The Canadian Alliance for Regulated Gaming launched Oct. 5 as a national not-for-profit association for Canada’s legal and regulated gambling industry, replacing the Canadian Lottery Coalition.
The alliance was organized by publicly owned lottery and gaming organizations that return profits to their respective provinces to support public services. Molly Cormier, its executive director, said the body was created because industry issues had become increasingly complex and national, making a unified voice for regulated gaming organizations important.
CARG will provide a national forum for collaboration, research, public education and policy engagement on matters shaping the gambling sector. It said it would work with governments, regulators, industry stakeholders and communities to advance public-interest policies centred on player health, consumer protection and effective legislation, regulation and enforcement.
The organization identified illegal online gambling operators, heavier advertising, prediction markets and evolving technologies as issues that create risks for consumers and challenges for policymakers across jurisdictions. Cormier said illegal and unregulated operators posed growing risks to consumers and communities as Canada’s gambling landscape changes rapidly.
CARG said it plans to broaden its membership with further voices from the legal and regulated gaming ecosystem, while encouraging public-interest dialogue. It also launched a website intended to give policymakers, stakeholders, media and the public information on its mandate, policy positions and ongoing work.
Ontario legalized commercial online gaming in April 2022; wagering activity reached $82.7 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year, more than 30% above the prior year. Operators seeking to serve the regulated market must have an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario and be registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Prediction markets remain outside Ontario’s regulated gambling market. Ontario residents are prohibited by the Ontario Securities Commission from legally using Polymarket and Kalshi, while the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming has said it is monitoring developments and reviewing the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks.
