Overview
- The court answered Ontario’s reference question with a yes, finding that regulated online gaming and sports betting remain lawful if Ontarians play with people outside Canada.
- Chief Justice Michael Tulloch authored the majority in a 4–1 split decision, with one judge dissenting.
- Operational changes are on hold during the appeal window, and a spokesperson for the attorney general declined comment as a Supreme Court appeal remains possible.
- The plan is aimed at enlarging player pools for peer‑to‑peer products such as online poker and daily fantasy sports; Ontario forecasts $253 million in iGaming revenue for 2025–26.
- Lottery and gaming agencies from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces opposed the model, and the court assumed safeguards to block players in the rest of Canada even as international access would run through separate, locally regulated sites and apps.