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The Ontario iGaming Market Keeps Climbing — What That Means for Poker Players

The Ontario iGaming Market Keeps Climbing — What That Means for Poker Players
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Iva Dozet News Editor
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: May 7, 2025 · 3 minutes to read

Three years in, Ontario’s regulated iGaming market is still growing — and no, this isn’t one of those corporate press releases. The Canadian province has become a battleground of licensed poker rooms, casinos, and sportsbooks all vying for your attention — and your rake.

If you’ve played a tournament on PokerStars Ontario, chased bounties on GGPoker, or even just dabbled in some Sunday sit-n-go’s, you’re part of a bigger picture. And that picture just got its latest update.

A Billion Here, a Billion There — Poker Still Holding Steady

The big number that headlines the report is $82.7 billion in total wagers across all verticals from April 2024 to March 2025. Of that, poker players contributed $1.7 billion — roughly the same slice as last year. While that’s only a 2% bump from 2023–24, it shows peer-to-peer poker is still holding its ground in a market dominated by slots and betting.

And even though our revenue line ($66 million) didn’t budge from last year, that’s not necessarily bad news. It suggests the Ontario poker crowd is consistent, active, and still showing up to play — whether it’s a daily MTT grind or the next Ontario SCOOP series.

Poker’s Smaller, But Still a Key Piece of the Puzzle

Compared to the $69.6 billion wagered on online casino games, poker’s slice is modest. But it’s not an afterthought. Poker offers something most other games can’t: community. It’s one of the few formats where players are playing against each other, not the house. That makes peer-to-peer poker a unique draw for the market — and one that can’t be replicated with RNGs and spinning reels.

And remember, the iGaming Ontario report doesn’t count promotional entries or poker freerolls — so if you’ve been using deposit bonuses or ticket promos to get into games, those hands don’t even show up here.

More Sites, More Choice — And More Competition for Poker

Ontario now has 84 regulated gaming sites run by 49 licensed operators. That level of competition means there are more choices than ever for players — but it also means each operator is fighting hard for your clicks. That’s why we’re seeing more tournament series, leaderboard promos, and Vegas package giveaways than ever.

From a poker player’s perspective, this is a good thing. It means bigger prize pools, more overlays, and creative formats being tested. The more these operators hustle, the more value lands in our laps.

Most Players Are Staying Regulated — But Gray Areas Remain

According to a recent IPSOS study, 83.7% of Ontario’s online gamblers are playing on legal, regulated sites. That’s a solid majority, and it shows the message is getting through. But about 1 in 5 of those still also use offshore or unregulated sites — a gray area that continues to blur the lines.

For poker players, this often comes down to site liquidity. While Ontario-licensed sites are offering more events than ever, some still look longingly at the bigger prize pools across the dot-com pond. Whether those fences ever come down remains to be seen, but for now, the focus is on building what we’ve got here.

What’s Next? More Growth—And Hopefully More for Poker

Ontario’s iGaming growth — up 31% in wagers and 32% in gross gaming revenue — shows no signs of slowing. While poker didn’t explode in 2025, it stayed steady, and that’s meaningful in a rapidly evolving market.

As long as operators keep innovating and the province keeps regulating fairly, poker has a place at the table. It may not be the biggest vertical in the room, but it’s the one with the most character — and the only one where skill still trumps luck over the long haul.

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