Digital sports betting handle and online casino revenue grew again in Ontario, according to iGaming Ontario, which reported second-quarter results on Thursday (24 October).
Gamblers in Ontario wagered CA$18.7 billion ($13.5 billion/£10.4 billion/€12.5 billion) across all platforms, the highest amount bet during any quarter since digital sports betting and online gambling went live in April 2022. Handle in Q1 was CA$18.4 billion. Second-quarter handle for all forms of gambling was up 1.6% over the first quarter and 31.7% against the same period last year.
According to the report, handle does not include promotional deductions. iGaming Ontario does not report promotional deductions, hold or individual operator numbers. Fifty-three operators and 83 platforms were live in the province during the quarter.
Casino games = $16 billion in bets placed
On the online casino front, total bets placed were CA$16 billion, and gaming revenue was CA$738 million, up 35.4% against the same period in 2023. Slots, live and digital table games and peer-to-peer bingo comprise casino gaming. Against Q1 2024, the total amount bet was up 1.7% and revenue rose to CA$553 million, compared to $407 million in Q2 2023.
For sports betting, handle was CA$2.2 billion and operator revenue was CA$167 million. Handle and revenue were both down against the first quarter.
iGaming Ontario reported that the average spend per player across all categories was CA$308 and that there were 1.32 million active play accounts during the quarter. Also, casino gaming made up 86% of all betting and accounted for 75% of all revenue.
Peer-to-peer accounted for CA$417 million in bets and CA$18 million in gaming revenue.
Jill R. Dorson
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