Since Ontario opened its iGaming market to private operators in 2022, the Canadian online gambling scene has grown significantly, with online poker leading the way. Our team of industry experts have analyzed the factors driving this surge in popularity.
What does this mean for the future of online gambling in Canada? Uncover our insights on why poker is shaping the Canadian iGaming landscape.
Why More Canadians Are Gaining Access to Professional Poker Games
The number one reason for this poker growth in Canada is the increased amount of access available to casual players. Before Parliament amended the Canadian Criminal Code in 2021 to pave the way for legal online gambling, there were few options for most players.
If you wanted to play at online poker sites in Canada, you would have to use offshore sites. Even then, a lot of those sites were not available in Canada. That changed in 2021 and later in April 2022, when Ontario opened its market.
The current state of the Canadian market
Since 2021, many legit offshore sites have made a big push into the Canadian market. In Ontario, there are now over 80 different online casinos with iGaming Ontario licenses. Almost all of these sites offer video and live poker. Since there are so many options, the barrier for entry is almost nonexistent. The numbers bear this out.
According to iGaming Ontario, peer-to-peer poker revenue has increased every year since the market opened in 2022. The most recent report for the 2024-25 fiscal year showed Ontario bettors wagered $1.7 billion on peer-to-peer poker, generating $66 million in revenue.
Why Online Gaming Growth Has Reached Remarkable New Heights
While poker is somewhat distinct as far as online gaming goes, its growth is a part of a wider trend that we have seen all around the globe since the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since everyone was locked indoors, many forms of online gaming, especially peer-to-peer games like poker, saw surges in popularity.
Chess, for example, skyrocketed in popularity during this period. According to Chess.com data, 102 million new users started playing chess online between January 2020 and February 2023.
Gaming in general also saw a big increase. A National Institutes of Health study from the USA found that 74.6% of gamers reported increased gaming during lockdown periods, which many say has led to continued interest in gaming post-pandemic.
Tournaments and live streaming
One of the biggest reasons games like chess exploded in popularity during the pandemic was because of people live streaming it and online tournaments. This is true for poker too.
Online poker used to be a niche game played among diehards when they couldn’t make time to gamble in-person. Now, some of the most popular online influencers regularly stream themselves playing poker.
Whether it’s world-famous stars like Drake, Adin Ross, or XQC —who occasionally play poker on streams— or dedicated poker streamers like Lex Veldhuis and Spraggy, these personalities have played a huge part in online poker growth in Canada.
The world of streaming goes hand-in-hand with online poker tournaments. Streaming has made these tournaments accessible to the public. When you add in well known personalities, they become marquee events that inspire viewers to play poker for themselves.
Economic impact
Now that we understand some of the reasons why poker has become so popular, it’s important to ask how poker affects the economy. The answer is a complicated one and honestly depends on where you live.
In Ontario, the answer is a simple one. According to iGaming Ontario, 85% of online gamblers use regulated online casino sites. Therefore, the economic impact of online gambling is relatively straightforward. As the Canadian poker industry grows, the province can collect more tax revenue to spend on important government projects.
Outside of Ontario, most poker players use offshore sites. These sites do not contribute anything to local governments, so the growth of online poker doesn’t really do much for the economy. However, there’s bound to be a tipping point. As the market continues to grow, lawmakers will have to address it and regulate their markets like Ontario does. Alberta is already considering doing this.
