Best Online Poker Sites in Ontario
An independent guide to legal, regulated online poker sites in Ontario, comparing player traffic, tournament series, online poker apps, and more, across all regulated operators.
Last Updated: April 26, 2024
- Our #1 rated online poker room in Ontario
- Home to ONCOOP.
- State-of-the-art software.
- Great daily MTT schedule.
- Play for WSOP bracelets online.
- Quality tournament schedule.
- Best software & mobile app.
- One of the leaders in North America.
- Great range of cash game stakes.
- Quality MTT series with big guarantees.
- Fully licensed in Ontario.
- Quality fresh software.
- Good action around the clock.
- Modern poker platform.
- Good range of cash game stakes.
- Nice MTT schedule.
Ontario has legal, regulated online poker. With five online poker sites to choose from, Ontario offers the most diverse online poker market in North America. Players have access to the biggest cash games and tournaments on the continent.
The biggest names in the industry have set up shop in Ontario, including PokerStars, GGPoker (through a partnership with WSOP), 888poker and BetMGM. Each offer round-the-clock cash games and big tournaments. All operators have top-class desktop software and mobile apps.
In this Guide to Online Poker in Ontario, we will give you all the information you need to know about the market’s current state. We also help you pick an Ontario online poker site, with expert reviews, in-depth poker app analysis, and answer all your questions about the market.
Is Online Poker Legal in Ontario?
Yes online poker has been safe, legal and regulated in Ontario since early 2022. Ontario is the first province in Canada to regulated online poker and allow a competitive, commercial market. This players means that players can choose to play on the world’s top online poker brands, including PokerStars, WSOP, GGPoker, BetMGM and 888poker.
| Online Poker in Ontario | |
|---|---|
| 📢 Status | Legal and Live! |
| 📅 First Poker Site in Ontario Launched | April 4, 2022 |
| 🔥 Top Ontario Poker Sites | PokerStars, GGPoker Ontario, BetMGM Poker, 888poker, PartyPoker |
| 🏆 Top Ontario Online Poker Tournaments | PokerStars’ Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP) & Spring Championship (ONSCOOP), BetMGM Poker Network’s Ontario Poker Championships, WSOP Online Circuit Series & WSOP Online Gold Bracelet Series on GGPoker.ca, 888poker’s Mystery Bounty Festival & XL Winter Series |
| ⚖️ Regulated By | Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) & iGaming Ontario (iGO) |
| 🔞 Legal Age to Gamble | 19+ |
The Best Ontario Online Poker Sites
Currently, players looking to play online poker in Ontario on fully licensed sites can do so on one of the six active operators in the regulated Ontario online poker market. Three of these — BetMGM, partypoker, and bwin — operate on the same network, so the offers are pretty much the same.
Ontario Online Poker Sites: at a Glance
| Operator | Highlights | Network Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars | Flagship Tournament Series | Independent |
| GGPoker/WSOP | Win WSOP bracelets and ring online | Independent |
| 888poker | Fun variants like SNAP and BLAST | Independent |
| BetMGM | Great MTT selection | BetMGM |
| – Partypoker | Good game selection | BetMGM |
| – Bwin Poker | Good game selection | BetMGM |
As far as safety and reliability go, you cannot go wrong picking any of the sites licensed by the iGaming Ontario. All of these operators adhere to the highest standards and uphold all the relevant laws and regulations.
However, from a player’s perspective, there are always certain considerations that may tip you more towards one site over the other. We are bringing you our top picks for Ontario poker sites based on some of the most important aspects that you may want to consider when choosing what platform to make your online home.
GGPoker Ontario – Biggest Weekly Guarantees
GGPoker Ontario is our top pick for tournament players thanks to their hefty weekly guarantees. The operator has the best weekly schedule of events, with hundreds of thousands in guarantees up for grabs every single weekend.
Sunday flagship tournaments like GGMasters and Ontario Million$ offer some of the best value in the province and the buy-ins are fairly affordable. Plus, there are many satellites running all week around that you can use to get your seat on the cheap.
