ONOnline in Ontario
Online play ends at the river
Ontario's regulated online casinos accept bets solely from people physically inside the province, which matters to anyone across the river. This page sets out where the rules apply, who runs the market and how to opt out.
By the Crossing DeskChecked October 2026
Phone in Detroit, phone in Windsor
Regulated online gambling in Ontario is for people 19 or older. The same age applies to online casino gaming and online sports betting. An account can be opened or accessed from outside the province. Bets are another matter: they can be placed solely while the player is physically in Ontario.
For a phone in Detroit, that means no bets, even with an Ontario account already set up. Across the river in Windsor the same account falls under Ontario rules, the 19+ line included. Where the player stands decides it, not where the player lives.
Regulator, iGO and OLG.ca
Ontario has a regulated online casino market with two bodies involved. The AGCO, the regulator, must register each private site. Each of those sites also needs an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, known as iGO. A private site needs both to operate in the regulated market.
Regulated sites are officially listed in the iGO directory at igamingontario.ca. Any name spotted on a banner or a phone screen can be looked up there before money changes hands. Apart from the private sites, Ontario also has OLG.ca, its government-run online casino.
One opt-out for online sites
BetGuard (betguard.ca) is operated by iGaming Ontario. Anyone 19 or older can use the tool to exclude themselves from all regulated online gambling sites in Ontario in one step, including OLG.ca. Available terms: 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom length.
It does not cover casinos people walk into, so it has no effect at the door on Riverside Drive East. That door falls under My PlayBreak, OLG's self-exclusion program, which bars entry to every Ontario casino.
Who pays for this guide
Paid links are how this guide earns its income, and they appear only on the home page. Every such link carries the label Ad: a button in the menu, a block below the first screen and a block near the end. The three lead to a single private online casino partner, which pays the guide a commission.
This guide does not name the partner, which may change, and does not vouch for it. Anyone wishing to check an online casino, including this partner, can search the iGO directory at igamingontario.ca.
Questions at the gate
Can a Michigan resident with an Ontario account bet from home?
No, bets require the holder to be physically in Ontario. The account itself can be opened or accessed from Michigan, but betting waits until the holder is inside the province.
Is OLG.ca run by the province?
Yes, OLG.ca is the government-run online casino of Ontario. BetGuard covers it along with the private regulated sites.
Does a BetGuard term apply at the casino door in Windsor?
No. BetGuard applies to regulated online gambling sites in Ontario, not to casinos that people visit in person. Entry to Caesars Windsor is handled by My PlayBreak, the self-exclusion program of OLG.