Having provided the perfect case study for the benefits of legalised online gambling in Canada, we caught up with Bede’s Chief Executive Officer, Colin Cole-Johnson, to discuss why other provinces may look to follow Ontario’s example in the future and what challenges operators will need to be ready for when they do.

With the regulated online gambling market in Ontario recently being recognised as one of the largest in the world, operators will feel there’s plenty of untapped potential to be realised not just in the province itself, but in Canada as a whole, over the coming months. And for good reason too.

Since legalising online gambling in 2022, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has established a go-to framework for how regulators introduce rules and standards that protect players and enable operators to flourish – and no better is this illustrated than in the performance of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which has continued to make a hugely positive contribution in the province over the past few years.

Having already paved the way for successful open market regulation through a number of progressive initiatives, with even more yet to come – such as the proposed centralised self-exclusion model –  it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see other organisations turn to AGCO as an example of how regulations can be introduced both sustainably and profitably; and this will likely present several opportunities for operators as well.

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From Bede’s experience in the country, Canadian regulators are thorough and well organised. Any province looking to follow the success of Ontario will no doubt look to AGCO for inspiration, and this may lead to similar regulatory frameworks in other new territory launches. As the gaming community in Canada is so connected, we’ve already seen cross-operator interest in sharing regulatory knowledge, meaning there’s a wealth of information waiting to be leveraged.

As the most likely province to regulate next, Alberta has already shown a preference for following an open-market model similar to Ontario’s, with the input of various industry stakeholders set to guide the way. The onboarding process for operators seeking to enter this potentially vibrant new market is likely to follow promptly after the new framework is enacted, so existing experience and relationships within the Ontario market should prove advantageous for those looking to hit the ground running.

For Bede, our years working closely with AGCO leave us well positioned to enter additional provinces in the future, and we greatly value the guidance and support we gain from having a direct relationship with the regulator. We aspire to grow even further in Canada by forming more provincial partnerships, and our learnings from Ontario will undoubtedly form a key part of this.

Internally, we have a strong framework for new market entry and regulatory compliance that includes cross-functional representation across the business. We understand the heavy lifting that goes into a launch and the complexity of licensing and delivering a new technical solution. Our approach always involves an analysis of the requirements from a compliance, risk, audit and financial perspective, as well as identifying any gaps where our products can make an impact with the right strategic solutions.

Taking the Ontario market as an example, we’ve seen some noticeable changes in player behaviour in recent years, meaning operators must be prepared to adapt in order to keep up with emerging trends. Although we’ve seen growth for our partners in the digital space, retail remains a predominant revenue stream for Canadian operators. As digital continues to grow, it’s important to provide a seamless end-to-end experience for players across channels, to be effective omni-channel solutions.

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As more choice becomes available in the market, offering competitive payment and withdrawal options will be important. A critical part of the player journey that is often overlooked is the preference among players for easy access to preferred payment methods. A great example of innovation in this area is our Lottery Direct Pay method, where players can purchase tickets directly from their card without first having to load their wallet – creating a faster user journey that appeals to a wider audience.

Aside from these payment considerations, it’s worth noting that community engagement features and personalisation are both playing a more prominent role in the Canadian gaming landscape. Particularly among younger audiences, having the ability to offer a shared experience is becoming increasingly important to generating sustained engagement. For example, we’ve already seen OLG enjoy a significant uplift in overall ticket sales since launching the innovative Lottery Group Play tool.

Similarly, the power of personalisation cannot be understated when it comes to building player activity and retention. Through partnerships with companies such as XtremePush and Future Anthem, Bede has endeavoured to utilise more machine learning and AI systems that can broaden the customisation options available for customers, while our dynamic segmentation tool enables them to target user groups more effectively and automate the player journey in real time.

Of course, from the moment Ontario launched a legalised online gambling framework, regulators were required to focus their efforts on keeping up with increased accessibility and, therefore, increased risk of harm to the public. Should another province like Alberta also legalise online gambling in future, the same challenges will exist – and this presents an important opportunity for operators to both educate players on responsible gaming protocol and enforce it.

Given Bede has been operating in highly regulated markets for over 13 years, we have both an established suite of RG tools and in-depth knowledge of how to use them effectively. Evidenced in the UK market and beyond – Bede has developed its platform to meet the tightening controls that have been issued over every aspect of online gambling – enabling operators to create their own tailored mix of tools that best support their players.

