over 85% of players bet on regulated sites
The results of a study conducted in the province of Ontario, Canada, show that players bet mainly on regulated sites when they want to play blackjack, roulette or slot machines online. More than 85% of gamblers bet on websites that are licensed by local regulators.
According to Ipsos, over 85% of Ontario gamblers bet on regulated sites
Market research firm Ipsos has shared the findings of a report conducted among players who reside in Ontario, a province in Canada where online casino gambling is legal. The study reveals that more than 85% of residents of the east-central province play on regulated websites.
The study, which was commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and its subsidiary iGaming Ontario, marks the first anniversary of the regulated gaming market in the province, which opened its doors on 04 April 2022.
To conduct the survey, Ipsos interviewed approximately 1,850 Ontario residents aged 19 and older between February 28 and March 13, 2023. The findings of the study indicate that 85.3% of those surveyed who had wagered online in the target province in the past three months had done so on a regulated website or websites. Of those surveyed, 19.5% said they bet on both legal and illegal sites.
Nearly 15% of players bet exclusively on illegal sites
While the vast majority of Ontario-based gamblers bet on regulated gambling sites, 15% of them admitted to betting only on so-called illegal platforms.
” One of our main goals since the launch of the regulated market has been to move Ontario players who bet on unregulated sites to legal platforms. The goal is to provide them with the best guarantees of operator and gaming integrity, fairness and player protection, including responsible gaming “said Tom Mungham, Registrar and CEO of the AGCO.
” While there is still much work to be done, we are pleased to see such a significant shift towards regulated gambling sites, as the stakes are very high for players and the province as a whole “, he concluded.
Doug Downey, Ontario’s attorney general, said the province’s online gambling market had experienced a great success in its first year of operation : ” Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s online casino gaming market has supplanted the existing unregulated market and made Ontario an internationally recognized leader in the industry “The Progressive Conservative MPP explained, while highlighting the strong, responsible and competitive model of such a market.
