Ontario's regulated online gaming market posted its strongest quarter since launch, with total wagers reaching C$22.4 billion between January and March, according to figures published on Tuesday by iGaming Ontario.

The result, a 14 percent increase on the same period last year, suggests the province has continued to migrate players from unregulated offshore sites despite a deliberate tightening of advertising rules by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Market share continues to shift

iGaming Ontario said 85 operator-brands were live at the end of the quarter, with no single brand holding more than a quarter of net gaming revenue. The regulator framed the result as evidence that its open-licensing model is producing a competitive market, in contrast to the single-operator approach used in several European jurisdictions.

Revenue from online casino games made up 60 percent of the total, online sports betting accounted for 35 percent, and peer-to-peer poker the remaining five percent.

A tighter advertising regime

The quarter was the first full reporting period under revised advertising standards that ban the use of athletes and celebrities in gaming advertising. Operators told the regulator the rules had required wholesale creative refreshes but had not materially affected acquisition costs.

"The evidence so far is that a more responsible marketing environment is compatible with a growing regulated market," Martha Otton, executive director of iGaming Ontario, said in a statement.

What's next

The agency confirmed it is consulting on a third tranche of player-protection rules, including mandatory deposit limits for new accounts and standardised loss-chasing interventions. A draft is expected in the second half of the year.