By Alex Drummond, Editor-in-Chief · April 15, 2026 · Fact-checked by Maya Chen
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has updated its Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, tightening the language around player self-exclusion ahead of what is expected to be the imminent launch of a province-wide centralized program. The changes, announced April 12, represent one of the final regulatory steps before Ontario poker and casino players can opt out of all licensed platforms through a single process.
The revisions arrive as the market continues to post strong growth numbers. iGaming Ontario's most recent monthly report, covering February 2026, recorded C$8.73 billion in total cash wagers, a 23 per cent year-over-year increase. That figure, while lower than January's record C$9.5 billion, still reflects a market that has more than doubled in handle since 2024.
What the Centralized Self-Exclusion Program Changes
Currently, any player who wants to self-exclude from regulated online gambling in Ontario must contact each operator individually. With 50 active operators running 82 gaming websites in the province, that process is both time-consuming and inconsistent. A player using six poker rooms, for instance, would need to complete six separate exclusion requests.
The Centralized Self-Exclusion program, known as CSE, will allow players to exclude themselves from every regulated iGaming site in Ontario through a single step. iGaming Ontario selected a joint bid from Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and IXUP to build the system back in August 2024. IC360 brings betting integrity expertise through its ProhiBet platform, while IXUP has a track record with BetStop, Australia's national self-exclusion register.
The available term lengths will be six months, one year, and five years. Licensed operators must participate in the CSE system, promote it on their platforms, and continue honouring all existing individual self-exclusion agreements. iGaming Ontario president and CEO Joseph Hillier has previously indicated the program will launch in the first half of 2026, meaning it could go live within weeks.
The Standards Revision
The AGCO's specific change targets Requirement 12 of the new CSE standards, formally designated Standard 2.14.1. Following industry feedback, the commission simplified the language to make operator obligations clearer. The core objective is straightforward: self-excluded players must not be able to access gaming sites, even during a service disruption or technical outage.
Standard 2.14, which requires every licensed operator to offer its own site-level self-exclusion program, remains in place. Individual operator programs will continue to be mandatory for at least 12 months after the CSE launches. The layered approach means players will have both a universal option and platform-specific fallbacks.
For poker players specifically, the implications are practical. Ontario's six regulated poker rooms, GGPoker, 888poker, BetMGM Poker, PokerStars Ontario, PartyPoker Ontario, and Bwin Ontario, will all be covered by the centralized system. A player who needs to step away will be able to do so comprehensively, without the risk of missing one platform in the process.
Market Performance: The Numbers Behind the Reform
The regulatory tightening comes against a backdrop of sustained market growth. Ontario's regulated iGaming sector has now surpassed C$10 billion in total operator revenue since its April 2022 launch, a milestone reached in late January. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, total wagers reached C$82.7 billion with C$2.9 billion in gaming revenue, increases of 32 and 31 per cent respectively.
| Metric | February 2026 | January 2026 | Year-over-Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cash Wagers | C$8.73B | C$9.52B | +23% |
| Gaming Revenue (NAGGR) | C$342.4M | C$401.5M | +22% |
| Online Casino Wagers | C$7.7B (88%) | C$8.18B (86%) | +26% |
| Sports Betting Revenue | C$61.3M | C$86.7M | -29% |
| P2P Poker Wagers (Jan) | n/a | C$156M | +11% MoM |
| Active Player Accounts (Jan) | n/a | 1.326M | +4% MoM |
The February dip from January's all-time highs is seasonal rather than structural. Industry analysts characterize the pullback as normalization after an exceptional month, not a sign of weakening demand. The year-over-year trajectory remains firmly positive across all major categories.
Where Poker Fits in the Market
Peer-to-peer poker remains a small but stable segment of Ontario's regulated market. The 2024-25 annual report from iGaming Ontario pegged full-year poker revenue at C$59 million, compared with C$2.2 billion for online casino and C$654 million for betting. That puts poker at roughly two per cent of total gaming revenue.
January 2026 poker wagers of C$156 million represented a one per cent market share by handle, though the nature of poker (where rake and tournament fees generate revenue rather than house edge on wagers) makes direct comparisons with casino products misleading. The January figure was up 11 per cent month-over-month, partly driven by the PokerStars Ontario ONSCOOP series and GGPoker seasonal activity.
The CSE program matters for poker players precisely because the segment is small and its participants tend to be more engaged. Players who maintain accounts across multiple poker rooms for the best tournament schedules and cash game traffic are exactly the demographic that benefits from a one-stop exclusion process if they need it.
Broader Regulatory Context
Ontario's move toward centralized self-exclusion is not happening in isolation. The province has been methodically building out its responsible gambling infrastructure since the regulated market opened on April 4, 2022, now just past its fourth anniversary. The AGCO's 2024-25 joint report with iGaming Ontario found that 83.7 per cent of Ontario players surveyed between January and February 2025 reported using a regulated gambling site, up from the early months of the market when offshore operators still held significant share.
The province's approach has drawn attention from other Canadian jurisdictions. Ontario's open licensing model, which has attracted 50 active operators, has been studied by provinces weighing their own entry into regulated online gambling. Alberta, in particular, is moving toward its own iGaming framework, though the timeline remains uncertain. The Alberta iGaming developments are worth watching for Ontario players who may eventually see shared liquidity or regulatory harmonization.
For those interested in the province's full regulatory structure, the Ontario poker regulation guide covers the relationship between the AGCO, iGaming Ontario, and licensed operators. Players looking for responsible gambling resources can visit the responsible gambling tools page or contact ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.