iGaming Ontario Makes Historic Investment in Responsible Gambling and Seeks Centralised Solutions

In April 2022, iGaming Ontario officially inaugurated the online gambling market in this Canadian province. What followed was a spectacular success story for an industry already enjoying unprecedented success south of the border.

In Q3 of the 2023/24 financial year, the regulatory body of Ontario was already tallying up 49 operators, 72 casino websites, 1.2 million active player accounts in a province of 14.6 million people, and $17.2 billion in total wagers.

Much of this success has come from iGaming Ontario’s stringent regulations and market oversight. To continue pushing the Canadian online gambling industry forward, iGaming Ontario has undertaken two significant projects to further its responsible gambling efforts.

Seeking a Centralised Self-Exclusion Solution

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Self-exclusion has become a key pillar of the industry’s responsible gambling drive to stay compliant with global regulations. Every Canadian online casino is obliged to offer its players a way to self-exclude themselves alongside other responsible gambling options.

Self-exclusion is a voluntary programme that allows players to request that their account and user profile be blocked indefinitely or until they’re ready to return. Even then, measures are in place to stop an impulsive return. However, an obvious problem remains.

Anyone who has used a reviews and tips platform to compare the best Canadian online casinos will notice just how many there are. The abovementioned report lists 49 operators with 72 platforms, and that number’s likely grown. So, anyone could self-exclude from one site and then hop over to another.

This is why iGaming Ontario is pushing for a simple and centralised solution that connects all operators and makes total self-exclusion easy for users. As detailed by iGaming Business, the regulatory body announced in November 2023 its intention to launch a request for proposals to make this single platform a reality.

In March 2024, iGaming Ontario launched a request for proposals to create a centralised self-exclusion solution. The hearings will take place until 24 April, with the aim of setting up a SaaS-based Centralised Self Exclusion Solution that will manage self-exclusion, KYC verification, renewal, and reinstatement.

Investing in responsible gambling

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Naturally, working on a centralised platform for self-exclusion and player identity verification is a firm investment in responsible gambling, but iGaming Ontario has also invested in other similar projects. At the Discovery Conference, run by the Responsible Gambling Council, Ontario announced a $9 million investment.

Invested in the Responsible Gambling Council, the donation will be paid out over three years. With it, the regulator hopes that the RGC will be able to improve its education campaigns for consumers and expand the range and effectiveness of its outreach programmes.

When it comes to responsible gambling, the ball remains in the gambler’s court, and any efforts by an online casino to block potential problems could easily backfire. As such, iGaming Ontario’s investment in a centralised and easy-to-access platform, education, and outreach is well-placed and likely to be pioneering