How do I know the personal information I share with an Ontario online casino will not be sold or misused?

Your personal data is better protected at a registered Ontario online casino than almost anywhere else in the Canadian online space — but that protection comes from a specific legal and regulatory structure, not just a privacy policy. Here's how it actually works.

The Regulatory Foundation

Every legal online casino in Ontario must clear two gates before it can accept a single player. An operator must receive registration from the AGCO and execute an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. The AGCO will only register operators who act with honesty, integrity, in accordance with the law, and in the public interest. That vetting process is the first line of defence — operators with poor data practices simply don't get in.

The AGCO's Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming set outcomes that operators must meet across key areas of regulatory risk, including privacy and information security, anti-money laundering, and responsible gambling.

What the Rules Actually Require

Data collection and protection requirements for player personal information must meet those set out in Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and player personal information shall only be used for the lottery schemes conducted and managed by iGaming Ontario, unless there is prior approval. In plain terms: your data cannot be repurposed or sold to third parties without explicit authorisation.

On the technical side, gaming systems, infrastructure, data, activity logs and all related components must be protected from threats, vulnerabilities, attacks, or breaches. Operators are also required to keep administrator account usage monitored, and inappropriate use of administrator accounts must be reported to the Registrar in a timely manner.

At the iGaming Ontario level, iGaming Ontario retains full and unrestricted access and control of all gaming data, player registration, and transaction data relating to players in Ontario, and must ensure that sensitive data is secured and protected from unauthorized access.

How Your Data Is Actually Used

When operators collect personal information from players, they provide a "Notice of Collection" explaining the specific purposes. Generally, that collection covers offering services you've requested, administering your participation, providing customer service, and facilitating payments. It's not a blank cheque — purpose limitation is built into the framework.

One honest catch worth knowing: personal information collected while providing igaming services may be stored by operators outside Ontario or Canada, retained in accordance with their records retention policies. Most major operators are global companies with data infrastructure outside the province. That's legal under the current framework, but it's worth reading the specific operator's privacy notice to understand where your data sits.

Enforcement Has Teeth

Privacy protection isn't just a policy statement. The AGCO addresses regulatory complaints and inquiries, including those related to misuse of private information. The AGCO monitors operators for compliance with regulatory obligations, and where concerns are identified, brings operators back into compliance through progressive sanctions — warnings, suspensions, monetary penalties, and in the most serious cases, revocations.

What You Should Still Do

The regulatory floor is high, but your own due diligence matters. Before registering:

• Confirm the site appears on iGaming Ontario's official list of registered operators at igamingontario.ca.
• Read the operator's privacy policy — specifically the sections on data sharing with third parties, data retention, and cross-border storage.
• Check whether the site displays the iGaming Ontario logo, which signals it is being conducted and managed under the regulated framework.

If you ever believe an operator has misused your personal information, you can file a complaint directly with the AGCO. For broader privacy concerns involving a company's data practices, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner are also available to you.

If gambling is ever causing stress rather than entertainment, ConnexOntario is available 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600.