Ontario iGaming Hits Record $9.59B in Wagers and $387M Revenue

Lucas Dunn
By: Lucas Dunn
Financial News
Stacks of colorful casino chips in black, purple, green, and yellow on a wooden table next to a deck of cards

Photo by PxHere, CC0 1.0

Key Takeaways

  • Ontario players have wagered $27.8B on licensed platforms since January 2026, pushing the monthly average to nearly $9.3B.
  • Casino play dominated with $8.33B in handle and $318.5M in revenue, capturing an 87% market share in March.
  • Online poker surged 36% to a record $183M in handle, while cumulative operator revenue topped $10B.

Ontario's regulated online gambling market posted a record-breaking month in March 2026. Total cash wagers, known in the industry as handle, reached CA$9.59 billion, edging past the January record of CA$9.52 billion and marking a 10% jump from February. Non-adjusted gross gaming revenue (NAGGR) reached CA$387 million, up 13% month-on-month. Year-on-year figures tell an equally striking story. Handle climbed nearly 21% from CA$7.95 billion in March 2025, while revenue grew 30%. Ontario now has 45 licensed operators and 79 live gaming websites under its regulated framework.

Online Casino Play Sets Another Record in March 2026

Casino gambling remained the dominant force in March 2026. iGaming handle reached a record CA$8.33 billion, capturing an 87% market share. Casino play generated CA$318.5 million in revenue, up 16% month-on-month and accounting for 82% of total operator earnings. Year-on-year, iGaming handle grew nearly 26%, extending its lead as the market's top segment since its launch in April 2022. Since January 2026, Ontario players have wagered CA$27.8 billion on licensed platforms. Operators collected CA$1.13 billion in NAGGR over the same period.

Sports Betting Rebounds While Poker Hits All-Time High

Sports betting and poker told contrasting stories in March 2026. Wagering crossed back over the $1 billion mark at $1.08 billion, up 14% from February. However, that figure sits 9% below March 2025 and is the weakest monthly sports total since September.

Sports betting revenue reached CA$61.6 million, up 1% month-on-month, and accounted for 11% of the market. Online poker, by contrast, posted its strongest month on record. Peer-to-peer poker handle hit CA$183 million, up 36% month-on-month, generating $6.9 million in revenue. A pending Supreme Court of Canada appeal could eventually open Ontario's geo-fenced poker market to players outside the province.

Ontario iGaming Crosses $10B in Revenue as Spending per Player Surges

Active player accounts fell 5% from February to 1.235 million. That figure is still 17% higher than a year ago, though it is the lowest monthly total since September. Average revenue per active account rose 19% month-on-month to CA$313. Broader milestones also put March's results in perspective. Ontario's regulated market has now surpassed CA$10 billion in cumulative operator revenue since launching in April 2022.

The province collected an estimated CA$807 million in iGaming tax revenue in 2025 alone.

Cumulative iGaming tax revenue since launch stands at approximately CA$2.04 billion.

Lucas Michael Dunn is a prolific iGaming content writer with 8+ years of experience dissecting it all, from game and casino reviews to industry news, blogs, and guides. A psychology graduate and painter that transitioned into the iGaming world, his articles depend on proven data and tested insights to educate readers on the best gambling approaches. Beyond iGaming content craftsmanship, Lucas is an avid advocate for responsible play, focusing on empowering players to strike a balance between thrill and informed choices.

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