The two bodies
The AGCO is the regulator. It decides who is eligible and registers operators and gaming suppliers. It also writes and enforces the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming and handles regulatory complaints. iGaming Ontario is the conducting and managing body: it signs the operating agreements once the AGCO has registered an operator, reconciles revenue for the province, runs an anti-money-laundering program and sets up the dispute process for customers. iGO started in July 2021 as a subsidiary of the AGCO and became an independent agency in May 2025, when the iGaming Ontario Act was proclaimed.
OLG, the province's own lottery agency, runs OLG.ca separately, outside the operator directory.
How an operator obtains the Ontario online casino licence
An operator registers with the AGCO and then takes its own steps with iGO. The application covers the operator form, a gap analysis against the Registrar's Standards, disclosure forms for the company and the people behind it, the fee and supporting papers. The fee is $100,000 a year for each site, and every separate site needs its own application. Suppliers of platforms, games, wallets and odds also register, after an independent testing lab has certified their products.
What the standards require
The Registrar's Standards took effect in April 2022, when the regulated market opened, and were last updated on 14 May 2026. They cover underage access, game integrity, privacy, anti-money laundering, responsible gambling and the integrity of sport betting. Three requirements matter most to a player:
- Nobody under 19 may hold an account, and anyone who has told the operator they are self-excluding is barred as well.
- Operators may not lend money, point players to credit or accept cryptocurrency, and balances are shown in Canadian dollars.
- Advertising may not target high-risk, underage or self-excluded people, and bonus promotion is limited to the operator's own site and to players who agreed to receive it.
Checking a site
The AGCO's own register page sends readers to iGaming Ontario's directory of regulated operators, which can be filtered by operator and category. The AGCO also points to the iGaming Ontario logo as the sign that a site is conducted and managed by iGO.
Complaints
A dispute starts with the operator, in writing, and then may go to iGO for products it conducts. The AGCO does not settle gambling transaction disputes or recover money, but it takes complaints about rule breaches, with outcomes that include warnings, suspensions and monetary penalties for the operator.