Why Ontario Casino Sites Don't Advertise Their Bonuses

The rule in one sentence

Ontario does not ban casino bonuses. It bans telling the general public about them. The Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, which came into force on April 4, 2022 when the province's open igaming market launched, contain a specific standard on inducements, bonuses and credits. Under Standard 2.05, advertising and marketing that communicates gambling inducements, bonuses or credits is prohibited, except on an operator's gaming site and through direct advertising and marketing sent after the player has actively consented.

The AGCO's guidance to that standard spells out the intent: the inducement itself is not banned, but all public advertising of it is, including targeted advertising and algorithm-based ads. If you live in Ontario and have ever wondered why a sportsbook commercial during a Leafs game mentions nothing but the logo and a responsible-gambling tagline, this is the reason.

What the standards actually require

Standard 2.05 is one piece of a block of marketing rules. Read together, they shape almost everything an Ontario player sees before and after signing up.

Standard 2.03: who ads may not target

Marketing must not target high-risk players, people under the legal gaming age or self-excluded persons. It may not use cartoon figures, symbols, role models, social media influencers or celebrities likely to appeal to minors, and operators must have measures in place to limit marketing communications to all known high-risk players.

Standard 2.04: what ads may not say

Advertising must not mislead players or misrepresent products. It cannot present winning as the probable outcome, encourage chasing losses, imply that spending more or playing longer improves your chances, or offer promotions that are not reasonably attainable without substantial losses.

Standard 2.06: how a permitted offer must be presented

When a bonus is shown on the operator's site, all material conditions and limitations must be disclosed at the first point the offer is presented, and any other conditions must be no more than one click away. An offer cannot be called "free" if you have to risk or lose your own money to use it, and it cannot be called "risk-free" if you must incur a loss or put your own money at risk to use it or withdraw winnings.

Standard 2.07: consent to direct marketing

Before an operator can email, text, phone or message you about bonuses, you must actively opt in, and you must be able to withdraw that consent at any time. The AGCO lists direct messaging via social media, emails, texts and phone calls as forms of direct marketing.

The athlete and celebrity ban

A second change hit Ontario advertising in 2024. On August 29, 2023 the AGCO announced amendments to Standard 2.03 that took effect on February 28, 2024. Operators may no longer use active or retired athletes in igaming advertising and marketing where there is an agreement or arrangement, made directly or indirectly, between the athlete and an operator or supplier. The only exception is advertising for the exclusive purpose of advocating responsible gambling practices.

The same amendment widened the celebrity test. Previously the restriction covered figures with a "primary appeal" to minors; it now covers celebrities, influencers, entertainers and cartoon figures who would likely be expected to appeal to minors. The AGCO said the decision followed the first year of the open market, during which it identified athlete and celebrity marketing as a potential harm to people under the legal gaming age.

How the AGCO enforces it

The rules have teeth, and the published penalties show what crosses the line. These are orders and notices of monetary penalty; each operator has the right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, and the AGCO describes the conduct as alleged.

The 2025 case matters most for anyone who finds Ontario offers through comparison sites. The AGCO cited Standard 1.19, under which operators are responsible for the actions of third parties. According to the release, one affiliate's prohibited inducement marketing produced 377 player sign-ups and C$127,180 in commissions, and a second produced 94 sign-ups and about C$34,000. In the AGCO's words, operators are responsible for the conduct of their third-party suppliers. An affiliate page that splashes an Ontario operator's welcome bonus across a public article is exactly the kind of exposure regulated operators now police.

Where Ontario players actually see offers

Because public channels are closed, offers live in three places:

• The operator's own site or app. This is the default. Promotions pages, the cashier and in-account banners can show bonuses, provided the material conditions are on the first screen and the rest are one click away.
• Direct marketing you opted into. Emails, texts and app notifications can carry offers only after you actively consented on the gaming site, and you can switch them off at any time.
• Inside your account after registration. Many offers appear only once you have created an account and passed verification, which is why two players can see different promotions on the same site.

What you should not expect from a regulated Ontario site is a promo code in a podcast read, a bonus figure on a bus shelter or a "sign up now for C$X free" banner on a news site. If you see that kind of message for a site claiming to serve Ontario, treat it as a signal to check the operator's status.

What this means when you compare sites

The ban changes how you shop. Outside Ontario, players often pick a casino by the size of the headline bonus. Inside the regulated market, the headline is hidden until you visit the site, so the sensible order of checks is different.

1. Confirm the site is regulated. iGaming Ontario's directory lists operators registered with the AGCO that have an operating agreement with iGO, plus OLG.ca, which is run by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. You must be 19 or older and physically located in Ontario to play. Our guide to spotting a safe online casino covers the other checks.
2. Read the offer where it is allowed to live. Open the promotions page and look for the material terms on the first screen: wagering requirement, eligible games, time limit and any maximum bet. Standard 2.06 requires them to be there or one click away. If they are buried deeper, that is a compliance question, not just bad design.
3. Ignore the word "free" unless it truly costs nothing. Under the standards, an offer requiring your own money at risk cannot be labelled free or risk-free. If a page does it anyway, note it.
4. Compare the total cost, not the headline. A smaller bonus with lighter wagering often beats a larger one with heavy playthrough. Our bonus explainer shows how to run the numbers, including how wagering multiplies the amount you have to stake before a bonus becomes withdrawable.
5. Decide on marketing consent deliberately. Opting in is how you hear about reload offers, but it also invites a steady stream of prompts to play. You can opt out at any time under Standard 2.07, and if you have set limits or taken a break, opting out is the cleaner choice.

Why offshore sites still advertise bonuses

Ontarians still see big bonus figures online, usually from sites outside the regulated market. The AGCO standards bind registered operators and their suppliers; a site that is not in iGO's directory is simply not part of the Ontario system, so its marketing tells you nothing about how it will treat your deposit or a dispute. A loud public bonus aimed at Ontario players is, if anything, a hint that the site is not regulated in the province. Our blacklisted casino list collects operators we have flagged.

Other provinces are moving in a similar direction. Alberta's private market, which opened on July 13, 2026, puts advertising rules into its Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation, including that iGaming advertising must not be intentionally communicated to self-excluded or high-risk individuals and must not be directed at minors. The sibling article on Alberta's iGaming Act covers that market.

A quick reality check on what the rules do not do

The advertising ban does not cap the value of bonuses, set a maximum wagering requirement or force operators to offer anything at all. It controls where and how offers are communicated and what the offer page must disclose. The fairness of a specific bonus still comes down to its terms, so you still need to read them. The rules also do not stop brand advertising: operators can and do run ads that promote their name and products, as long as they avoid inducements, athletes with operator deals, and imagery likely to appeal to minors.

For Ontario players, the practical upshot is simple. Pick the site first, using regulation, payout record and withdrawal handling as the filters, then look at the offer on the site itself with the terms in front of you. The bonus you were never allowed to see in an ad is rarely the reason to choose one regulated casino over another.