These 8 Operators — And Many More — Are Coming To Ontario Soon

The first calendar year for an open Ontario online casino and sportsbook market will soon be in the books. Launched on April 4, 2022, the province has since welcomed a plethora of Internet gaming operators. That includes some of the world’s biggest names.

Moving forward, many more players appear ready to throw their hat in the fray – especially considering Ontario’s increased focus on eliminating its grey market.

PlayCanada breaks down which operators punters should expect in 2023.

iGaming Ontario has 40 live operators

At the time of publication, Ontario has 40 live operators. Here they are:

Of the bunch, all of them launched in 2022 except for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s Proline.

Of course, OLG is the province’s official provincial lottery. Thus, before Ontario’s iGaming market launched, OLG was the only Internet gaming site regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Regardless, that monopoly ended in 2022.

Many operators have received AGCO approval but await iGO agreement

Moving forward, a number of other operators have already secured AGCO-approval. But they still must sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Under Ontario’s regulations, both are needed to go live in the province.

Here are some of the operators that have been given the green light by the AGCO, but are still awaiting iGO approval:

• Betsafe
• Conquestador
• Delta Bingo
• Fitzdares
• NetBet
• TonyBet
• Videoslots (Mr.Vegas, Videoslots)
• Wildz

However, once that iGo agreement is signed, these operators will also be live.

Let’s take a detailed look at each.

Betsafe: Sportsbook, casino, esports and more available

Of all the choices, Betsafe must be considered one of the most robust and well-rounded options. Until the Malta-based company gets iGO approval, Ontarians cannot sign up with it (we tried just to double check). But, AGCO and iGO jurisdiction does not extend outside of Ontario. That means Betsafe is still operating in the grey market in the rest of Canada. By Canadian law that’s not, technically, legal, but it’s not a law that’s ever been enforced, either. Hence its status as “grey.”

Currently Betsafe is offering the following on its Canadian website:

• Sportsbook (e.g., NBA, NCAA, NHL, NFL, MLB, tennis, soccer)
• Casino (e.g., Sweet Bonanza, Book of Dead, Floating Dragon)
• Live casino (e.g., PowerUP Roulette, ONE Blackjack)
• Jackpot (e.g., Book of Atem WOWPot, Absolootly Mad Mega Moolan)
• Esports (e.g., Counterstrike Global Offensive: ESL Challenge League Europe)
• Virtual sports (e.g., Virtual Football Cup, Instant EuroLeague Legends)

PlayCanada previously did a review on the operator’s sportsbook. According to the report, customer support, banking options and an easy-to-use layout were some of its top qualities.

However, competitive odds, transaction speeds and website guidelines were some noted areas of improvement.

Conquestador: Tournaments and casino offerings aplenty

Meanwhile, Conquestador – based in New Zealand – keeps it simple offering an online casino and live dealer games. Currently, the operator is licensed by both the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.

Its slot games include:

• Wild Bounty Showdown
• Book of Piggy Bank
• Mystery Museum
• No Limit Punk Rocker
• Burning Sun: Hold the jackpot
• Halloween: Chase N’ Win

Online casino tournaments are also aplenty on Conquestador. These events tend to run over 24-hour periods and give customers a chance to compete against other patrons.

Here are a few examples:

• Christmas Gala Tournament
• Merry-Merry Tournament
• Undead Tournament
• Baccarat Tournament
• Blackjack Tournament

However, it must be said some work needs to be done prior to launching in Ontario.

Scrolling through Conquestador’s website can be a headache. Dead pages and excessively long load times plague the user experience.

Delta Bingo: Jackpots, jackpots and more jackpots

Delta Bingo has 20 locations scattered throughout the United States (2) and Canada (18).

But depending on where you go, the specific game you’re playing could vary.

For instance, some establishments have Diamond Game Progressive jackpot machines (e.g., Brampton) while others possess Wheel of Fortune versions (e.g., Welland, Ont.)

Regardless of the region, Delta Bingo has three overarching play styles at every location:

• Vegas Style Machine jackpots
• Bingo jackpots
• Play-on-demand (Tap N’ Play jackpots)

Thus, patrons can likely expect such a set-up when iGo gives the operator the official green light.

Fitzdares: UK-based company brings unique soccer offerings

Fitzdares is a UK-based company and its current sportsbook offerings reflect that with horse racing, football (soccer), golf and cricket as its main options.

