iGaming Ontario Introduces BetGuard Self-Exclusion Platform
Posted on: April 16, 2026, 01:02h.
Last updated on: April 16, 2026, 01:02h.
- iGaming Ontario unveils new self-exclusion platform during RGC Discovery conference
- BetGuard platform set to launch in May 2026
- Players will have one, centralized platform to opt out of gambling
Starting this May, igaming players in Ontario will be able to access one self-exclusion system, with iGaming Ontario’s rollout of BetGuard at the Responsible Gambling Council’s RGC Discovery conference in Toronto.
Centralized Platform
“BetGuard is designed with one simple principle in mind,” said Joseph Hillier, President of iGaming Ontario. “If you need a break from the entire regulated igaming market, you can take it with BetGuard. Anyone 19 years or older will be able to opt out from all regulated igaming in Ontario, all at once.”
A BetGuard online platform has gone live, teasing the May 2026 launch. On the platform, how the system will work is spelled out – create an account, confirm your identity, and select how long you want to opt out (six months, one year, five years, custom term).
Self-Exclusion a Priority
The platform will also offer additional support options for players – links to resources like ConnexOntario, or the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where they can get help if their gambling has become an issue.
There are currently 48 licensed operators in Ontario, with 82 gaming websites, according to the iGaming Ontario directory.
It was in August 2024 when iGaming Ontario announced it had selected Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and IXUP to develop the centralized self-exclusion system for the province. IC360 is a global leader in delivering tech-forward, innovative integrity and compliance products and services within igaming and sports betting integrity, which is why it was chosen, iGaming Ontario said in a statement then.
IXUP designed, delivered and operates Australia’s BetStop national self-exclusion register, which is why that company got the nod in the joint bid.
Complementing Regulated Platforms
Operators licensed and operating in Ontario already have to provide a self-exclusion option for their players. BetGuard will enable it where individuals won’t have to go to individual sites and opt out – they soon will be able to do it via one platform. Operators in the province also have to go through the RGC’s RG Check certification process and get accreditation there.
BetGuard is one more layer in an industry already offering safeguards to players in the province.
“The operators would have loved it a lot earlier, but we’re glad it’s here,” Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns told Casino.org on Friday. “No operator wants to see a player who has self-excluded on one platform show up on theirs.
“If we could build a national self-exclusion network, that would be even better.”
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