The beautiful skyline of Toronto, Ontario.
OLG has introduced mandatory deposit limits for online players under 25 when their account activity increases. The new rule gives younger players a required spending cap before play goes further.
Good to Know
OLG is targeting one of the highest-risk age groups in online gambling with a new precommitment rule. Instead of only offering deposit limits as an optional tool, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will now require affected younger players to set one when their activity reaches certain engagement levels.
OLG framed the change as a safer gambling tool, not a spending block. Deposit limits let players decide in advance how much they can add to an account across a day, week or month. That makes the measure useful for digital casino and sportsbook accounts, where fast deposits can blur spending patterns.
OLG President and CEO Duncan Hannay said:
“Requiring a deposit limit is not about removing choice; it’s about strengthening that choice by helping players to pause and consider what they are comfortable spending. OLG relies on research and best practices to guide how we engage with players and respond to emerging trends. This new measure is a practical, data-driven step to help players under 25 build safer play habits early.”
The rule lands as Ontario faces more pressure over gambling harm after the 2022 expansion of private online gambling. A 2026 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found a sharp rise in gambling-related help contacts to ConnexOntario after the market expanded.
Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho said:
“This initiative reflects the strong collaboration between government, agencies, and industry partners to strengthen player protections and ensure Ontario’s gaming market remains safe, responsible and trusted.”
Advertising remains part of the same policy debate. Ontario recently voted down the Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, a private member bill that sought to ban online gambling commercials, but the government has said it is still reviewing further ad controls.
Ontario already bans athletes and celebrities from gambling ads unless the message relates to responsible gambling. The province also has BetGuard, a centralized iGaming Ontario self-exclusion tool for adults 19 and older who want to block themselves from regulated Ontario online gambling sites.