It’s been 18 months since Ontario launched a competitive iGaming market – the first of its kind in Canada. Regulation was no easy task. It took nearly a decade to get from the legislative drawing board to a digital reality. Looking back on that fateful launch in April 2022, it’s plain to see that what some saw as an inevitable success, has surpassed the expectations of even the most optimistic proponents.
The goal was simple – give the people of Ontario a safe, locally licensed, and regulated means of gambling over the internet. The activity itself has been around since the dawn of dial-up, but regulation was non-existent back then. The first provincially regulated site came to Ontario in 2015, but the response was nothing like what we’ve witnessed in this new competitive market.
Why is this new iGaming vertical so much more successful than the previous model? That’s exactly what we aiming to find out.
Today we have the privilege of speaking with Trevor Hallsey, a technical guru and somewhat of a self-taught expert in the field. Trevor runs a bevy of iGaming websites that he built through years of experimentation with online gambling.
Welcome Trevor. We’re very excited to pick your brain on this topic. Before we dive in, tell me, what drew you to online gambling, and how did you turn that interest into a career?
Thank you, I’m very excited for the opportunity to share some of the knowledge I’ve picked up along the way. I guess I became interested in casinos and gambling when I was a kid. My parents took trips to all the big gambling destinations, like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. My siblings and I weren’t old enough to join, but we loved hearing about all their adventures. We would gather around the kitchen table with piles of toothpicks and play blackjack – my father’s implacable mistress!
As for turning that childhood pastime into a career, it just kind of all came together. I was fascinated with the internet when it came along, and casinos were among the very first industries to thrive in a digital environment. Most people don’t realize iGaming has been around since the mid-1990s. But it’s so much safer now than it was back then. It was my search for secure gambling websites, and safe ways to deposit and withdraw money, that led me to journal my findings. Before I knew it, I wasn’t just journaling anymore, but building entire websites on the subject—and making pretty good money doing it.
So for you, it’s all about safety and security in gambling over the internet? How do you know if a casino website or a funding method is really safe?
High regulatory standards are the key. You have to know that a website is following the letter of the law, and which jurisdiction is writing those laws. Years ago, almost every gambling site was licensed in Costa Rica, but that jurisdiction had no regulations in place to protect players. It sounded nice, saying a website was licensed and regulated somewhere, but it meant nothing in terms of player safety. So right off the bat, my goal was to teach Canadians which jurisdictions you could and couldn’t trust.
That trust trickles down to payment processors, too. Jurisdictions with strict iGaming regulations don’t just apply them to iGaming operators, but all relative vendors and suppliers, including software manufacturers that must produce fair games, and payment processors that must protect player funds and sensitive banking information. So when proper regulatory oversight is there, you know you’re going to get a safe, secure experience.
Okay, let’s shift gears a bit. With all of your background knowledge on the subject, how do you feel about Ontario’s iGaming market?
I’m a native Ontario boy myself, so I’m glad to say, I couldn’t be happier with the current situation in Ontario. It’s taken years to get where we are now. Regulators opened a provincial website in 2015, but it didn’t give us nearly enough options. The software, the game variety, the incentives—it was all very generic. Offshore websites had so much more to offer. So when Ontario opened its competitive market, welcoming companies from all over the globe to apply for a license, I was thrilled.
It was like they lassoed the wide world of iGaming, wrapped it up in a neat package with a nice little bow, and dropped it on our doorsteps.
For the first time, we were given the privilege of choice, and the peace of mind that comes with local regulation. I know just how bad it can get out there. The dangers are real, especially if you don’t know how to recognize the pitfalls. Ontario’s market really is a Godsend for every iGamer, regardless of experience level. Honestly, I doubt half the people who use have any clue how lucky they are to have it.
Where do you see this market in another 18 months, or even 5 years from now?
That’s a great question. I’m very optimistic about where the market will go in the coming years. I expect to see continued growth, albeit at a much slower pace than what we’ve seen so far. To go from a little more than a dozen operators on opening day, to more than 75 in its first year? That’s truly an amazing feat.
The goal now should be to maintain those numbers, keep every associated business in compliance with the law, and slowly build outward and upward. If they can do that, you can expect years of continued success.
Thank you, Trevor, it’s been a pleasure talking with you. One last question before we wrap up. Do you think the market would thrive so well without online sports betting?
You know, legalizing single-event sports betting was a game-changer for all of Canada. I think it was the primary motivator for provincial leaders to push for a competitive market in the first place. They saw a vast new revenue stream and a way to capitalize on it through modern technology, through the mobile revolution. At the same time, mobile casino gambling is holding its own.
In the last quarter reports, we saw digital casinos outpacing sportsbooks by rather significant margins. Ontario’s mobile casinos are drawing an average of six times more in wagers, and more than triple the revenue compared to sports betting. To answer your question, though, I do think sports betting is a major contributor to this thriving market. Casino games are the big money movers, certainly, but I believe sportsbooks are a major draw for bringing more players into the digital arena.
For more information on Canadian iGaming and to explore additional articles by Trevor, visit eCheckCasinos.
