Share 
Bonus TL;DR
- Premier Doug Ford appointed Zee Hamid as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming to oversee iGO and OLG.
- Ontario’s ongoing gambling review targets consumer protection, anti-money laundering controls, and advertising oversight for unregulated operators.
Ontario’s gambling policy agenda shifted this week after Premier Doug Ford named Zee Hamid as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, putting him in charge of both iGaming Ontario and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. He inherits a market that has expanded rapidly since launch, but one that is still under pressure to tighten consumer protection, advertising oversight and anti-money laundering controls.
According to Gaming News Canada, Ontario’s 49 online operators generated $12.97 billion in gross gambling revenue from launch in April 2022 through August 2026, producing $2.59 billion in tax revenue. The article also notes that OLG’s online platform accounts for about 20% of the total market and is not included in iGO’s site figures.
Ontario review puts consumer protection and AML back in focus
The report says Ontario’s ministry was already conducting a high-level review of the gambling industry before former minister Stan Cho resigned. Among the issues flagged for Hamid are stronger responsible gambling programming, better transparency around where responsible gambling funding goes, and much wider promotion of BetGuard, Ontario’s centralized self-exclusion program.
The article also points to enforcement gaps around unregulated gambling ads, including social media promotions for fake online casinos in Canada and broadcast advertising for offshore brands such as Ozoon, described in the report as the rebranded name for Bodog and banned outright in Manitoba.
Anti-money laundering is another priority. Cho had previously said improvements were needed in audits, financial oversight and AML initiatives, while FINTRAC has been increasing fines. The piece also argues Ontario should limit prediction markets’ access to the regulated sector, especially where sports betting and casino-style products overlap.
Retail casinos, horse racing and rewards integration remain open issues
Beyond online regulation, the article says Hamid will also face pressure to improve the outlook for Ontario’s 30 retail casinos. It highlights efforts to connect online and land-based play more effectively, citing Caesars and Hard Rock rewards programs as examples and urging closer alignment from major retail operators Great Canadian Entertainment and Gateway Casinos.
Horse racing is also part of the ministry’s brief. Earlier this year, Ontario authorized an additional $35 million annually for five years for the sector, which the article says supports about 18,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
Québec election debate hints at possible regulatory shift
The same report suggests Québec could become the next province to seriously revisit online gambling regulation. Liberal leader Charles Milliard has proposed expanding the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux so it can license and oversee all online gambling platforms, while also creating an independent addiction-prevention body funded by industry. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called the proposal “brilliant” and said Ontario “raised an additional $300 million” after regulating online sports betting.
That does not mean change is imminent. The article notes Coalition Avenir Québec has resisted regulating the sector and continues to recognize Loto-Québec as the only legal operator.
For Canadian players and operators, the immediate watch points are whether Ontario’s review produces concrete rule changes on advertising, responsible gambling and AML, and whether Québec’s next government turns campaign rhetoric into legislation. As Alberta prepares its own regulated market, advertising standards and consumer-protection enforcement are likely to stay central across provinces.
Source: As reported by gamingnewscanada.ca.
