The increase in online gamblers in Ontario over the last year suggests the expanded regulation and increased visibility of legal gambling through advertisements has attracted new players to the market.
A survey finds that Ontarians new to gambling accounted for a significant portion of the province’s online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting participants since all three verticals launched in the province nearly a year ago.
The survey — officially, the Ontario Online Gambling Sentiments Survey, which Ontario online casino operator Spin Genie commissioned with the help of public opinion firm Angus Reid Forum — found roughly two-in-five players (43%) gambled for less than a year and about one in four (24%) signed up within the past six months.
Since the market launched on April 4, 2022, “more Ontarians have been signing up for online gambling sites as an alternative form of fun and entertainment,” Spin Genie Ontario said in a blog post dated March 24.
“The increase in online gamblers in Ontario over the last year suggests the expanded regulation and increased visibility of legal gambling through advertisements has attracted new players to the market.”
More Betting on Sports Than Casino or Poker
Spin Genie, a brand owned by SkillOnNet Limited, found that just over half (51%) of participants do not gamble online. Meanwhile, 38% of respondents said they played online games for real money within the past year, and 11% surveyed only play for free.
Lottery draw games were the most popular choice of Ontarians who gambled online, with the survey finding 25% of respondents liked to gamble that way. Online raffle tickets were a distant second at 13%.
Online sports betting drew 10% of online bettors — more than online slots (9%), table games (6%), live casino table games (5%), and online poker played against other players (5%).
When asked what online features drew players to sign up, regardless of which platform they use, 37% of respondents ranked initial deposit incentives (aka sign-up bonuses) as the most important feature.
Finding a platform that uses a rewards or bonus program based on the amount of gameplay ranked as the most important feature for 24% of survey respondents. Another 17% said having access to games they are already familiar with on other platforms was the most important feature.
Spin Genie also found that online players with only one or two accounts typically make a deposit once every few months. By comparison, players with three or more accounts tend to make deposits every month.
Specifically, the operator found that players with one account had a mean average of five deposits in one year. The average increased to six deposits in a year for players with two accounts. The average of players with five or more accounts is 32 deposits a year.
“The expansion of regulated online gambling from casino to mobile and desktop screens in Ontario has successfully attracted casual players, perhaps including many who previously gambled exclusively in-person,” Spin Genie said in a separate statement Tuesday to elaborate further on the survey’s findings.
Spin Genie interviewed 1,501 adults aged 19 and older in Ontario between February 27 and March 3. Respondents are members of the Angus Reid Forum, a well-known public opinion community in Canada.
SkillOnNet’s other brands in Ontario are Knight Slots Casino, PlayOJO, and Slots Magic Casino.
