The Ontario on-line poker market simply reported one among its highest months for on-line poker income in its four-year historical past.
Based on figures launched by iGaming Ontario, the market’s regulator, poker operators within the province generated C$6.9 million in income (USD $5.1 million) in March, the most recent month reported.
That is the second highest month for the reason that market opened in April 2022. The one one to beat it was March 2024, which hit C$7.1 million.
The market was additionally up 4.5% on the identical month a yr in the past. Up to now this yr, C$18.2 million has been made by operators on the Ontario on-line poker tables, 7% larger than the identical interval in 2025.
It reveals a market that’s trying very wholesome, regardless of it now being a mature four-year trade saved completely segregated from the remainder of the net poker world.
And it additionally bodes effectively for the subsequent massive shake-up in on-line poker in Canada: The launch of regulated on-line gaming in Alberta. It will go stay in simply two months’ time. It’s nonetheless unclear precisely what it will imply for on-line poker in Alberta, however hopefully, websites will be capable of join their participant swimming pools with websites in Ontario.
The Ontario market follows a curious sample: March is traditionally the very best month of the yr, a phenomenon that has occurred yearly besides 2025 (when August simply exceeded it). Of the highest 5 months in market historical past, three have been in March.
It’s not clear precisely why this happens. The most certainly cause is Canada’s tax season: Taxes may be filed from the tip of February, with tax refunds issued a few weeks later. That is typically non-trivial as the best way tax on bonuses is calculated ends in extra being withheld than is definitely owed. It may be fairly a windfall for white-collar employees.
Nevertheless, one would possibly count on that to additionally present up in market visitors information — however that’s not the case. Based on figures tracked by SharkScope and accessible on the PRO DB platform, the market follows the normal trajectory of the net poker market noticed in Europe: A peak in January, when the climate is at its worst, declining into summer season, with the bottom level occurring between June and October. March is an efficient month, however a marked dip from January and February.
So if the tax rebate concept have been to be true, it might imply gamers are taking part in larger stakes and greater tournaments, however not rising their quantity (which is what these charts describe).
Another excuse might be a giant uptick in qualifiers to stay occasions. GGPoker, the market chief in Ontario with an estimated 50% market share, has previously run satellites for WSOP Toronto, a massively profitable circuit occasion. Prior to now, this ran in mid-April and so a spurt of exercise in March — a month earlier than the occasion when a full satellite tv for pc schedule could be underway — would make loads of sense.
Nevertheless, this yr there’s no WSOP Circuit occasion in Toronto in April, and there have been no on-line qualifiers. It’s unclear whether or not it is going to return later this yr. As a substitute, there have been qualifiers for WSOP Montreal, the primary occasion of which ran March 23 to April 7, so that will go some approach to explaining it.
We reached out to GGPoker to ask for any perception they might present on the March phenomenon in Ontario. Their assertion hints at on-line qualifiers however didn’t present any specifics.
“Because the market chief in Ontario, GGPoker continues to give attention to offering the complete poker neighborhood with the very best gaming expertise,” reads the assertion. We “know that Ontario gamers love stay motion as a lot as on-line, so we imagine a core cause for GGPoker’s energy within the province over the previous yr is that we provide unique satellite tv for pc paths for gamers aiming for WSOP Circuit glory at venues throughout Canada.”
Whatever the cause, it is extremely welcome to see a mature market nonetheless displaying progress. And the addition of Alberta — if liquidity sharing is permitted — ought to simply add one other 25% to participant pool sizes.
It has now been confirmed that each BetMGM and FanDuel have utilized for licenses in Alberta. BetMGM Poker Ontario operates on a poker community with bwin and PartyPoker, and is anticipated to increase into Alberta if it will probably share liquidity. PokerStars is at the moment transitioning to a PokerStars-FanDuel Ontario hybrid and can do the identical.
And the 2 markets might appeal to new operators too. BetRivers gives on-line on line casino and sports activities betting in Ontario and can do the identical in Alberta. It might be motivated to launch its world-class on-line poker platform BetRivers Poker within the two provinces if shared liquidity is obtainable.
The Alberta on-line gaming market will launch on July 13, 2026.
