Improved Accountability
This week marked a landmark moment in Ontario as iGaming Ontario (iGO) officially split from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to become an independent agency. iGO will now oversee all iGaming operations in the province.
The move, enacted by the iGaming Ontario Act, will forever be a significant milestone in the province’s evolving digital gaming market. It will help clarify the agency's work, improve accountability across the whole market, and eliminate structural issues that undermine the regulatory role of both bodies.
The act was passed in 2024 as part of a broader Building Ontario For You Act. However the transition wasn’t confirmed until last week when the Ontario government released a statement on Friday. The new legislation now places the iGO under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming as an independent agency.
A Strong Market
In a statement, the provincial government stated that Ontario had established itself as a leader in Canada by creating a strong, competitive, and responsible gaming market that includes online gambling. It added that the iGO framework was designed to protect customers, provide clear rules, and ensure a level playing field for businesses. The government also noted in the statement that the iGaming Ontario Act will strengthen the agency’s ability to hold both private and government-run gambling platforms to account.
The change also reflects an effort to address concerns of a conflict of interest raised by Ontario’s Auditor General. Before Ontario became the first Canadian province to open its iGaming market to private operators in April 2022, the iGO was established in July the previous year. From that time it has operated as a subsidiary of the AGCO.
The AGCO oversees the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which is the government-run lottery, casino, and sports betting platform. OLG business was also conducted and managed by iGO. It meant that commercial online gambling platforms were licensed by the AGCO but regulated by the iGO who also operated one of their direct competitors the OLG.
The legislative change comes as the iGO undergoes a change in leadership, too. The founding Executive Director, Martha Otton, originally intended to retire in 2024. However, in December last year, the iGO board of directors, led by Chair Heidi Reinhart, announced that Otton had agreed to postpone until March 2025 to give the agency more time to find a successor. Her replacement will assume the role of President and CEO of the iGO. They will take on more responsibilities that reflect the new standalone status of the regulatory body.
