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Ontario report Ontario progress report
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America for igaming consultancy agency Hybrid Interaction , stresses that the Ontario market is in a state of constant development at this early stage .
“ Ontario right now is in a place where not everything is set in stone , so things can still be changed – and they ’ re changing ,” says Odosashvili . “ You might wake up one day and a different regulation is in place .”
In regards to marketing , she believes the restrictions could have an adverse effect on the point of regulating the market in the first place .
“ The problem for smaller operators and for smaller affiliates is that a lot of them don ’ t have these big legal teams to navigate the system ,” she continues . “ What can we do ? Those [ affiliates and operators ] will avoid the market or operate on the black market .”
“ From the government ’ s perspective there are regulations against the black market , but enforcement of those regulations is what matters .”
Odosashvili stresses that it is critical for Ontario to keep players attracted to the regulated market , most importantly for player protection reasons .
“ From a responsible gambling side , the best thing is , if your players are not playing on the black market and they ’ re playing on the regulated market , you as a government have access to people who need help ,” she says .
“ The operators have an obligation to report people who might have some kind of issue . Those people can be helped , and you can have the player protections in place .”
Ultimately , says Odosashvili , cultivating and supporting the regulated market in Ontario requires a sense of cooperation from all involved :
“ To create a well-regulated market that will protect players , benefit local communities , and let affiliates and operators compete in fair conditions , all stakeholders should work together .”
Peter Jesko , head of strategy at Casino Guru , also believes that the marketing restrictions require collaboration and perseverance from operators , though he views the market as one that is in good stead .
“ In my opinion , the Ontario market is developing smoothly considering the circumstances ,” he says .
“ There are some regulations that may look controversial , like restrictions on bonus advertising , but as we are talking about a regulated market , it is to be expected that there will be restrictions which operators and affiliates won ’ t like .”
He argues that those in the market are aware of the rules and need to find different ways to promote their brands , ways that do not infringe on the restrictions .
“ If there are restrictions on some marketing activity , in this case promoting bonuses , operators and affiliates must find other ways of advertising ,” he continues . “ In my
Ontario report