Come Monday, some operators will launch in the segregated regulated market, while others continue to operate offshore. What does this mean for Ontario online poker? When regulated Ontario online poker goes live next week, PokerStars and perhaps others will continue operating offshore, for now, giving consumers access to the global market and a larger player pool.
At the same time, a handful of other operators plan to jump into the segregated, regulated market from the get-go. The situation will create a de facto two-tiered system when it launches on Monday, April 4, at least in the short term.
How long regulators will allow that setup to continue is anyone’s guess, but it is expected to have a mostly negative impact on consumers in the province. Last verified: March 2022 Who’s All-In?
The operator that appears furthest along with plans to launch in Ontario is 888poker . It was one of the first operators to win licensure from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and was the first to publicize its plans to launch when the market opens on April 4.
Another operator that could launch is Bet365, although less is known about its plans. The UK-based, privately-held operator has registered a poker domain with the AGCO and could possibly deploy Playtech’s poker platform in the province.
BetMGM received its license from the AGCO on March 21. Since then, Poker Industry PRO has learned that the operator also plans to offer online poker in the regulated Ontario market.
The entry of BetMGM raises questions about whether partypoker still plans to launch in the province since Entain owns half of the former and all of the latter. Entain executives have stated in the past that Ontario would be a new market for partypoker in 2022, but the AGCO has yet to issue an internet gaming operator license for the brand.
There is a chance that BetMGM and partypoker will form a network and share a player pool — much like it does in New Jersey with Borgata. Poker Industry PRO recently discovered a BetMGM test online poker client with Ontario in the title and the […]
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