Ontario reported gross gaming revenue (GGR) of CA$311 million ($226 million) in July, a 29% increase from last year.
GGR was up 1% from June, but just below May’s record revenue of CA$338 million. The province’s gambling regulator, iGaming Ontario, published the results on its official website.
The figures showed that a 6% decrease in active player accounts compared to June, down to 948,000. However, average revenue per active player account increased 8% month-on-month to CA$328.
Ontario’s July revenue fell just short of May’s record. Image Credit: Rene Baker/Unsplash
Sports Betting Down As Casino Revenue Dominates
In total, players wagered CA$7.56 billion last month, 24% more than last year. Around 89% of this was at online casinos, with CA$688 million on sports betting, including esports.
The Grand Final of League of Legends’ Mid-Season Invitational, hosted in Vancouver, will have attracted attention from Canadian bettors. The final was the most viewed esports event of the month, peaking at 3.4 million viewers.
Overall, however, sports betting was down 10% from the CA$768 million wagered in June, and slightly down year-on-year. The figure may pick up as the football season kicks off.
New CEO To Lead iGaming Ontario At ‘Critical Point’
The iGaming Ontario board of directors announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and CEO, starting September 8.
Hillier replaces the Interim President and CEO David Smith, who has been filling in since Martha Otton’s retirement.
A statement noted, “The Board of Directors looks forward to supporting Joseph as he leads iGaming Ontario to build on Ontario’s igaming market success and deliver on key priorities including an anti-money laundering system for operators, and a centralized self-exclusion platform for Ontarians.”
Hillier previously served as Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Alberta To Follow Ontario Model
Ontario became the first province to launch a competitive sports betting market, opening up to private companies in 2022. Alberta is set to follow after passing the iGaming Alberta Act in May this year.
The province is expected to have a soft launch late this year, with a full launch in early 2026. Bettors are currently restricted to using the state-run Play Alberta, which does not include esports betting.
When leading operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM enter the regulated market, wagering on esports is likely to be made available.