The Canadian online gambling market is fragmented, but also among the fastest growing in the world. Two provinces – Ontario and now, as of July 13, 2026, Alberta – offer locally regulated online gambling, while other Canadian players are served by offshore casinos.
Yet the rise of the growing regulated market, which in Ontario has captured 91% of gambling activity away from offshore sites, is having an influence on what Canadian players in other provinces want from casino operators. Even offshore sites are feeling the changing mood, with regard to the transparency and clarity that players increasingly demand from operators that want to be successful.
Regulation Changes What Players Expect
While in Ontario and now Alberta operators, and to some extent customers, have had to adapt to new rules and regulations, these are also filtering through to offshore casinos that aren’t necessarily a part of those markets.
The rise of locally-regulated markets for online gambling is a growing phenomenon globally, and that is changing what customers want and expect.
For a great example, just look at the list of top online casinos for Canadian players at comparison site Casino.org. This shows the competitive nature of the market, and how much information players want to know on bonuses, game selections and payout systems, before they choose a casino to sign up to.
Things like clear bonus terms or upfront and simple responsible gambling options are possible for any operator to introduce and are increasingly a marker of trust for customers.
Where for many years the global online gambling market focused on massive headline bonuses and promotional incentives, market research and player data from regulated markets increasingly shows that players often prioritize trust and reputation over the biggest bonus offers. This is something even offshore casinos are learning from.
Interestingly, the move towards greater transparency in online services is something regulators and customers are looking at in a variety of sectors worldwide, including videogames, e-commerce and physical entertainment.
What Canadian Players Actually Value
The recent announcement that 91% of players in Ontario now play at regulated operators also shows that customers do prefer a locally-licensed option when given the choice. Whether it’s the increased level of customer protections or the knowledge their entertainment spend is contributing to a locally-taxed operation.
Canadians also gamble on mobile first and foremost. While customer surveys don’t often bring up mobile apps as an important factor any more, that’s because the vast majority of operators now have one as standard. Although Canadian data is unclear, globally more than 60% of online gambling is done via mobile – so it’s likely Canada is the same or similar.
In other surveys of Canadian gamblers, important features they want from online casinos include:
- Fast and reliable withdrawals
- Good game collections with fair and popular titles
- Responsible gambling tools
While all of these are available at international offshore casinos, they’re often mandatory at licensed sites. Although some factors, such as fast withdrawals, are arguably more complex and difficult for regulated-market operators because of Know Your Customer and Anti Money Laundering checks.
Responsible gambling features encourage trust among customers, even though many of them will never use them. The demonstration of transparency and commitment to responsibility by having them there, often outweighs even things like bonuses in many casino players’ view – something the market of a decade ago would never have expected.
Long-Term Trust in a Growing Market – The Future
It is important that operators learn these lessons, because online gambling is expanding in Canada. Ontario paved the way in 2022 by opening a licensed and regulated market, and Alberta has since followed.
Ontario’s sector has since brought in billions of tax dollars for the local economy, and channelled a large majority of users away from offshore sites. If Alberta has similar success, it is very much possible the rest of Canada’s provinces and territories could follow suit.
Yet despite that revenue for provincial coffers, and the expanded array of regulated options, not everyone is happy with expanded gambling. Recent research says the majority of Canadians are concerned about problem gambling. Even though they only represent a minority of gamblers, it is important that the business remains transparent in its attitude and response towards the issue.
Around 60% of Canadians game at least occasionally, so it’s clear very many people still want to enjoy their hobby – while operators and regulated provinces want their money to keep flowing. But, increasingly, players are demanding a balance of transparency and accountability for their entertainment spend – and that is even moving into the offshore market.
The operators that succeed in this new area, in Alberta, Ontario, or more widely in Canada and even globally, are those that understand transparency isn’t just a regulatory pressure – but also a customer and market dynamic, that is influencing expectations (and therefore conversion, retention and other key metrics) at a rapid pace.
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