In addition to regular MTTs, the operator runs frequent series with big guarantees, such as the microFestival and Bounty Hunters Series. But the real differential that sets GGPoker Ontario apart from the rest is the ability to host online WSOP bracelet-awarding events. With the arrival of WSOP and GGPoker Ontario, players in this Canadian province now have an opportunity to compete for the coveted poker trinkets from the comfort of their homes.
GGPoker Ontario offers:
- NLHE & PLO Cash Games (NL/PLO2 to NL/PLO2000)
- Tournaments (including ring and bracelet events)
- Spin & Gold Jackpot Sit & Go ($0.25 up to $50)
Download the GGPoker.ca app or all about what this global poker leader has to offer Ontarians in our detailed GGPoker Ontario Review »
| GGPoker Ontario: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Games on Offer | MTTs, Cash Games, AoF, Spin & Gold |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android |
| Main Highlight | Win online bracelets, powered by GGPoker software |
PokerStars Ontario: Best for Spin & Go Players
PokerStars Ontario is in our opinion, the best online poker site in Ontario, offering impressive daily and weekly tournament schedule along with its top-notch desktop and mobile app software.
PokerStars has great game variety — they offer a wide variety of tournament variants such as No-Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, 8-Game plus many more besides. It also offers online qualifiers to tournaments and throughout the year run flagship tournament series such as The Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP).
PokerStars Ontario features the following game types and formats:
- NLHE & PLO Cash Games (NL/PLO2 to NL/PLO10,000)
- 6+ Hold’em cash tables ($0.02 to $5 big blind/ante)
- Sit & Go
- Tempest
- Tournaments
- Spin & Go Jackpot Sit & Go ($0.25 up to $100)
Download the PokerStars Ontario app or head to our complete PokerStars Ontario Review to learn everything about our number one poker site pick »
| PokerStars Ontario: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Games on Offer | MTTs, Cash Games, Spin & Go |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android |
| Main Highlight | Best desktop platform & mobile apps |
BetMGM Poker Ontario: Good Pick for Less Experienced Players
BetMGM Poker Ontario, powered by partypoker software, is also live with a full suite of popular game types. Ontario players who played on partypoker’s global client will see a familiar interface at BetMGM Poker Ontario.
There are actually three separate sites on the site name — BetMGM, partypoker and bwin. They share the same player pool and tournament schedule, and offer a very similar experience, so the choice between them is pretty close. Of the three, we recommend BetMGM because it’s a huge, trusted brand in North America.
BetMGM came out of the gates with an impressive-looking schedule of tournaments in Ontario. It promises the Daily C-Note every night a $109 buy-in tournament starting at 7:05 pm local time. There is a High Roller tournament every Tuesday and Thursday, beginning simultaneously with a $530 buy-in.
Its Super Sunday tournament schedule looks solid, with 12 tournaments kicking off at five past the hour, from 3:05 pm to 8:05 pm, including PKOs, a $55 Sunday Masters, and a $530 High Roller. However, at the time of writing, none of BetMGM’s MTTs have run. It could be that it’s waiting for partypoker to join the party and pool players before kicking things off.
Ontario players on the BetMGM Poker Ontario Network have access to:
- Cash Games
- Fast Forward
- Freerolls
- Sit & Go’s
- Spins
- Tournaments
Download the BetMGM Poker Ontario app, and jump into the action or learn more about this room in our BetMGM Poker Ontario Review »
| BetMGM Poker Ontario: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Games on Offer | MTTs, Cash Games, SPINs |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android |
| Main Highlight | Good value MTT schedule |
- One of the biggest names in online poker
- Wide scope of cash game stakes
- Quality MTT schedule year around
PartyPoker Ontario: Good All Rounder
Partypoker Ontario is a part of the network that includes BetMGM Poker ON and bwin poker ON, but it is a standalone operator with its own games and promotions.
The room uses the tried and tested partypoker software and features a great tournament schedule. Being a part of this network, partypoker ON is able to offer some big series with significant guarantees, which gives players a lot of reasons to join.
