Ontario online total gambling handle continued to grow in Q2, though sports betting dropped

Digital sports betting handle and online casino revenue grew again in Ontario, according to iGaming Ontario, which reported second-quarter results Thursday (24 October).

Gamblers in Ontario wagered CA$18.7 billion ($13.5 billion/£10.4 billion/€12.5 billion) across all platforms, the highest amount bet during any quarter since digital sports betting and online gambling went live in April 2022. Handle in Q1 was CA$18.4 billion. Second-quarter handle for all forms of gambling was up 1.6% over the first quarter and 31.7% against the same period last year.

According to the report, reported handle does not include promotional deductions. iGaming Ontario does not report promotional deductions, hold or individual operator numbers. Fifty-three operators and 83 platforms were live in the province during the quarter.

Casino games = $16 billion in bets placed

On the online casino front, total bets placed were CA$16 billion, and gaming revenue was CA$738 million, up 35.4% against the same period in 2023. Slots, live and digital table games and peer-to-peer bingo comprise casino gaming. Against Q1 2024, the total amount bet was up 1.7%, and revenue rose to CA$553 million, compared to $407 million in Q2 2023.

For sports betting, handle was CA$2.2 billion, and operator revenue was CA$167 million. Handle and revenue were both down against the first quarter.

iGaming Ontario reported that the average spend per player across all categories was CA$308, and that there were 1.32 million active play accounts during the quarter. Also, casino gaming made up 86% of all betting and accounted for 75% of all revenue.

Peer-to-peer accounted for CA$417 million in bets and CA$18 million in gaming revenue.