Ontario Casino Launch - 888 Among First Operators To Secure Licence

Ontario residents who love playing at the best Ontario casinos will be thrilled that popular betting brand 888 Holdings has announced it now has a licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to operate in the Canadian province.

This news highlights what is set to be a key period for the online gambling industry as Ontario prepares to launch its gambling market on April 4, 2022.

888 Holdings, owners of 888casino, 888poker and 888sport, will provide betting to players in Ontario as soon as the launch takes place. Ontario bettors will be able to enjoy beautifully-designed sites with the best online slots, such as favourites like Wolf Gold and new titles like Lightning Gorilla. All 888 sites also offer casino bonuses for new and loyal players. Plus, you can play a range of online poker games and bet on your favourite sports, from soccer to ice hockey.

888 Holdings Makes It 19 With Latest Regulated Market Licence

After securing this new AGCO licence, 888 Holdings can now boast licences for 19 regulated markets around the globe, including seven in the United States alone. The company announced this March that 74% of their 2021 revenue came from locally regulated and taxed markets.

888 Holdings CEO Itai Pazner said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a licence by the AGCO and look forward to launching in the market when it officially opens.

“As a group, our focus is on strengthening our presence and offer to customers across key regulated markets. To that end, Ontario represents an attractive long-term growth opportunity for 888 and this is an extremely strategically important milestone for us.”

List Of New Ontario Gaming Operators Reaches Six

As well as the owners of 888casino, five additional online casino companies have been handed licences to operate in the province, which will come into effect on April 4.

PointsBet, Rivalry Corp. and theScore Bet got their registrations in February 2022 before VHL Ontario Ltd, part of 888, NSUS Ltd. and Annexio Ltd. got their licences in March.

PointsBet is an Australian horse racing and sports betting website, which claims to be the fastest growing online sportsbook in the USA. Rivalry Corp., hailing from Toronto, Ontario, is the owner of Rivalry.com, an esports and sports betting site, while theScore Bet, also from the Ontario capital, is a mobile-first sports betting app.

NSUS Ltd. is a part of Caesars Entertainment Inc. who run the World Series of Poker, while Annexio Ltd. is known for its online lottery betting in the United Kingdom.

At Least 30 Online Casino Operators Want Ontario Licence

As the list of online casino companies to gain Ontario licences grows, it is expected yet more will be added, giving the province’s casino players an array of gambling options.

The AGCO reported in February that 30 operators had already applied for Ontario licences. Any companies hoping to join the market must also make an agreement with iGaming Ontario, the organisation that manages iGaming in the province.