Ontarians may soon be able to sit at virtual poker tables and join daily fantasy sports contests with players around the world after a landmark Ontario Court of Appeal ruling opened the door to international peer-to-peer online gambling.
In a decision released Nov. 12, the court concluded that nothing in the Criminal Code prevents Ontario from allowing online gamblers to compete against players beyond Canada’s borders, as long as the games are still conducted and managed by the province. The ruling effectively overturns the restrictive framework imposed under Premier Doug Ford’s iGaming Ontario model, which confined players to provincially regulated platforms and barred them from joining global pools.
The ruling stems from a reference question the Ford government itself sent to the Court of Appeal last year after acknowledging uncertainty around whether Ontario’s tight restrictions on online gambling were necessary under federal law. The Criminal Code allows provinces to run lottery “schemes,” but prohibits anyone else from doing so without authorization — a provision Ontario used to justify limiting players to domestic platforms like on.PokerStars.ca.
Justice Michael H. Tulloch, writing for the panel, said the court sees no legal barrier to a model in which Ontarians use provincially regulated sites while international players use their own licensed portals, all participating in the same poker, sports fantasy or similar peer-to-peer games. Tulloch noted that Ontario could also permit interaction with players in other provinces and territories, so long as formal agreements are in place.
“It is clear the current iGaming model is lawful,” Tulloch wrote, adding that an expanded model would also be lawful provided oversight agreements are established with other Canadian jurisdictions. Whether Ontario will reach agreements with foreign regulators remains uncertain, he said.
Legal experts say that if the province proceeds, iGaming Ontario will need to partner with international operators and jurisdictions, ensuring compliance and integration with the province’s oversight framework. The ruling could also be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada — a possibility raised by several provinces opposed to Ontario’s plan.
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces formed the Canadian Lottery Coalition to challenge the proposal, arguing in court documents that expanding Ontario’s model could fuel illegal online gambling and undermine regulatory systems across the country. They are still reviewing the decision and have not announced whether they will appeal. Any challenge must be filed within 60 days.
Industry observers say the ruling could dramatically reshape Ontario’s online gaming landscape. Daily fantasy sports platforms such as PrizePicks and Underdog — shut out of Ontario since iGaming restrictions took effect — may be poised for a comeback. Poker players, long restricted to Ontario-only pools, could once again join global tables.
Reactions online were swift, with many calling the decision overdue. “Looking promising that we may get Daily Fantasy Sports back in Ontario in the near future,” one user posted on X, while another criticized the province for drafting legislation it later had to challenge in court.
Ontario’s online gambling market is already among the largest in North America, with iGaming Ontario reporting $82.7 billion in wagers and $3.2 billion in revenue last year. Allowing international player pools could significantly expand participation — though some industry experts warn it could also introduce risks tied to massive global betting pools.
As the province weighs how to implement the ruling, the future of online gaming in Ontario may soon look very different — and much more global — than it has since iGaming Ontario took over in 2021.