Ontario’s iGaming market set a new monthly record in September, with total wagers climbing to $8.55 billion, according to figures released by iGaming Ontario (iGO). That total, made up exclusively of cash bets (excluding bonuses and promotions), surpassed the previous high of $8.14 billion in August and marked a 30.7% increase over September 2024.
Online Casinos Lead the Charge, Again
Online casinos and real money slots in Canada remained the dominant force in the province’s iGaming landscape, drawing in more than $7.34 billion in wagers. It was the second consecutive month that online casino handle exceeded $7 billion, following August’s $7.22 billion. Casino wagers made up 86% of the market in September, slightly down from 89% in both July and August.
The non-adjusted gross gaming revenue for the month came in at $329.4 million. Although that was a slight dip from August’s $335 million, it was still 18.8% higher than September last year. Of the total, online casinos brought in $277.8 million—84% of all iGaming revenue and the highest monthly casino revenue ever recorded for Ontario’s 50 commercial operators.
Sports Wagering Surges—But Profits Fall
Sports betting also saw a sharp rise in activity as the NFL season kicked off and the Toronto Blue Jays made a playoff push. Wagers in this vertical reached $1.06 billion in September, up 39% from August’s $765 million and 20% ahead of September 2024’s $881 million. It was the first time since April that sports betting handle surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
Despite the increase in activity, gross revenue from sports betting fell to $46.5 million—the lowest total so far in 2025. A year ago, that figure stood at $71.9 million, marking a 35% year-over-year drop. Analysts pointed to bettor-friendly NFL outcomes and homegrown enthusiasm for the Blue Jays as potential reasons for the decline in sportsbook profits.
“Several sportsbooks have reported taking a hit on the Jays’ success from home-fan Ontario bettors.”
The province’s peer-to-peer poker vertical remained steady, bringing in $144 million in wagers and $5.1 million in operator revenue. Although poker saw a slight 4% decline in handle from the previous month, it maintained a 2% share of Ontario’s iGaming market.
Record Number of Active Accounts, Lower Per-User Spending
September also saw a record number of active online gaming accounts—nearly 1.2 million—up 15% from August and 36% from the same time last year. This figure marks the highest player participation since the province’s regulated iGaming market launched in April 2022.
However, average revenue per active user dropped to $282, down from $330 in August and $320 in September 2024. It’s the lowest monthly average since February this year, suggesting more players are betting smaller amounts.
With the return of the NHL in early October and the Blue Jays still contending in the World Series, the momentum could carry into next month. Whether that translates into another revenue spike remains to be seen, especially as sportsbooks hope for more favorable outcomes.
BetRivers, BetMGM, FanDuel and Bet365 are among the major iGaming operators active in Ontario’s regulated market.
