s need for centralized self-exclusion, which is already operated in various forms by numerous U.S. states, has been so well recognized that Alberta is already planning to do the same. Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally wrote a requirement for CSE into his iGaming legislation that passed in May 2025. Ontario and Alberta connecting their respective systems is something that could be explored when the latter province is finally up and running.
AGCO outlines self-exclusion standards
In the meantime, the AGCO published new guidance on Dec. 18 to prepare for the launch, which it will flesh out in more detail when the CSE platform goes live.
Already, it has clarified some basic requirements, including:
iGO must clearly define term lengths for self-exclusion, and must include six-month, one-year, and five-month options
iGO, in tandem with operators, must effectively prevent self-excluding players from creating new accounts to bypass the system
iGO and operators must ensure that self-excluding gamblers are not hit with marketing material, promotions or other incentives to play
Operators must take steps to log out and block players immediately once they self-exclude, as well as cancel and refund outstanding wagers and refund balances
Operators must ensure that the CSE program is “well promoted” on their sites
Ultimately, for iGO, the AGCO, and all stakeholders, this is about safety and sustainability.
“This is really a big opportunity to help players to feel more supported in those most critical moments, where they can make informed choices and have tools at their fingertips,” Hillier concluded. “A key priority for us is obviously the safety and security of the confidentiality of the information from players. Plus, operators’ big priority is having a sustainable player base. If they don’t have that, it ultimately impacts their overall success. This piece is part of that sustainability story.
“The technology is robust, we’ve got great vendor partners, and I’m quite confident on the look and feel of it. It’s about making it ubiquitous and accessible, and I think that’s where you’re going to see the substantive impact.”