It is unclear whether Fitzdares will expand those choices once they hit the Canadian market. Regardless, a UK-based slant could serve them well. Consider World Cup fever is at an all-time high in Canada at the moment. The country is also set to host the global event – alongside Mexico and the U.S. – in four years’ time.

On that note, Injury Time Saver is one of Fitzdares’ most unique promotions currently. The deal states if your soccer bet is beaten by an injury-time goal, Fitzdares will give you a bonus bet to soften the blow.

Beyond sports, Fitzdares also has a casino available (live casino, table games, slot games).

Fitzdares’ Canada page states its move to Ontario is “subject to successful AGCO registration and execution of an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.”

NetBet: 2,500 games to play

Not to be outdone, NetBet is an all-encompassing casino offering a live casino, sportsbook, lottery games and poker room.

The company was established in 2001 and operates primarily in Europe. They are based in Malta and are regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority. The UK Gambling Commission also licenses them.

Variety is likely NetBet’s strongest selling point. The veteran company has 2,500 casino games to play. They state they add new ones every week.

Of the bunch, the ‘Big Bass Bonanza’ appears to be the most popular. It regularly can be spotted amongst NetBet’s most highly-rated games.

Here are a few examples:

• Big Bass Bonanza
• Christmas Big Bass Bonanza
• Big Bass Splash
• Bigger Bass Bonanza

Beyond that, promotion bonuses are everywhere from the sportsbook to the casino – something Canadians may be interested in.

TonyBet: Website remains under maintenance but 3,500 slots reported to be available

In Europe, TonyBet operates through its UK and Estonian gaming licenses. At the time of publication, its Canadian website remains under maintenance. Thus, punters may have to wait a little while longer before browsing through its many offerings.

However, once available the operator has a lot to display.

Consider TonyBet has more than 3,500 slots available. In 2022, its most popular offerings included: Golden Piggy Bank, Book of Dead and Book of Skulls Reloaded.

Traditional tables games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps are also available.

Think of TonyBet’s live casino games like video chat playing. In real time, dealers dish out cards while gamblers are able to speak with one another through a microphone, if desired.

PlayCanada’s previous TonyBet review – written in October 2022 – applauded the operator’s easy registration process, favourite-pages option and time tracker. However, its lack of table games page and closed loop banking were two negatives.

Videoslots (Mr.Vegas, Videoslots): Mr.Vegas coming to Canada

Videoslots is bringing Mr.Vegas to Canada. This, less than a year after the European-based operator entered the American market.

Regardless, players have plenty to look forward to with the Mr.Vegas brand. The entity is backed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Mr.Vegas also offers more than 4,700 games at the moment from multiple providers.

A few examples include:

• Nolimit City
• Play’n GO
• Quickspin
• Thunderkick
• Yggdrasil Gaming

Wildz: Despite short existence, operator able to offer many options

In only four short years, Wildz Casino has already made its mark in the gaming space. Now, it is reportedly making its way to Ontario. Founded in 2019, the operator offers slots, jackpots, live dealer games and tables games.

In total, there are 1,200+ slots including some of its top titles – Sakura Fortune 2, 9 Masks of Fire and Book of Dead. There are also progressive jackpots options.

One of Wildz standout features are its “feature buy games” option. The ability grants players the opportunity to buy their way into the bonus round during slot games – adding an extra element of excitement.

Grey market continues to dissipate; revenue increases in legal market

The latest batch of movement continues a trend in Canada’s gaming industry: the grey market is dying.

In late November, according to AGCO, 46 Ontario online casinos and sportsbook left the non-legal area to join the province.

Prior to that, AGCO publicly declared it would begin weeding out illegal operators. Companies had to cease operations before Oct. 31 as they transitioned to the white market.

Regardless, the latest news is a hopeful sign. The more money that flows back to the province, the better.

To that end, Ontario’s (legal) gaming sector has proven quite profitable. Consider sportsbooks and online casinos surpassed $10 billion in total wagers through the first two quarters of operating.

Additionally, multiple metrics – including active player accounts and total handle – grew from Q1 (April through June) to Q2 (ended on Sept.30).

Thus, one would think, the addition of these operators in 2023 would only help push those numbers further.

All Ontario operators that have received at least AGCO approval