You will find the following games and formats available on the site:
- NLHE & PLO Cash Games (NL/PLO5 to NL/PLO5000)
- Tournaments
- Sit & Go
- Fast Forward (NL10 to NL200)
- Spins – Jackpot Sit & Go ($1 up to $50)
Download the partypoker Ontario app and get into some tournament action or check out our partypoker Ontario Review to learn more about this interesting member of the BetMGM Ontario Poker Network »
| Partypoker Ontario: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Games on Offer | MTTs, Cash Games, Sit & Go |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android |
| Main Highlight | Trusted industry name |
888poker Ontario: Good For Fans of 888 Brand
888poker Ontario will be familiar to people moving over from the 888poker global client. 888 kicked things off in full 888 style, running daily MTTs with ambitious guarantees from day one, which led to a lot of players enjoying a lot of value thanks to huge overlays.
888 also boasts of being the only operator with a local Ontarian as a brand ambassador. Ontario-based streamer Adam “iamEklo” Tocholke was one of the founding members of the 888poker StreamTeam. He had already been streaming live from the newly launched 888 Ontario poker room on his Twitch channel.
The poker formats available at 888poker Ontario are:
- BLAST
- SNAP
- Cash Games
- Freerolls
- Tournaments
Download the 888poker app or head to our comprehensive 888poker Ontario Review to learn about all the features 888 has to offer »
| 888poker Ontario: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Games on Offer | MTTs, Cash Games, BLAST, SNAP |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android |
| Main Highlight | Great range of cash game stakes |
Comparison of Active Online Poker Rooms in Ontario
| Feature | BetMGM/partypoker | 888poker | PokerStars | GGPoker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | NL10 to NL2500 | NL2 to NL5000 PLO2 to PLO500 | NL2 to NL10,000 PLO5 to PLO10,000 | NL2 to NL2000 PLO2 to PLO2000 |
| Fast-Fold | NL 10 to NL 200 | NL2 to NL25 PLO2 and PLO10 | NL5 to NL200 PLO5 to PLO200 | N/A |
| SNG | $1 to $100 Hypers, 6-max and Heads-Up | None | $0.50 to $200 Hypers, 6-max, KO, and HU | N/A |
| Lottery SNGs | $1, $5, $10 (no Ultra) | 10c, $1, $5, $10, $20 | $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $100 | $0.25, $1, $5, $20, $50 |
| MTTs | Minimal MTT schedule deployed | Full guaranteed MTT schedule | Quality MTT Schedule | Bracelet & ring events |
Potential Future Online Poker Sites in Ontario
Other operators have hinted at going live in Ontario. Here’s two to look out for.
bet365 Ontario
While bet365 has both of the required licenses and was one of the first operators out of the gate, deploying its casino and sportsbook operations when the market went live, the operator did not launch a poker client in its first offerings.
Run It Once Poker Ontario
While Run It Once Poker is the latest addition to the regulated US market, there is a possibility that the room will launch in the only regulated Canadian market, too.
The company behind RIO Poker is Rush Street Interactive, which operates BetRivers Casino and Sportsbook. BetRivers was one of the first operators to enter the regulated Ontario market, so launching an online poker product would nicely round up their offering.
At this point in time, it is not possible to say if this is the direction RSI and Phil Galfond will take, but the company has left room for the possibility of Run It Once Poker Ontario at some point down the line.
- Excellent tournament schedule
- The best variety of game types
- #1 Rated online poker room in Ontario by pokerfuse.com
Shared Liquidity in Ontario
The elephant in the province of Ontario’s private regulation scheme is shared liquidity. As a result of provincial regulation of gambling in Canada, only the Ontario local government can regulate gambling for Ontarians.
The Ring-Fenced Ontario Poker Market
As a result of such regulation, the Ontario internet gaming regime was deployed as a geofenced jurisdiction, where operators are expected to restrict their users to people physically located within Ontario’s borders. While some licensed operators still deal poker to Ontarians through their global player pools, that is a time-limited accommodation for operators actively working on a discrete Ontario-only version.
As geofenced markets in North America go, Ontario is very attractive. With almost 15 million people, Ontario is the largest single regulated jurisdiction in North America, capping the previous king-of-the-hill Pennsylvania with about 13 million residents.
That means, even without shared liquidity, Ontario is still an attractive market in the context of North American regulated jurisdictions. However, online poker is particularly sensitive to the player pool’s size, compared to casino gaming or sports betting activities, so online poker operators in Ontario will almost certainly be looking to expand that pool through inter-jurisdictional compacts if regulations allow.
