Ontario igaming market contributes US$1.2bn in first year
According to research compiled by Deloitte, the industry had created 12,000 new jobs in the Canadian province.
Canada.- The Ontario igaming market has provided C$1.5bn (US$1.2bn) in positive economic contributions to the province in its first year of operations, according to research compiled by Deloitte. The report, released by iGaming Ontario on the first full day of the Canadian Gaming Summit, noted that the industry had created 12,000 new jobs in the province, generating C$900m in benefits via salary payments.
The report also outlined that many of the positions created in Ontario were well-paying jobs, with average wages for workers in the gaming sector at C$103,000. That’s around C$30,000 more than the average Ontarian wage.
Igaming launched in Ontario in April 2022Last month, iGaming Ontario (iGO) released its market performance report for the fourth quarter of operations in the province. Between January 1 and March 31, $10.2bn was wagered, up 20.8 per cent compared to $8.5bn in Q3. In just one year, the new legal igaming market in Ontario generated $26.5bn in wagers.
In terms of revenue, the Canadian province registered $415.5m in Q4, representing a 13.6 per cent rise on Q3 and taking the annual figure to $1.4bn.
Rivalry launches mobile app in Ontario
The sports betting and media company Rivalry has launched its mobile app in Ontario. The app features esports betting, including on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and Dota 2. Users can also wager on a range of traditional sports, including football, soccer and basketball.
Steven Salz, Rivalry co-founder and CEO, said: “Mobile betting is a significant addition for our Ontario operations and core audience of Millennial and Gen Z consumers that prefer the flexibility of betting on their phones. Launching a mobile app adds an important layer of accessibility to our product, increasing our addressable market in Ontario, and allowing us to bring esports betting to more customers in the region and ultimately grow the category.”
