Casino Bonuses in Ontario: How the Rules Work

You will not find current offers, amounts or promo codes on this page. That is the point of it.

What Ontario changed

What the Registrar’s Standards say

Three standards in the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming apply.

• Standard 2.05 prohibits advertising and marketing materials that communicate gambling inducements, bonuses and credits, except on an operator’s own gaming site and through direct advertising and marketing after the player has given active consent. Direct marketing includes social media messages, emails, texts and calls.
• Standard 2.06 governs the advertising that is permitted. All material conditions and limitations of an offer must be disclosed when it is first presented, with the remaining terms one click away. An offer cannot be called “free” unless it is free, and cannot be called “risk-free” if the player can lose or put funds at risk.
• Standard 2.07 requires an opt-in process for consent to direct marketing of inducements, and a way to withdraw that consent at any time.

The AGCO page was last updated on 14 May 2026; we re-read it on 7 October 2026. Our analysis of the advertising rule covers the same ground.

What operators may and may not do

An operator may show offers on its own site or app and send them to players who opted in. It may not advertise an inducement to the general public, send promotional offers to people who have not consented, or call an offer free or risk-free when it is neither. What matters is whether the full conditions are shown and whether you can switch the messages off.

Loyalty schemes, rewards and in-game features

Points, tiers, cashback, prize draws and “boosts” are inducements by another name. The Standards pages we read set no separate rule for loyalty programs, so a reward that gives you credit or a bonus is best read like any other offer: what must you stake, on which games, and by when?

A bonus round or multiplier that triggers during play is part of how the game is built and is explained in its help screen, which is different from a promotion offered on top of it. The standards do not draw that line plainly, so if unsure, ask support in writing.

The mechanics, in the order that matters

The headline figure is the least useful part of a promotion. These terms decide what an offer is worth, roughly in order of impact.

Wagering requirement

A multiplier setting how much you must stake before bonus funds or their winnings can be withdrawn. Check whether it applies to the bonus alone or to the deposit plus the bonus; including the deposit increases the total you must wager.

Game weighting

How much each game type contributes towards the requirement. Slots often count in full while table games count at a fraction or not at all, which can multiply the real cost of clearing an offer several times over.

Maximum bet while wagering

A cap on your stake while wagering requirements apply. Breaking this rule can void bonus-related winnings even after you have completed the required wagering.

Expiry

The window in which the requirement must be met. A short window on a high multiplier can make an offer impossible to clear at a sensible stake size.

Maximum conversion

A cap on how much of the winnings from bonus funds can become withdrawable cash, regardless of what you actually win.

Excluded methods

Some deposit methods do not qualify for promotions at all. Prepaid vouchers and certain wallets are the usual exclusions.

A worked example

Hypothetical figures, used only to show how the same headline can mean very different things. These are not real offers from any operator.

Assume a one-unit deposit and a one-unit bonus in each structure.

Structure B requires twice the turnover and allows seven days instead of 30. Table-game wagers do not count towards its requirement. Neither structure guarantees that you can complete the wagering before your funds run out.

How to read a promotion’s terms

Operators publish full terms for every promotion, and they are the only reliable description of it. Four things are worth finding before you opt in:

1. What the multiplier applies to. Bonus only, or deposit plus bonus.
2. The maximum bet while wagering. Note the number, then set your stake below it and leave it there.
3. Which games contribute, and at what percentage. If you only play live dealer, a slots-weighted offer is not for you.
4. The expiry. Divide the required turnover by the days remaining and decide whether that is a session you actually want.

If any of those is unclear in the terms, the reasonable answer is to decline the offer rather than to assume the favourable reading.

Why an unsolicited offer is a red flag

Regulated operators may market inducements directly only to players who opted in. An offer that arrives unprompted by text, email, message or call, especially from a brand you never registered with, may come from a site that is not on the iGaming Ontario register or from an operator ignoring the consent rule. iGaming Ontario warns that unregulated sites can mean unprotected deposits, delayed payments and exposed data.

Do not use the message’s link. Check the operator on the Ontario casino checker and open it through its official site or app (see how to check an Ontario casino is regulated).

Where to report

Start with the operator’s complaints process and keep the message, date and a screenshot. For advertising or marketing issues, responsible gambling concerns or suspected illegal activity, the AGCO’s iAGCO online form needs no account and does not require the operator’s process first. The AGCO cannot recover money. Our complaints guide covers escalation. If offers are pushing you to play more than planned, BetGuard and ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) can help.

Turning marketing off

Operators that send direct marketing must offer an opt-in process and let players withdraw consent at any time (Standard 2.07). The opt-out route may appear in account settings or in the message itself.

If you are managing how much you gamble, opting out of promotions works well alongside deposit limits and timeouts.