Ontario gaming broke records in the month of October (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
Ontario’s regulated online gambling market just delivered its biggest month yet. October produced 9.2 billion CAD in wagers, the highest handle since the province launched its regulated system. The industry continues to accelerate, and the numbers are becoming hard to ignore.
Player activity climbed sharply as well. Nearly 1.3 million active accounts were recorded in October, which is up nine percent from September and more than 35 percent year over year. More players are logging in, staying active, and pushing the market into new territory.
Total gross gaming revenue reached an all-time high of 367.7 million, surpassing the previous record established in May. Casino gaming was the driving force behind the surge, responsible for roughly 85 percent of the total. Casino revenue alone touched 303.8 million, which represents a 43 percent jump compared to the same month last year. Online casino continues to be Ontario’s strongest vertical by a wide margin.
Sports betting also benefitted from a packed sports calendar. NHL and NBA seasons resumed, the NFL schedule rolled on, and interest around the Blue Jays lingered into the fall. Sports wagering climbed to 1.2 billion in turnover, giving operators another boost on top of the dominant casino activity.
There are a few reasons behind this momentum. The user base is growing, more operators are entering the market and the gaming menu is deep. Casual players, high-volume bettors and everyone in between are finding the product stable and accessible. The regulatory framework is established, the offerings are wide, and the competition among operators is pushing product quality forward.
The key question is whether this pace can continue. Winter sports, holiday gaming traffic and continued market expansion all point to more growth ahead. Unless the economy tightens or player behavior shifts dramatically, Ontario appears positioned for more record months in the near term.
For now, the province is setting the pace for North American online gaming. Ontario is wagering big, embracing the market fully, and so far the return has been enormous.