iGaming Ontario launches BetGuard self-exclusion tool
BetGuard has officially started in Ontario, a centralised self-exclusion programme by iGaming Ontario. Designed to help online players manage their gaming activity more responsibly, it partnered with government authorities, responsible gaming experts, and licenced operators, signalling a step towards strengthening player protection across the province’s regulated market.
Joseph Hillier, iGaming Ontario President and CEO, said in a statement that: “BetGuard is built on one simple principle: if you need to step away from the entire regulated igaming market, you can. Player choice is essential to the sustainability of our market — and that includes the choice to opt out.”
Some of the key features include account restrictions. It blocks access to existing accounts and prevents the creation of new ones. In addition, there is marketing opt-out. It bans promotional communications from regulated operators. Moreover, registrants can have flexible exclusion periods. Options range from six months, one year, to five years, or even a custom duration.
“As online gaming continues to grow in popularity, the launch of BetGuard is an important step forward in helping people play safely and responsibly across more than 75 regulated sites. Strong regulation, paired with tools like BetGuard, ensures Ontario’s igaming sector continues to put player health and safety first, said Stan Cho, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming.
BetGuard’s API integrations ensure that all 48 licenced operators in the province can instantly enforce self-exclusion requests across 82 regulated gaming sites.
Industry response
According to Sara McCarthy, CEO of Responsible Gambling Council, this is a welcome initiative: “Centralised self-exclusion is one of the most effective tools we have in gambling harm prevention. BetGuard’s launch reflects the kind of cross-sector collaboration that makes regulated markets work for players and communities.”
BetGuard’s economic impact in Ontario is twofold: it strengthens player protection while sustaining market growth. For one, Ontario’s regulated iGaming market surpassed CAD4 billion in 2024. By March 2026, iGaming Ontario reported wagers of CAD9.6 billion ($1.65 billion), a 20.6 per cent rise month-over-month.
Additionally, gross gaming revenue reached $387 million, up 30.7 per cent, with iCasino gaining $318.5 million, a 31.8 per cent increase, as reported by media outlets.
Social and public health impact
Self-exclusion programmes in gambling began in the 1990s as venue-level bans, evolving into national and online systems. Ontario’s BetGuard stands out globally as a province-wide “master switch” for self-exclusion.
In many other jurisdictions, players must register separately with each operator. Comparable systems exist, like the UK’s GamStop. But Ontario’s approach is more streamlined and integrated. This lowers addiction risks, potentially reducing healthcare and social service costs, according to media reports.
Strong safeguards encourage players to stay with Ontario’s regulated market, diverting activity away from offshore sites. Ontario’s BetGuard is modelled after Australia’s BetStop and comparable to the UK’s GamStop and Sweden’s Spelpaus, but stands out for its province-wide API integration and direct links to health services such as ConnexOntario and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), according to several media outlets.
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