With the FIFA World Cup drawing closer, offshore brands still control most of Canada’s online gambling market. Blask said in its 2025 USA and Canada iGaming Landscape Report that Stake and Roobet are leading Canada’s offshore iGaming segment, while the country’s top five operators account for more than 60% of the competitive earning baseline.
Offshore share stays high across most provinces
The report places Canada’s 2025 online gambling activity at an estimated $9.5 billion. Even at that scale, regulated local systems have not displaced offshore operators in most provinces. Outside Ontario, the market remains led by unlicensed international brands, and the gap is wide in several regions.
Saskatchewan shows a 93% offshore market share, while Alberta and Manitoba are both at 88%. Those provinces rely on monopoly structures built around government-run platforms that compete with offshore sites. According to the report, those domestic offerings have less product depth and less interface flexibility than operators in open competitive markets.
Ontario stands apart as Alberta waits until mid-July
Ontario is the main exception. Since opening its competitive market in April 2022, the province has reached 85% regulated channelization, though the rollout has continued to face criticism over advertising rules. Alberta is scheduled to begin its shift toward an Ontario-style market on July 13.
That date comes about five weeks after the World Cup opens on June 11. The article notes that Canada will play its first match on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto. By then, Alberta’s regulated competitive market will still not be live, leaving the province’s 88% offshore leakage in place through the group stage and potentially into the quarter-finals.
No federal framework is in place before the tournament
Outside Ontario and Alberta’s planned launch, other provinces continue to operate under lottery-corporation monopoly models, with no clear near-term move toward competitive licensing. PlayNow serves British Columbia and Manitoba, Mise-o-jeu operates in Quebec, and PlayNow Saskatchewan runs under SIGA authority through a partnership with BCLC.
The report also points to a federal regulatory gap. Canada has no national gambling regulator and no national licensing framework. Bill S-211, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, has passed the Senate but not the House of Commons. Before the World Cup begins this summer, the market is still set to remain fragmented by province, with offshore operators retaining their lead.