- Exciting tournament action
- Quality software & mobile apps
- Online WSOP bracelet events
The Chances of Shared Liquidity in Canada
For the time being, shared liquidity in Canada is not part of the plan. However, it is not outside the realm of possibility. A couple of similar pacts have already been formed in North America, with the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) — an interstate online poker compact that allows operators to combine player pools across state lines between its member states. The recent addition of Ontario’s neighbor Michigan to the MSIGA makes a stronger case for other jurisdictions to also look towards shared liquidity.
Additionally, Canada has its shared player pool between British Columbia, Manitoba, and Québec, creating a market of around 14.7 million people — slightly smaller than Ontario on its own. Ontario regulators have considered “inter-jurisdictional compacts”, but it seems unlikely it would join the existing Canadian compact as there are fundamental differences between the markets.
State-owned Canada Poker Operators
| Province | Population | Site | Online Poker? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 14.6 million | OLG | No |
| British Columbia | 5.1 million | PlayNow.com | Yes |
| Manitoba | 1.4 million | PlayNow.com | Yes |
| Loto Québec | 8.5 million | LotoQuebec.com | Yes |
The existing BC/MB/QC Canadian online poker compact serves players via government-controlled gaming monopolies in the three provinces, and none of them have any penetration by private entities. In Ontario, the existence of private companies in the market means it would not be an easy fit into a compact with no private competition.
It is important to note that, unlike in the United States, international poker sites continue to cater to the Canadian market outside of Ontario. The current legal environment is such that it allows for offshore poker rooms to accept players from Canada without breaking any laws.
While the situation in the country has often been described as a “grey market,” it seems likely that Canadians outside of Ontario will continue to enjoy the benefits of international platforms, where they can play not just with other compatriots, but also players from all over the world.
This could change when and if other provinces decide to follow in Ontario footsteps, passing their own regulations for commercial operators, requiring them to obtain local licenses.
- Trusted brand now fully licensed in Ontario, Canada
- Modern & versatile desktop platform
- Top quality mobile apps
Ontario Online Poker FAQ
Is online poker legal in Ontario?
Yes, online poker is legal and regulated in Ontario. The regulated online gambling market went live in April 2022, and players in the province have had legal options for playing real money poker online ever since. However, it is only legal to play on the sites that are licensed and regulated by the iGO.
Do I have to be physically present in Ontario to play online poker?
Yes, Ontario requires all players to be physically present within its borders* to access Ontario-licensed sites. You will need to allow geolocation tracking on your device before accessing an Ontario poker site so that the operator can make sure you are in compliance with this request.
What is the best online poker room in Ontario?
Top Online Poker Rooms in Ontario:
Does Ontario share player pools with other provinces?
No. Currently, Ontario operates as a segregated market, fully ring-fenced from the rest of Canada, so Ontario online poker players can only play against other Ontario online poker players.
Are Ontario online poker sites safe?
Yes. All legally-operating poker rooms in Ontario are safe to play at. These operators are licensed and regulated by the iGO and are subject to strict rules and regulations to ensure the integrity and fairness of the games. They also use advanced security measures to protect player information and funds, including the use of encryption technology and secure servers.
Are there any Ontario poker mobile apps?
Yes. The PokerStars Ontario app and the GGPoker Ontario app are two of the finest gaming platforms in the world. BetMGM Poker, 888, and partypoker also provide top-notch apps with sleek designs, good functionality, and plenty of games to choose from.
Can I win WSOP bracelets by playing online poker in Ontario?
Yes! GGPoker Ontario, in partnership with the WSOP, hosted its first online bracelet event in October 2022, giving players in the province their first shot at winning some of that coveted gold bling from the comfort of their own homes.
Are Ontario online poker games rigged?
No, Ontario has strict regulations in place to ensure that all online poker games are fair and honest for players. The iGO oversees the licensing and regulation of all online poker sites operating in the state. They conduct regular audits and inspections of the software and systems used by these sites to ensure that they are operating fairly and that all games are random and unbiased. Additionally, advanced technology and encryption methods are used to secure players’ data and funds, ensuring that the players are protected.