Canada Sees 33.53% of Bettors on Offshore Platforms as Wagers Outpace Regulated Sites

New research from CasinoCanada.com suggests Canada’s regulated market is holding on to most players, but not most betting volume. For PSPs and acquirers, that split matters: offshore operators are still where a large chunk of turnover sits, especially in provinces where channelisation is weak.

1. According to Blask figures for August 2026, 66.47% of Canadian gamblers use licensed sites, while 33.53% bet through offshore platforms. The volume split is wider than the player split: offshore operators recorded about CAD 712 million (US$512 million) in wagers, compared with CAD 484 million (US$348 million) through regulated platforms.
2. The analysis looked at 301 gambling brands active in Canada and argues that offshore operators continue to take a meaningful share of betting activity even as regulated markets expand. In other words, licensed access has not automatically meant regulated spend.
3. The provincial picture is uneven. Ontario shows a channelisation rate of around 91%, but the report estimates offshore leakage at 93% in Saskatchewan, 88% in Alberta and Manitoba, and 83% in Quebec. British Columbia, where BCLC’s PlayNow platform has an established presence, still shows an estimated offshore activity rate of approximately 49%.
4. CasinoCanada says product constraints are part of the pull toward offshore sites. In Ontario, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) standards require player balances to be held in Canadian dollars through authorised financial services providers, which effectively excludes cryptocurrency from the regulated market.
5. Prediction markets are another pressure point. The report says offshore activity linked to these products has increased by 161%, and that some offshore operators have posted significant year-on-year growth in their Canadian business. For payment teams, that is the usual story: where regulated frameworks do not cover the product, the traffic finds a different route.

The report also points to player-protection issues. A 2026 Toronto Metropolitan University study of more than 1,800 bettors from Ontario and Alberta found that men under 30 reported 50% greater gambling-related harm and 44% higher anxiety than the wider betting population.