How does Ontario's iGaming framework define what counts as an online casino versus other forms of online gambling?

Ontario's framework doesn't actually carve out "online casino" as a separate legal category — the term the AGCO and iGaming Ontario use throughout their rules is internet gaming (or igaming), which is a deliberately broad umbrella. Understanding what sits under that umbrella, and how the pieces are distinguished, is the practical answer here.

One umbrella, three product types

The AGCO maintains separate standards documents for the casino/cGaming sector and for the internet gaming sector — the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming applies specifically to the igaming sector and is distinct from the standards governing land-based casinos. Within the internet gaming framework, the games that operators must certify cover everything from slot games and table games to sport and event betting, poker, and other card games. So from a regulatory standpoint, all of those product types exist under the same internet gaming licence — an operator doesn't hold a separate "online casino licence" versus a "sportsbook licence." They hold an internet gaming registration, and that registration can cover any or all of those verticals.

What the framework does distinguish, functionally, are three product categories:

• Casino-style games — slots, table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat), live dealer, video poker. These are chance-based games with fixed rules where the outcome is determined by a random number generator or a physical dealing process.
• Sport and event betting — the standards cover all sports, esports, novelty, betting exchange, and fantasy sports products, including single-event, in-game, pool, parlay, and exchange bets. Pay-to-play fantasy sports are considered a form of gambling under the Criminal Code of Canada and are permitted under the AGCO's internet gaming standards.
• Poker — treated as its own game type for certification purposes, though it sits within the same internet gaming registration.

One nuance worth noting: betting on virtual sports is not classified as sport and event betting under the standards — it falls on the casino-game side of the line, since outcomes are algorithmically generated rather than tied to real-world events.

The conduct-and-manage structure is what actually defines legality

The deeper legal distinction isn't casino vs. sportsbook — it's who is conducting and managing the game. The Criminal Code expressly prohibits the provision of gambling in Canada, with limited exceptions — one being lottery schemes "conducted and managed" by provincial governments. That's the legal hook everything hangs on. OLG conducts and manages lottery schemes at land-based gaming sites and on OLG.ca; iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the online lottery schemes offered through private operators, and does not conduct or manage any land-based gaming sites. Private operators — the brands Toronto players actually use — are registered by the AGCO and operate under iGO's conduct-and-manage umbrella.

Being a fully registered and authorized operator in Ontario's igaming market means the organization has received AGCO registration and executed an operating agreement with iGO, having met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections, and social responsibility.

How to tell a regulated site from an unregistered one

Look for the iGaming Ontario logo wherever you play as a sign that you're playing on a site that is being conducted and managed by iGaming Ontario, offers player protections, and meets Ontario's high standards for game integrity and responsible gambling. Regulated sites also display the BetGuard logo — BetGuard is iGaming Ontario's centralized self-exclusion service, launched in May 2026, which lets any 19+ Ontario player opt out of all regulated online gambling in a single request. The presence of both logos is your clearest signal that a site is legitimate. The full, current list of authorized operators is maintained at the iGaming Ontario registry — that's the live source of truth, since the list updates as new operators come on.

Playing on an unregulated site means the business is not operating under the AGCO's Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming — no verified game fairness, no guaranteed payouts, no mandatory responsible gambling tools. If you ever need support, ConnexOntario is available at 1-866-531-2600.