Ontario handle jumps 91% in Q3 2022 as market increases by half

Ontario’s licensed operators received total wagers of more than C$11.5bn during Q3 2022, up 91% quarter on quarter (QoQ), according to latest data from iGaming Ontario.

The province’s operators generated C$457m in total gaming revenue over the period, up 71% on the revenue generated in Q2.

This figure represents total cash wagers, including rake fees, tournament fees, and other fees across all operators during Q3, minus player winnings derived from cash wagers, nor does it take into account operating costs or other liabilities.

A total of 36 operators were licensed in the province, a figure up 50% from Q2’s licensee numbers, with operational website numbers in Ontario increasing 62% over the same period to 68.

There were a total of 910,000 active accounts in the Ontario market during Q3, up 45% QoQ, representing accounts with cash and/or promotional wagering activity in the period.

Average monthly spend per active player account amounted to C$167 in Q3, a figure 18% higher than in Q2.

These figures do not include data from the province-run Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) and numbers are unaudited and subject to adjustment.

One possible cause of the 50% increase in licensed operators is the completion of the transition period by which Ontario’s unregulated operators should have effectively transitioned to the regulated market.

The transition period, agreed before the market launched in April 2022, was meant to encourage those operators that previously worked under grey-market conditions to move to the regulated market.

Any unregulated operator found to have solicited players after the October 31 can be prosecuted by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario under the Canadian Criminal Code.