British Columbia Granted Leave from Ontario iGaming Court Dispute

British Columbia has recently exited a court case revolving around the legal online gambling sector in Ontario, Canada, a new report suggests. The B.C. government served as a potential opponent in the lawsuit that sought to strengthen the iGaming market in Ontario, the most populous province in the country.

Canada’s Most Populous Province Seeks to Strengthen Its Online Gambling Market
Ontario’s efforts were related to bolstering its online gambling market by connecting local players of poker games and daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests to players outside of the country. The province ultimately turned to the Court of Appeals with this question as it sought to revive its poker and DFS vertical.

Now, according to a report released by Covers, the B.C. government was granted leave. This effectively means that the lawsuit saw the removal of a potential opponent, considering that B.C. previously had reservations when it comes to allowing international players in Ontario. The B.C. government argued that such actions can benefit the unregulated market and result in an increase in illegal operators in their province.

Revitalization of DFS and Online Poker, Contingent on Court’s Decision
Ontario’s move doesn’t come as a surprise, considering that the limited DFS and poker market in the province diminished. Upon launching its iGaming market in 2022, Ontario saw leading operators introduce DFS and poker options. However, the limited player pool resulted in operators like FanDuel and DraftKings scaling back their offerings in the province.

Provided that the Court of Appeals sides with Ontario, the market may exhibit a revitalization, resulting in the reintroduction of DFS contests and poker games. Still, in order for this to happen, the Court needs to greenlight the province’s intention to permit foreign players to participate in those games.

In case this happens, Ontario gamblers would be able to participate in DFS and poker pools together with foreign players. However, the province’s intention is only to permit players outside of Canada and not from other provinces. This doesn’t come as a surprise, considering that other provinces feature an online gambling monopoly level with only Alberta making moves toward developing a market that is similar to Ontario.

The most populous province in Ontario launched its online gambling market in April 2022. Since then, Ontario proved to be a major market for North America, offering online casino gambling and betting.