Best Online Poker Sites in Ontario

Ontario has legal, regulated online poker. With six top class 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.

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.

Which is the Best Online Poker Site in Ontario?

PokerStars is a top choice for players looking for the best cash games and tournaments in the province. However, WSOP in conjunction with GGPoker is also a great option. BetMGM and 888poker are also available in the province.

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.

The WSOP have partnered with GGPoker to offer bracelet and ring events in market. Then you have PokerStars one of the most iconic brands in the world offering top notch tournaments and daily cash games.

For any player, it is very important to examine and understand these specifics to be able to select the right site for them. Depending on your personal preferences and expectations, one room can be a much better option than the other, even if both options are quality picks.

While it is impossible to know everyone’s particular situation, we tried to come up with our list of top picks based on some of the most important aspects that online poker players tend to pay attention to.

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.

PokerStars Ontario: Our Top Pick for Online Poker 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).

GGPoker Ontario: Best for Tournament Players

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.

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.

PartyPoker Ontario: Shared Network With BetMGM

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.

888poker Ontario: Good if Tried Other Brands

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.

How to Play Online Poker in Ontario

Signing up with licensed and regulated poker sites in Ontario couldn’t be easier. To get started and start playing online poker, follow these simple steps:

• Visit the website of the poker operator you want to play on — PokerStars, BetMGM Poker, GGPoker, and 888poker
• Find the “Join” or “Sign Up” button on the page then click on it
• Fill in the required information (name, surname, address)
• You will probably need to verify your email and/or phone number using the link in the message sent to you
• Then log in using your newly created username and password
• Alternatively, download the mobile app if you plan to play more on the move
• When using the mobile app, you will be able to log in with the same information (no need to create a new account)

How to Download Online Poker Site Apps & Software

It is super straightforward for Ontario residents to download and install poker software and mobile apps on their devices. The process is identical to downloading any other software on the internet.

Just remember to be physically within Ontario when downloading the software, as you cannot register to the online poker sites unless you are in the province.

Simply visit the site you want to play on and find the download link. If you are playing from your computer, you will download the installation file and then run it locally. Once installed, you can use the software to open an account if you already have one.

Mobile users will need to download the appropriate app. If the site offers Android and iOS apps, select the one that fits your device.

Online Poker Tournament Series

There are flagship tournament series that run in Ontario from all the major operators. Depending on the type of player you are and what you are looking for, you might prefer one poker room over the other, but you are almost certain to find a good fit at one of them.

Online Tournament Series at PokerStars Ontario

Typically running in the fall months, ONCOOP is the PokerStars Ontario’s version of the popular WCOOP festival, which runs on the international PokerStars platform.

ONCOOP is one of the biggest and most attractive tournament festivals in the province, with buyins typically ranging between $50 and $1,000, and a variety of poker games and tournament formats offered throughout. The 2023 ONCOOP Main Event featured a $175,000 guaranteed prize pool, with the entire series offering $2,000,000 in guarantees across dozens of events scattered over an 18 day period.

The spring months at PokerStars ON are marked by the Ontario Spring Championship of Online Poker (ONSCOOP), which features three buyin orbits and
offers players across all stakes a chance to compete. In 2024, ONSCOOP featured three Main Events with a combined prize pool of $395,000, while the entire festival gave away in excess of $2,300,000, making it a great success.

Players who compete in the PokerStars ONSCOOP can expect to take part in events with buyins as low as $5 and as high as $2,500, along with a number of extras such as satellites with added seats and a Player of the Series leaderboard awarding the most successful players.

Online Tournament Series at GGPoker/WSOP Ontario

WSOP Circuit is one of the most prestigious tournament series in the world, and players in Ontario can now compete for the coveted WSOPC rings online. Each leg of the WSOP Online Circuit Series that runs at WSOP ON offers players a chance to compete for a dozen or more golden WSOPC rings and play in a number of exciting side events along the way.

The WSOP Online Circuit Series at WSOP On gives players a chance to compete for rings with buyins as low as $50 and compete for prize pools in excess of $250,000, with a packed tournament schedule making these festivals the best time to play on the platform.

The only thing better than winning a WSOPC ring online is winning a real WSOP bracelet and WSOP ON has given players in Ontario a chance to do just that. Running once a year, WSOP Online gives all players a chance to compete for substantial prize pools and a piece of poker history. In 2023, eight unique WSOP bracelets were given away via the platform, with buyins for the bracelet events ranging from $100 to $1,500.

Along with being one of the best chances to win a WSOP bracelet, the WSOP Online events offer a great opportunity to compete with the best players in Canada while not having to travel to the casino or endure the long hours of live tournament play.

Online Tournament Series at BetMGM and PartyPoker ON

The BetMGM Poker Network, which includes BetMGM, PartyPoker, and BWIN, is another one that regularly hosts big tournament series for Ontario players each year. The Ontario Poker Championships is a series of a few dozen online events with somewhat smaller guaranteed prize pools than those offered at PokerStars ON or WSOP ON, but also with softer competition and smaller fields.

