In November, 2025 it was reported that the Ontario Court of Appeal ruling on cross-border online gaming had rules with a 4-1 decision that Ontarians could legally participate in online games with players outside of the province. A number of provinces were opposed to the decision and had 60 days to seek an appeal. It now looks like the supreme court is stepping in and Loto-Quebec is formally part of the appeal after joining other provincial lottery bodies pushing back against Ontario.
Ontario Cross Border Online Gambling Case
This case could reshape how online gambling will work across Canada. There are provinces, regulators, and global operators now looking to weigh in on what is happening in relation to Ontario's plan to open cross border gambling.
New filings show that Loto-Quebec is now part of the appeal and it shown on the Supreme Court docket number 42141. This case is about the propsed model that would allow Ontario players to place bets with other players outside of Canada. Ontario first asked the courts in 2024 to rule on whether this idea would be legal before rolling it out.
Judges were asked to assess the hypothetical framework and there was a 4-1 decision that Ontarians could legally participate in online games with players outside of the province and outside of Canada.
A Legal Question Turned into a Fight
This all started as a legal question from Ontario and has turned into a national battle. Provincial lotteries from across Canada are now opposing Ontario. It includes the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation, and now Loto-Quebec. All are listed in the Supreme Court case as active appellants.
Ontario wants to enable cross-border gaming and the proposed scheme will expand the player group, the available game funds, generate more interest in the games offered, and increase the revenue for the province.
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the model would be lawful but the final decision now lies with the Supreme Court.
Ontario's Proposed Cross-Border Online Gambling Model
The cross-border online gambling model proposed by Ontario is based on the idea that bigger player pools would make games more viable especially for online poker where players play against each other and having more participants would mean larger prize pools and more game availability.
Under the proposed model, Ontario would still control what happens within its borders and the province would set the rules and oversee operators serving players in the province. Those participating in the games would outside of Ontario would join through operator platforms that are regulated in their own jurisdictions.
There is support for the model but also opposition from other provincial lottery corporations.
Opposition Has Concerns
There are a number of provincial lottery corporations that are opposed to Ontario's model and they say it crosses a clear legal line. The argument is based on how Canadian gambling law is structured wherein most forms of online gambling are illegal unless they are legally granted by the province.
One of the opposition submissions states that when betting involves players outside of Canada it goes beyond what individual provinces are allowed to regulate. There are concerns that there may be no way of controlling the operation of a foreign lottery or enforcing its conditions.
There are disagreements on how the model would be put into practice and how safeguards would be enforced.
While larger player pools could make Ontario's regulated market more attractive, other provinces are concerned that opening the door to international participation could disrupt systems that are already in place and change how gambling is delivered across Canada.
The Supreme Court will now debate on whether or not Ontario can move forward with cross-border online gambling. We will be following the case closely because the outcome could change what Ontario's online gaming market, particularly in relation to poker, will look like in the coming years.
More Ontario News on Online-Casinos.ca
