Checking an Online Casino Site in Ontario
Before playing on any online casino site in Ontario, there is a simple test to run. Look it up in iGaming Ontario's directory of registered operators and their gaming sites. This page walks through that check in three steps, points out what to notice along the way, and explains what comes after.
01
The directory, and what it covers
iGaming Ontario, or iGO, conducts and manages internet gaming offered through private operators in the province. It holds the operating agreements with them. Its directory lists those registered operators and their gaming sites, and the AGCO links to the same list. That makes it the place to check.
First, is the operator in the directory? Second, is the exact gaming site name listed under it? Third, does the web address in your browser match that listed site? OLG.ca will not appear there at all. OLG runs it separately from the iGaming Ontario market, and it launched province-wide under the name PlayOLG.
Three questions · about a minute
Is this online casino site registered in Ontario?
Three questions come first, and the answer is guidance, not a verdict. iGaming Ontario's directory of registered operators is the place that decides, so keep it open in another tab.
iGaming Ontario: the regulated market ↗ · AGCO: registered operators ↗
Is the site OLG.ca, OLG's own online casino?
Is the site's name listed in iGaming Ontario's directory of registered operators and their gaming sites?
Does the web address in your browser match the gaming site in that listing exactly?
This is OLG's own online casino, run separately from the iGaming Ontario market. Play is 19+, and My PlayBreak self-exclusion sits under its own tab in your account.
A site missing from the directory is not part of Ontario's regulated market. A site no longer listed has most likely stopped operating in Ontario. The guide's advice is plain: do not deposit there.
Treat it as a different site, even if the name and colours look the same. Open the gaming site from the link in the listing, not from a search result or a message.
The site appears in iGaming Ontario's directory, which means it is part of the regulated market. Set your limits first, before any deposit. BetGuard self-exclusion covers every regulated online site at once.
02
What to notice while you check
- The gaming site name: match it letter for letter against the listing, not just the operator's name.
- The web address: confirm that the address in your browser belongs to the listed site, character by character.
- Gaps in the list: a site no longer listed has most likely stopped operating in Ontario.
- Where inducement ads appear: AGCO standards allow ads for inducements and credits only on the operator's own site, or in messages you agreed to receive. That rule has applied since the market opened on April 4, 2022.
- The age rule: online casino gaming in Ontario is for people 19 and over, the same as casino floors.
03
After the check: limits and BetGuard
If you decide to play, set your limits before the first session, not during it. Time and money both count.
BetGuard offers a firmer line. Launched on May 14, 2026, it is Ontario's centralized self-exclusion from all regulated online gaming sites. People 19 and over can choose terms from 6 months to 5 years through BetGuard.ca.
Asked under the same sky
Questions
What if the site name is close but not exactly the same?
Treat it as a different site. The directory lists registered gaming sites by name, so a near match is not a match. If the exact name and web address are not there, the site has not passed this check.
Does this guide check online casino sites on a reader's behalf?
No. The guide does not verify or vouch for any online site. It shows how to run the check yourself in iGaming Ontario's directory, which remains the place to look.