Today, you can simply pick up your phone, and a myriad of online betting, casino, and gambling options are waiting at your fingertips. But this hasn’t always been so. The history of gambling in Ontario is filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. From being outlawed to being used as a tool for (mostly) good, it took some time for games of chance to become accepted by the majority. In this article, we’ll explore the history of gambling in Ontario from its early days until now.
How It All Began
Gambling has always been a part of Canadian culture. For centuries, people used to gamble with sticks and dice just for fun or to settle debts. However, as European influence spread across the country, so did modern games like card games and horse racing. By the 19th century, gambling was widespread across Canada. However, 1892 saw the introduction of the Canadian Criminal Code, which prohibited all forms of gambling to limit non-sporting competitions for monetary profit.
But one event had started changing the perception of gambling before then: the 1868 Montreal Winter Carnival. The event featured a lottery that was used to raise funds for the construction of a new hospital. This rapidly made way for more lotteries across Canada to raise funds for public projects and charity purposes.
Except the lotteries didn’t stop at just money. Did you know that small towns and rural areas also began to use lotteries, holding events called “Chicken Raffles” where people could win live chickens at raffles? (How peck-uliar!)
This made games like raffles and bingo hugely popular in the 1900s. Gradually, the Federal Government of Canada made changes to the Criminal Code to give provinces the authority to legalize gambling under certain conditions, which led to a massive boom in the country’s gambling industry.
Ontario’s Gambling Laws
In1999, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) was established to take over from the Ontario Lottery Corporation as the body responsible for overseeing lotteries, casinos, and slot machine facilities at horse racing tracks in the province. However, unlike its predecessors, the OLG is independent of the provincial government and is not responsible for regulating casinos in Ontario. This duty falls under the jurisdiction of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
The AGCO formed iGaming Ontario in 2021 as its subsidiary, with a mission to make the world’s best online gambling experiences accessible to the province while ensuring the safety and protection of consumers.
Over time, the government has continued introducing various legislative and policy changes to regulate gambling operations in the province, including stricter age limits (19 and older), advertising guidelines, and financial transaction monitoring. All actions are aimed at ensuring fairness, protecting consumers, and preventing illicit activities.
Online Casinos in Ontario
The spread of the internet in the 1990s made way for the emergence of online casinos, with the first opening in 1994. Online gambling quickly became more accessible to consumers, letting players play from the comfort of their sofas rather than a crowded casino.
Ontario’s gambling industry has increasingly thrived in the decades since, offering a diverse and dynamic range of legally licensed new casinos in Canada and betting options to players across the country. The province has set a standard for online gambling that no other province has been able to match to date.
Sports Betting in Ontario
From the coliseums to horse racing, sports betting, like other types of gambling, has been around for centuries. However, it wasn’t until 2021 that Canada made single-event sports betting legal, and this changed everything within the country. Ontario was the first to lead the way with a regulated sports betting program — allowing multiple operators to provide legal, online sports gambling services while giving Ontario players an enjoyable range of sports betting options.
You’ve probably seen the ads (here’s looking at you, MGM) and heard the hype, so at this point, you may want to “go all-in.” Just remember you must be 19 or older, and don’t forget your government-issued ID for your verification check!
Future of Gambling in Ontario
Canadians have always enjoyed a game or two of chance, making it easy for gambling to weave itself into the fabric of the country’s culture. There’s little wonder why gambling has survived many prohibitions and continues thriving. Ontario alone boasted $63 billion in wagering and $2.4 billion in gaming revenue between April 2023 and March 2024. With over 19.3 million active online gamblers in Canada today, it’s safe to say that gambling is here to stay.
Summary
While we all may not see eye-to-eye on the benefits and drawbacks of gambling, we can all give a nod to its plus side and acknowledge its pitfalls. Gambling has reportedly increased employment and generated revenue to finance core public services, but it has also been linked to addiction and crime. Nevertheless, it remains a popular form of entertainment for many Canadians, and with the advent of online casinos and other online gambling platforms, more gambling options are right there at players’ fingertips – anywhere and anytime.
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