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Notably, the upper limit functionality in our RG toolset gives our customers the option to monitor and respond to potential problem behaviour by setting maximum limits for specific players. The players may opt to further decrease their own limits, but they’ll be unable to exceed the maximum setting until/unless the operator removes them, reducing the harm they could potentially experience. As well as outright prevention, being able to educate a player in such a moment is equally important – and using our platform, operators can send appropriate, personalised messages to users that encourage them to alter their play and even think about setting time out periods where necessary. For example, our partners can use our Player Interaction feature to set alerts from the front end based on pre-defined player behaviours, and then use that information for RG activities; if a player returns to a page a certain number of times, it can automatically trigger personalised messages to encourage the player to set a limit.

As responsible gaming is a constantly evolving topic in Ontario and other new markets in Canada are likely to experience similar growing pains, supporting regulatory efforts through the smart adoption of harm prevention tools will be a key part of gaining a foothold. This, coupled with the other regional considerations we’ve outlined in this article will be crucial to any operator’s future success in the country; and there are definitely big opportunities on offer for those who get it right.

Random State (“RS”), the Swedish studio behind next‑generation iLottery and multiplayer bingo content, has been granted a Gaming‑Related Supplier – Manufacturer licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The approval, effective 14 May 2025, authorises RS to offer its games and platform services to licensed operators across Ontario.

“Securing the Ontario licence is a milestone our entire team has worked tirelessly toward,” said Adam Fonsica, Co‑Founder & COO at Random State. “Ontario not only validates the quality and integrity of our technology; it provides a launchpad for our broader North‑American expansion. We can’t wait to introduce our eInstant titles and multiplayer bingo hub to Ontario players later this year, together with a soon‑to‑be‑announced operator.”

The licence clears the way for RS to roll out its full product portfolio in Ontario:

Interactive eInstants – instant‑win games that re‑imagine traditional lottery mechanics with modern gameplay and rich visuals.

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Multiplayer bingo – a complete suite of 90-, 75-, 80/60/40‑ and 30‑ball variants, featuring progressive jackpots, Pot Booster and real‑time chat hosting.

Turn‑key iGaming platform – advanced Player Account Management (PAM), certified RNG, gamification engine and a WYSIWYG game‑configuration tool that lets operators launch new games in minutes.

Random State expects its first Ontario go‑live in Q3 2025, delivering both eInstants and multiplayer bingo on day one.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has contacted more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms, calling on them to stop promoting unregulated online gambling and sports betting sites like Bodog to Ontario residents.

Operated by Il Nido Inc., Bodog is an offshore operator actively targeting Ontarians by advertising on popular traditional and digital media platforms. Despite blocking players in Quebec and Nova Scotia from accessing their unregulated gambling and sports betting sites, Bodog continues to allow Ontarians to access these sites while advertising heavily on traditional and digital media platforms targeting Ontarians.

Under the Gaming Control Act, 1992, Bodog and other online gambling sites are required to register with the AGCO and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario in order to operate in Ontario. Ontario’s regulated igaming framework requires operators to meet comprehensive requirements related to game integrity, player protection, anti-money laundering and information privacy. Bodog’s efforts to direct Ontarians to unregulated gambling undermine player protection and other safeguards which exist in the regulated market, as well as fair market principles.

By airing ads for Bodog and other unregulated operators, legitimate media platforms are providing a veneer of legitimacy to unregulated and high-risk sites and creating confusion for Ontarians. The AGCO is therefore calling on these platforms to take a stand against the promotion of unregulated online gambling sites and remove the ads. By doing so, broadcasters and digital media companies will help reduce the risks these sites pose to Ontarians and support the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s regulated igaming market – all key objectives of the AGCO.

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The AGCO will continue to work with its partners – both in Ontario and internationally – to combat these unregulated sites and protect the public.

“The AGCO is committed to protecting Ontario players and ensuring they have the safest experience by playing on regulated igaming sites. By refusing to carry advertising from unregulated and high-risk operators like Bodog, media organizations can exemplify social responsibility and play an important role in protecting Ontarians and supporting Ontario’s regulated market.”  – Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO.