Ontario’s top court says provincially regulated online gaming and sports betting sites could legally allow users to play with – and bet against – people in other countries.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario gave its opinion in a 4-1 split decision released today, more than a year after the Ontario government asked it to rule on the issue.
Currently, people using Ontario’s online gambling sites must be in the province, and they can’t take part in games or bets involving people outside its borders.
The model proposed by the government would let Ontario gamblers participate in peer-to-peer games, including poker and daily fantasy sports, with others outside Canada, according to the ruling.
International players would access the system through different sites and apps, and be subject to their jurisdiction’s laws and regulations.
However, people in other provinces and territories would still be prohibited from using Ontario’s online gambling system unless an agreement with those jurisdictions is put in place.
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The court says it reached its opinion on the assumption that there will be measures to bar people in the rest of Canada from accessing the Ontario sites.
The Appeal Court says many “practical details” about how the proposed model would work have yet to be determined, including who in the provincial government would choose which international operators or foreign regulators to reach out to, and who would negotiate the deals.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
