Internet Gaming

What Marketers Need to Know

Ontario’s legal internet gaming (iGaming) market is live as of April 4, 2022.

Interested gaming operators and internet gaming suppliers will need to be registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) – one of two regulatory agencies that will be responsible for gaming activities in Ontario, whether they are brick-and-mortar locations or online. The other regulatory agency is iGaming Ontario – a subsidiary of the AGCO. Check out this infographic for more information about their respective roles.

For interested new participants in the igaming market, the AGCO’s online portal is now available and the AGCO has released application guides for operators and suppliers.

Of importance to marketers is that the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming contain advertising and marketing restrictions which means that anyone wanting to be active in this space must comply with the standards.

A key priority for the AGCO is responsible gaming, which means, among other things, that gaming should not be promoted as anything other than entertainment.

The CMA will keep members informed of developments in this area. Members can access the overview developed by our Internet Gaming Committee, of the upcoming expected changes that will impact marketers.

The Committee is working towards developing more detailed guidance.