Overview
- Ontario’s Court of Appeal issued a 4–1 opinion saying provincially regulated sites could lawfully let Ontarians play with people outside Canada.
- The majority, written by Chief Justice Michael Tulloch, rests on a statutory interpretation that Ontario’s online gaming and sports betting would remain lawful under the Criminal Code.
- The case arose from a reference question by Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet seeking clarity on cross‑border participation in the province’s iGaming system.
- Lottery and gaming agencies from seven provinces opposed the plan, while Alberta and Quebec did not, and an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada remains possible.
- The court assumed Ontario will block access by residents of other Canadian jurisdictions, with practical details still undecided, and noted international users would join via separate sites as Ontario eyes growth in peer‑to‑peer products and a forecast $253 million in 2025–26 iGaming revenue.