The network is looking to grow the Ontario Poker Championships and could soon be looking at a total prize pool in excess of $1,000,000, making it another interesting tournament series to look out for in the fall each year.

888poker Ontario

Mystery bounty tournaments have taken over the poker world and quickly become one of the most popular formats of competition, which caught the attention of the online poker operators in Ontario. 888poker ON in particular decided to take jump on the mystery bounty bandwagon and offer players a chance to compete in a Mystery Bounty Festival, which features only events with the novel format in play.

The 2024 Mystery Bounty Festival at 888poker ON featured dozens of mystery bounty tournaments with buyins between $1 and $162, including a Main Event with a massive $50,000 guarantee and a $5,000 top mystery bounty prize.

Looking to make sure poker players in the province have access to great tournament action all year long, 888poker ON offers a variety of seasonal tournament series dubbed XL Winter Series, XL Spring Series, and XL Autumn Series.

The seasonal series at 888poker typically offer a few dozen events with buyins ranging between $11 and $525 and a total guaranteed prize pool in excess of $300,000, a number likely to grow with each passing year. These frequent tournament series make 888poker ON one of the best poker sites for tournament grinders in Ontario, as they allow maximum action for players at any stake.

Online Poker Cash Game Traffic in Ontario

Similar to tournaments, players in Ontario can enjoy a wide variety of cash game options across four networks. Action is abundant, with stakes ranging from CAD $0.01/$0.02 to $50/$100.

No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha are available on all four networks, but each network also offers unique game options. For example, PokerStars Ontario is the only site offering 6+ Hold’em (Short Deck) in the region, while GGPoker Ontario exclusively features the 4-handed All-In or Fold poker variant.

GGPoker also spreads 5-Card PLO, and BetMGM Ontario provides heads-up cash game tables along with a fast-fold variant. 888Poker, in contrast, runs the traditional 9-handed cash game tables alongside 6-handed tables.

In terms of cash game action, GGPoker and PokerStars frequently compete for the top position, with GGPoker often leading the market. BetMGM comes in third, while 888poker ranks as the smallest, focusing primarily on tournament tables.

Ontario Traffic History

Banking Options for Players in Ontario

Online poker players in Ontario have access to a fair number of banking options. Most importantly, all these methods are completely safe and reliable, so you don’t have to worry about your personal information getting into the wrong hands or your money not reaching its intended destination.

As for the available options, this is one of those things that always change and develop, so if you do not see an option that works for you, this does not mean that it will not be added at some point in the future.

Popular Online Poker Payment Methods:

At a Glance: The Ontario Online Poker Market

Ontario online poker players arguably have more options than players in any US state. There are six active poker rooms across four networks in the province: 888poker, the BetMGM Network (comprising BetMGM, partypoker, & bwin), GGPoker Ontario (in partnership with WSOP), and PokerStars. Although there is no shared liquidity between Ontario and other Canadian provinces, the BetMGM Network shares a player pool with players with bwin and partypoker, its two sister brands.

GGPoker Ontario and PokerStars Ontario are the two biggest networks in the province in terms of concurrent cash game traffic.

Since GGPoker has a partnership with WSOP in Ontario, it is able to tap into the WSOP brand and runs online bracelet series and other events where players have a shot at getting into the annual World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas.

PokerStars is popular amongst players and often holds events with more than CAD $1 million guaranteed.

The BetMGM Network is behind GGPoker and PokerStars in terms of cash game traffic since launching in April 2022. BetMGM usually averages between 100 and 200 concurrent cash game players. 888poker has been in last for nearly all of the time it has operated in Ontario; the poker room usually has less than 40 active players at any given time.

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.

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

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.

Alberta Could Be Next

One province intent on following in Ontario’s footsteps is Alberta. The provincial government of Premier Danielle Smith ramped up efforts to set up regulated markets for online poker, casino, and sports betting in Wild Rose Country in July 2023.

Smith tapped Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, with leading the overhaul. Since then, Nally has been in talks with the province’s First Nations to discuss their participation in expanded igaming. He’s also attended (and participated in) igaming conferences, raising Alberta’s profile with the gaming industry.

The gaming industry has taken notice — and is already making plans. Executives with BetMGM, Evoke (formerly 888 Holdings), and Rush Street Interactive (RSI) have all mentioned the province in recent earnings calls as an exciting opportunity that’s on the horizon.

Provincial law requires lobbying firms to register with the government and to disclose the nature of their lobbying. The Alberta Lobbyist Registry shows that BetMGM and PokerStars are interested in the province, and so is Bally’s.

Alberta is currently served by the PlayAlberta, the province’s official igaming platform. While PlayAlberta offers online casino, sports betting, and lottery games, it does not have peer-to-peer poker

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.

BetRivers Poker Ontario

While BetRivers Poker is soon to become 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 BetRivers 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.

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 sites in Ontario?

There are five legal online poker sites that are all good options, but we think PokerStars or GGPoker are the best sites to play on 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.