Ipsos: 91% of Ontario gamblers use regulated sites

Ipsos polling released in May 2026 found 91.1% of Ontario gamblers reported using legal, regulated online gaming sites. The share of players who said they used only illegal platforms dropped from 16.3% in 2025 to 8.9% in 2026.

The survey was commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario and is conducted annually. The 2026 results show a 7.4 percentage-point increase in regulated-site use compared with 2025. Ontario opened a regulated commercial online gambling market in 2022.

Before the 2022 market launch, estimates indicated roughly 70% of online play in the province took place with unregulated operators. Regulators have used licensing, consumer protections and public education as tools to capture play into the regulated system.

AGCO officials said the agency uses Ipsos data to identify remaining illegal operators and to prioritize enforcement actions. The commission describes Ontario’s regulated market as maintained by enforceable standards that require consumer protections, safeguards for game integrity and built-in responsible-gaming tools.

Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey said the results demonstrate the province’s regulatory framework is effective and supports jobs and innovation across the province. AGCO Chief Executive and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr noted the shift toward licensed operators reflects the strength of Ontario’s regulatory model and affirmed ongoing work to address the remaining illegal market.

Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Stan Cho, commented that the increase in regulated-site use aligns with government efforts to embed responsible-gaming tools across the licensed market. iGaming Ontario President and CEO Joseph Hillier said the findings support the agency’s focus on consumer choice and protection while building a safe marketplace for players and operators.

Regulators warn that unregulated sites can expose player data, weaken protections against criminal activity such as money laundering and match-fixing, and operate without provincial consumer safeguards. Since 2022, AGCO and iGaming Ontario have continued annual polling to track where residents play and to inform enforcement priorities.

The Ontario results have drawn attention from other provinces planning regulated markets. Alberta is scheduled to launch its regulated online gambling market on July 13, 2026; Alberta officials have argued a regulated market can make online gambling safer and reduce illegal play.