Canada Reviews Five-Year Impact of Single-Event Sports Betting Legalization
TL;DR — Five years after Canada legalized single-event sports betting, the country’s regulated gambling market has grown while concerns about gambling-related harm have also increased. iGaming Ontario’s 2024-25 annual report recorded 50 operators and more than 2.6 million active player accounts. The proportion of sports bettors wagering at least monthly rose to more than 40% and calls to ConnexOntario’s problem-gambling helpline rose.
SCCG Take — Operators must treat elevated harm indicators as a prompt to strengthen real-time interventions now, before regulators impose tighter limits on advertising and product design.
Five years after single-event sports betting became legal, Canada’s regulated market has expanded while indicators of gambling harm have risen. The federal change took effect on August 27, 2021, through Bill C-218. Provinces gained authority to structure their own markets, with Ontario taking the most expansive step by opening a private online gambling sector in April 2022.
Regulated Market Scale and Provincial Measures
iGaming Ontario’s 2024-25 annual report recorded 50 operators active during the fiscal year and more than 2.6 million active player accounts. Casino products accounted for 75% of gaming revenue, while betting revenue grew 25% from the prior year. Ontario introduced advertising restrictions in 2024 that limit the use of athletes or figures likely to appeal to minors, except in responsible gambling promotions. Public commentary on platforms such as Reddit has centered on the volume of betting advertisements during sports events and in public spaces.
According to reporting by the Times of Casino, the legal framework was intended to bring activity out of unregulated channels and impose measurable safeguards.
Indicators of Harm and Limits of Current Protections
Statistics Canada data show the overall share of adults who bet on sports has declined slightly since 2018. Among those who do bet, however, the portion wagering at least monthly has increased from below one-quarter to more than 40%. Reports of chasing losses and borrowing money to gamble have also risen between 2018 and 2025. Calls to ConnexOntario’s problem-gambling helpline increased after Ontario’s private market launched and have stayed elevated.
Ontario’s regulator requires licensed operators to identify customers showing signs of harm and to intervene. Whether these obligations have kept pace with the accessibility of continuous, phone-based betting remains an open policy question. The regulated market’s stated advantage over offshore sites rests on these controls, yet the data invite closer examination of their practical effect.
The Operational Test Ahead
Regulators and operators now confront the specific task of tightening harm-minimization tools without undermining the legal channel they spent five years building. Advertising standards, real-time risk detection, and helpline integration will face renewed scrutiny in the next review cycle. The test is whether measurable reductions in the elevated harm signals can be achieved inside the licensed environment that Bill C-218 created.
Reporting: Times of Casino
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Growth without guardrails invites intervention — operators who harden real-time protections now will shape the next regulatory wave.
We've watched 545 partners navigate this arc in every regulated market: explosive uptake, then the harm data surfaces, then the hammer drops. Ontario's numbers — 40% monthly bettors, spiking helpline calls — are flashing yellow. The operators who embed interventions before mandates arrive will write the playbook others follow.
- iGaming Ontario now hosts 50 operators and 2.6M active accounts; betting revenue up 25% year-over-year
- Monthly betting frequency among active players jumped to 40%; problem gambling helpline calls remain elevated
- Ontario imposed athlete advertising limits in 2024; further product and design controls likely if harm trends persist
SCCG angle: SCCG connects Ontario-licensed operators to the compliance, data analytics, and responsible gambling technology partners in our network who can harden interventions before the next regulatory review. We've guided clients through similar cycles in 30+ jurisdictions — early movers shape policy instead of reacting to it.
Gaming, betting and prediction markets — the desk’s read, every weekday.
Subscribe →