A Changing Tide
January saw Ontario sportsbooks generate record-breaking numbers, boasting figures that were the highest since the province regulated sports betting in April 2022.
Sports betting represented a more significant share of the broader gambling market than ever, climbing from 15% in December 2024 to 28% in January. Online casinos typically dominate the Ontario online gaming market.
Casinos usually represent the majority of activity and record the largest revenues. However, the statistics from January suggest a changing tide as the sports betting side recorded new highs. These figures do not consider Super Bowl Sunday, which occurred in February.
Sportsbook operators in Ontario collectively generated $91 million of gross gaming revenue; the record was previously $78.5 million. This is a staggering 133.8% increase in December, indicating a remarkable rebound after a disappointing month. It is also a 32.2% increase year-on-year, which aligns with the rest of the figures.
Increases Across the Board
In January of this year, residents of Ontario spent $7.84 billion on sports, online casino games, and online poker. That is a 0.24% increase on the previous record set in December 2024, but it is a notable 31% improvement in year-on-year figures, suggesting the gaming market in the province continues to grow.
Gross gaming revenue reached $328 million, surpassing the previous record of $291 million made in November 2024. That is a 13% increase on the record, and it is a 36% year-on-year increase. These figures suggest a strong performance across the whole gambling market in Ontario.
iGaming Ontario (iGO), the regulatory authority for gambling in the province, also reported the largest number of active player accounts at 1.1 million, up from around 877,000 in February last year.
Casino Still On Top
The general improvement was bolstered by a 20.7% increase on the betting handle, reaching just under $1.2 billion, up from $1 billion last year. January’s numbers indicate that more Ontarians are sports betting, and the Super Bowl figures from February will likely suggest that the NFL championship served as a key driver.
The sports betting sector in Ontario may have enjoyed growth and a larger market share than usual, but online casinos remain the dominant choice for gamblers in the area. Online casinos contributed 83% of the total online gaming handle and 70% of the gross gaming revenue. Since its introduction and regulation in April 2022, the market has generated $6.5 billion in gross gaming revenue, with nearly $4.7 billion coming from online casinos.
