June 3, 2025

One becomes Two: The iGO and AGCO are officially separate entities

If you’ve been following the rollout of iGaming in Ontario over the past few years, you know the industry’s had a bit of a balancing act going on. And now, the province has drawn a much cleaner line between who writes the rules and who runs the business in Ontario Casinos.

Let’s start from the top. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the main regulator for the province’s gaming sector. Always has been. It doesn’t just cover casinos either. It also handles alcohol, horse racing, and cannabis retail. Think of AGCO as the watchdog.

On the other side, there’s iGaming Ontario (iGO), the agency responsible for bringing private online gambling operators into a regulated space. iGO was born in July 2021, just ahead of the April 4, 2022 launch of Ontario’s regulated iGaming market. Its job is to run the commercial side of things. That includes managing contracts with online casinos, overseeing revenues, and making sure the digital gaming ecosystem follows Ontario iGaming law.

Until now, iGO was technically part of AGCO as a subsidiary operating under the same roof, but with a different function. It was never a perfect setup. A regulator and operator bundled into one structure? That sort of thing raises eyebrows, especially when billions are involved.

The Major Announcement

As of May 12, 2025, the two are officially and legally separate. The iGaming Ontario Act, part of last year’s Building Ontario for You Act, 2024, kicked in and split the agencies. iGO is no longer a branch of AGCO. It now operates as its own public agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.

It’s a significant moment, even if it didn’t come with fireworks. Now, instead of reporting to AGCO (which itself used to report to the Ministry of the Attorney General), iGO has a direct line to its new parent ministry. This means clearer accountability, less overlap, and hopefully, a more efficient regulatory environment for everyone involved.

Why the Separation?

The decision to initiate the AGCO and iGO separation was about cleaning up the governance structure. AGCO is supposed to regulate, not manage a revenue-generating business. When one agency is both judge and participant, things can get murky… fast.

That’s exactly what Ontario’s Auditor General pointed out. Having iGO operate under AGCO’s umbrella was always a bit of a legal and operational tightrope walk.

iGO manages over 50 registered operators and oversees more than 80 iGaming platforms. These aren’t backyard startups either. We’re talking about major global players who run complex operations including online slots, poker rooms, sports betting, live dealers, and more. And when there’s real money moving through these systems (a lot of it), the public needs to know there’s a firewall between the regulator and the commercial machinery.

By setting iGO free, the province is now closer to a structure that aligns with international best practices, especially those in jurisdictions like the UK, where the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) regulates, but does not operate.

What This Means Going Forward

So, how does this shake out on the ground? Let’s start with the AGCO. Nothing changes in its day-to-day regulatory function. It still registers operators, handles compliance issues, sets and enforces standards, and deals with enforcement. Whether it’s game fairness, responsible gambling obligations, or preventing money laundering, AGCO is still on watch.

iGO, on the other hand, now operates independently, and that has real-world implications. This body manages the Operating Agreements with all Ontario online casinos. That includes everything from onboarding and integration into the market, to revenue reporting and oversight. It also implements responsible gambling frameworks, administers its own anti–money laundering program, and even handles dispute resolution if players run into problems.

And all of this now happens under the umbrella of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, a shift that aligns both iGO and OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) under the same ministry. That centralization was deliberate. If the province is going to manage gambling-related revenues properly, it makes sense to have both iGO and OLG in the same room.

Another change that’s easy to miss but important: leadership. Longtime iGO executive director Martha Otton postponed her retirement to give the agency time to find the right person to step into a new double-title role: President and CEO. Once filled, that role will consolidate leadership and bring stronger executive oversight to iGO’s operations.

Industry Reaction

So far, the public response has been measured; maybe even cautious. But behind the scenes, there’s been a collective exhale from many in the industry.

This is because clarity is always welcome. Before this shift, operators often found themselves working with AGCO for licensing, iGO for business operations, and occasionally bumping into grey areas where responsibilities blurred. Now, with distinct roles, those blurred lines are finally starting to fade.

While big-name operators like FanDuel and BetMGM haven’t made public statements yet, insiders suggest they view the change positively. Simplified lines of communication usually mean fewer headaches, less duplication of work, and quicker resolutions to technical or regulatory hiccups.

Some operators are even speculating that this move could help Ontario attract new international players who were previously hesitant to enter a market where the regulator and market operator were joined at the hip. Now, that’s no longer the case.

Implications for Players

If you’re a casual player, you probably won’t notice anything different—at least not immediately. The registration process across low deposit casinos in Canada for example, still follows the same steps: ID verification, age confirmation, acceptance of responsible gambling terms, and AML policies. Those haven’t changed.

MAG (Ministry of the Attorney General) confirmed that ‘there would be no impact’ on operators or players. All current Operating Agreements remain intact. Relationships between operators and the two agencies are still there, just cleaner.

Long-term, the change could mean more agile decision-making. If iGO needs to adjust to a new tech trend, tighten rules on advertising, or react to player concerns, it can do so more efficiently without needing AGCO’s involvement.

There’s also hope that consumer protections will get stronger. With iGO focused solely on commercial operation, its ability to track operator performance and market trends might lead to quicker interventions. We’re talking of more audits, stronger dispute handling, or more proactive work on responsible gambling.

Comparison to Other Jurisdictions

When Ontario launched its iGaming market in 2022, it already stood out in Canada. No other province had found a way to open its market to private operators while staying compliant with federal gambling laws which require provinces to ‘conduct and manage’ gaming directly.

The workaround was to create a public agency (iGO) that manages the contracts, while allowing private platforms to operate under strict oversight. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. And now, with the AGCO/iGO separation, it works even better.

That’s why Alberta has already taken a page from Ontario’s playbook. Their iGaming Alberta Act is an early attempt to replicate a similar model, with more provinces expected to follow suit. After all, everyone’s trying to claw back revenue from offshore gambling sites, and Ontario’s structure—while not flawless—offers a practical path forward.

By aligning more closely with the UK model, Ontario has placed itself in a stronger position internationally. It can now say, with a straight face, that its gambling market has clear separation between rule-makers and revenue-earners. That matters especially in an industry where trust and transparency are currency.