iGaming Ontario and the AGCO Explained

iGaming Ontario (iGO) and the AGCO are the two bodies behind Ontario’s regulated online gambling market. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario registers operators and writes the standards they must follow; iGaming Ontario, a provincial agency, conducts and manages internet gaming and signs an operating agreement with each private operator. A site is fully authorized in Ontario only when it has both: an AGCO registration and, except for OLG.ca, an agreement with iGO.

Why Ontario needs two bodies

Section 207 of the Criminal Code lets a province conduct and manage gambling, but not hand it over to private companies outright. Ontario’s answer, in force since 4 April 2022, is a split structure. iGaming Ontario is the province’s operator in law: it holds the contracts and conducts and manages the games. The private companies run the websites, apps and customer service under those contracts. The AGCO stays independent of the commercial side and acts as regulator.

Alberta copied the model for its own private market, launched on 13 July 2026: AGLC registers operators and the Alberta iGaming Corporation holds the commercial agreements. Our Ontario province page covers OLG.ca, PROLINE+ and the wider legal picture.

What the AGCO does

The AGCO registers operators and gaming suppliers, sets the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming and enforces them. Those standards reach into areas players notice every day:

• Advertising of bonuses. Standard 2.05 bars public advertising of inducements, bonuses and credits. Operators may show offers on their own site and in direct marketing to players who have opted in there.
• Clear terms. Material conditions must be shown when an offer is first presented, and an offer cannot be called free if you must risk your own money.
• Athletes and minors. Since 28 February 2024, active or retired athletes may not appear in igaming advertising, except to promote responsible gambling. Celebrities and characters likely to appeal to minors were already barred.

The AGCO also issues monetary penalties. One published example: a $48,000 penalty against Unibet over alleged advertising and inducement infractions.

What iGaming Ontario does

iGO holds the operating agreements, runs the commercial side of the market and publishes the player-facing directory of regulated sites. On its regulated market page, the directory listed 49 operators and 84 gaming websites when we checked it on 29 October 2026, grouped by legal entity. That grouping is useful: it shows which brands share an operator, such as Jackpot City and Royal Vegas under Cadtree Limited.

iGO also points players to BetGuard, the centralized self-exclusion program that covers all regulated online gambling in Ontario, alongside each operator’s own tools.

How to check an iGaming Ontario site

1. Open iGaming Ontario’s regulated market directory and search for the brand.
2. Compare the website address with the one in the directory. Ontario sites often use a dedicated address, and a brand may run a separate site for the rest of Canada under a different licence.
3. Look for the iGO and AGCO references in the site footer. A footer alone proves nothing, so the directory check comes first.

Every Ontario-registered brand we review shows the provinces where it is legal on its report. The BetMGM Casino report is one example.

Rules that apply to you as a player

You must be 19 or older and physically located in Ontario when you place a bet. You may open or access an account while outside the province, but wagering is blocked until you are back in Ontario. In-store PROLINE tickets at lottery retailers are an exception at 18+; online play stays at 19+.

Online poker on Ontario sites is played only against other players in the province. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in November 2025 that international shared liquidity would be lawful if iGO keeps conduct and management, and the Supreme Court of Canada heard the appeal on 7 October 2026 with judgment reserved.

Complaints and help in Ontario

iGaming Ontario advises players to raise a problem with the operator first, and its FAQ does not describe a formal ombudsman. If the operator does not resolve it, keep records: dates, amounts, screenshots and copies of the terms that applied. ConnexOntario, at 1-866-531-2600, is free and open around the clock for gambling, mental health and addictions support. More help lines are on our responsible gambling page.