Online gambling ads in Ontario leave the bonus out.
Ontario lets online gambling operators advertise once the AGCO has registered them and they hold an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. The ad itself can't carry a bonus. That stays on your own site and in messages to players who opted in.
- AGCO registration
- Operating agreement with iGaming Ontario
- Players 19+, physically in Ontario
- No bonus in public ads
Two bodies, and what each one does for you.
| What we compare | AGCO | iGaming Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Ontario's regulator for the igaming market, which opened on 4 April 2022. | A provincial agency, independent since May 2025, that conducts and manages igaming offered through private operators. |
| What it does | Registers operators and gaming-related suppliers, writes the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, and sanctions up to revocation. | Signs the operating agreement once the AGCO has registered you, and has launched a tool that lets Ontarians opt out of all regulated online gambling in the province. |
What an Ontario ad can't carry
- Themes or language aimed mainly at minors.
- Cartoons, influencers, celebrities or entertainers likely to appeal to minors.
- Active or retired athletes with a deal with the operator, unless the ad is about responsible gambling.
- People who are minors, or appear to be.
- Placements where most of the audience is expected to be minors.
And every ad carries a responsible gambling message.
2.05
The welcome offer stays on your site.
Standard 2.05 bans advertising that communicates bonuses, inducements or credits, except on the operator's own gaming site and in direct marketing to players who actively opted in. The AGCO's guidance adds that this covers all public advertising, targeted and algorithm-based ads included.
So the paid social ad, the search ad and the banner sell the brand and the game, not the offer. Where the offer does show, it can't be called free if the player risks their own money, and its main conditions sit in plain view with the rest one click away.
What each platform takes from Ontario.
Ontario sits inside each platform's Canada entry, so the province is something you set in targeting.
| Platform | Ontario and Canada | Affiliates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting, online casinos and fantasy sports, each licensed by the province and aimed at that province alone. Lotteries come from government-run or federally licensed operators. | No affiliate line for Canada, so affiliate content can't run. | Google gambling, checked 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Meta | Canada isn't on Meta's list of 19 closed markets. What decides it is the Ontario licence you upload. | An affiliate applies in Business Suite with the operator's Ontario licence. | Meta gambling, checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| TikTok | Online casinos, bingo, sports betting, fantasy sports and government lotteries, each through a sales rep. Poker, vouchers and bonus codes aren't allowed. | Affiliate and aggregator sites aren't allowed. | TikTok gambling, checked 4 Nov 2026 |
| Snapchat | Canada is listed for online gambling and lotteries. Ads can't target people under the legal gambling age, 19 in Ontario. | Allowed, Canada is one of its four affiliate countries. | Snapchat policy 3.5, checked 4 Nov 2026 |
| X | Canada entry. Casino, poker, bingo, sports and horse race betting, lottery, sweepstakes and fantasy sports, with X's prior authorization. | Named for Canada, with X's prior authorization. | X policy, archived copy of 22 Sep 2026 |
- Ontario and Canada
- Sports betting, online casinos and fantasy sports, each licensed by the province and aimed at that province alone. Lotteries come from government-run or federally licensed operators.
- Affiliates
- No affiliate line for Canada, so affiliate content can't run.
- Source
- Google gambling, checked 4 Nov 2026
Meta
- Ontario and Canada
- Canada isn't on Meta's list of 19 closed markets. What decides it is the Ontario licence you upload.
- Affiliates
- An affiliate applies in Business Suite with the operator's Ontario licence.
- Source
- Meta gambling, checked 1 Nov 2026
TikTok
- Ontario and Canada
- Online casinos, bingo, sports betting, fantasy sports and government lotteries, each through a sales rep. Poker, vouchers and bonus codes aren't allowed.
- Affiliates
- Affiliate and aggregator sites aren't allowed.
- Source
- TikTok gambling, checked 4 Nov 2026
Snapchat
- Ontario and Canada
- Canada is listed for online gambling and lotteries. Ads can't target people under the legal gambling age, 19 in Ontario.
- Affiliates
- Allowed, Canada is one of its four affiliate countries.
- Source
- Snapchat policy 3.5, checked 4 Nov 2026
Outside Ontario, the province decides.
Canada's Criminal Code gives each province the job of running, licensing and regulating legal gaming. Ontario opened its market to private operators on 4 April 2022.
Alberta followed on 13 July 2026, with operators registered by the AGLC and signed with the Alberta iGaming Corporation. Its approved operators carry the corporation's logo on their ads, along with responsible gambling help that includes 211 Alberta.
Google opened Alberta on 4 May 2026, for brand awareness only until the province allowed more. For any other province, tell us which one and we read its rules with you.
Another province? Ask.
Ontario questions, with the standard behind each answer.
Can I target all of Canada with an Ontario registration?
Not on Google, which wants sports betting, casino and fantasy ads to target only the province that licensed you. And on Ontario's regulated sites, players have to be physically in Ontario to play.
What age do I target?
19 and over. iGaming Ontario says players must be 19 or older and physically in the province, and the standards bar ads aimed at minors.
Can affiliates send Ontario traffic?
On Snapchat, yes. On Google there's no affiliate line for Canada, and TikTok rules affiliate sites out. Under the AGCO standards, an operator's affiliates also can't promote sites that take Ontario bets without an AGCO registration.
Can I promote a brand that isn't registered in Ontario?
Not on Google, which wants operators licensed by the province. An operator registered in Ontario also has to keep its affiliates away from unregistered sites. iGaming Ontario keeps a public directory of the sites in the regulated market, and when we read it, it listed 49 operators and 84 sites.
What will it cost?
Your rate depends on vertical and volume. One message in chat gets you the number. Name the platforms too, because in Canada they decide what you can run.
Your Ontario ads, checked against 2.05 before they run.
Name the platforms as well. You hear which ones take Ontario, and how, before any money moves.
Send my registrationPrefer WhatsApp? We’re there too.
