As part of Illegal Gambling Awareness Week, iGaming Ontario and the online market agency gave players in the province a two-step process for checking for legal sites. Players are asked to check for two logos and then check the official iGO directory of registered sites. One of the logos belongs to BetGuard, the self-exclusion tool launched in May 2026.
Ontario Players Now Have a Two-Step Check for Legal Gambling Sites
On 9 November, iGaming Ontario (iGO) published a player notice called "Choose to play? Choose a site in Ontario's regulated iGaming market" that tells Ontarians to look for two logos when assessing whether a site is legal or not. This is the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo. Both should be shown on a gambling site and players should then confirm that the site is listed in the iGO directory of regulated sites.
This two-step check came as part of Illegal Gambling Awareness Week which the International Association of Gaming Regulators runs from 9 to 13 November.
The iGO directory lists 48 operators and 83 gaming websites as of 11 November. OLG.ca is listed separately.
The notice published reminds players to confirm whether a site is regulated and the check that players should carry out involves two steps. Players are encouraged to look for the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos. Regulated sites must display these. They are also advised to confirm that the site is also listed in the iGO directory.
The notice states that every regulated site offers oversight, mandatory safeguards such as BetGuard, and a trusted complaints process.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) which registers operators in the province and sets the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, also encourages Ontarians to look for the iGaming Ontario logo on its player support page. It also states that unregulated sites aren't required to offer game transparency and that they may withhold or delay payouts. It also says that unregulated sites may expose personal data.
BetGuard Self-Exclusion Tool for Ontario
BetGuard was launched on 14 May by iGO as a centralized self-exclusion tool where players can opt out of every regulated site in Ontario. OLG is also included. The self-exclusion terms are for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or a custom term.
In September iGO warned that third parties were using the BetGuard name and branding to make misleading statement about opting out.
iGO stated that a logo can be copied and that the directory is a check that can't be facked. Checking for the iGO logo and the BetGuard logo should be a player's first check and the directory should be the second check.
iGO Survey Reveals 91.9% of Gamblers Use Regulated Sites
In May, iGO said that an Ipos study that was commission with the AGCO found that 91.1% of online gamblers reported playing on regulated sites. This figure was up from 83.7%. Only 8.9% of Ontarians played only on unregulated sites.
The figures from the study are self-reported answers and the 8.9% of people that play only on unregulated sites doesn't include anyone who plays on both.
AGCO Monitors and Enforces Penalties
The AGCO monitors everything and enforces penalties and fines. In May, the AGCO fined Relax Gaming and Arrise Solutions $40,000 each after their games appeared on unregulated sites that were accessible from Ontario.
The two-step check from iGO is good, but checking the directory is key to ensuring you're playing at a licensed Ontario online casino or sports book. Only sites that are licensed and regulated in the province appear on the directory and it is updated regularly.
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