Ontario’s government booked $162 million in total gaming revenue in the first quarter since the province allowed new legal forms of wagering and opened its market to private competition in April.
Following Ottawa’s move to legalize new forms of betting last summer, including individual sports games and events, Ontario has set itself apart from other provinces by allowing private companies to compete with government-run betting products like Proline+.
iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), released its first set of financial figures for the market on Tuesday. The report covers April 4, the day the market opened to private competition, to June 30.
iGO says Ontarians wagered $4.076 million in total during the quarter through 18 operators running 31 authorized gaming websites. Total gaming revenue was $162 million.
On average, the monthly spend per active player account was $113. iGO reported 492,000 active player accounts for the period.
The agency says it intends to release market reports on a quarterly basis, at a minimum. It adds that its numbers are unaudited, and subject to adjustment.
The preliminary figures suggest “people in Ontario are interested in the strong player and anti-money laundering protections that are being offered in the regulated market,” according to iGO.
For years, Ontarians have had access to so-called “grey market” betting websites and platforms, which typically operate offshore and under foreign licence. Wall Street analysts expect companies that have transitioned from the “grey market” to the legal market will leverage their experience, and grab the largest market share.
“Our aim is to be the best gaming jurisdiction in the world and these positive results are an early sign that we’re on our way,” Dave Forestell, iGO’s board chair, stated in a press release on Tuesday.
“With a competitive revenue share rate and low barriers to entry, Ontario is an attractive i-gaming market with a strong player base.”
Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist.
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