Why Ontario casinos can't advertise bonuses: AGCO Standard 2.05 explained
If you've noticed Ontario casinos don't shout welcome bonuses at you, that's the law. Here's what AGCO Standard 2.05 restricts, the 2024 athlete-ad ban, and how it's enforced.
If you’ve browsed licensed Ontario casinos and noticed there are no flashing “$1,000 welcome bonus” banners, that’s not an oversight — it’s the rules. Ontario deliberately restricts how online gambling can be advertised, and bonuses cannot be displayed in public-facing marketing. It’s one of the biggest differences between the regulated Ontario market and the offshore sites that blanket players with offers.
This guide is for Ontario players who want to understand why the regulated market looks so different — what the AGCO’s advertising rules actually say, the 2024 ban on athletes and celebrities, and how the regulator enforces it. It also explains why you’ll never see a bonus amount anywhere on this site.
The short answer
Under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, Standard 2.05, operators cannot publicly advertise bonuses, credits, or inducements — those offers can only be shown to a player who has actively opted in. Since February 28, 2024, the AGCO also bans the use of athletes, and restricts celebrities who appeal to minors, in Ontario gambling ads.
What Standard 2.05 restricts
Standard 2.05 governs advertising and marketing for Ontario’s regulated iGaming market. In practice, it means an operator cannot put bonus offers, credits, or “free” inducements in front of the general public. The reasoning is consumer protection: blanket bonus advertising can pressure people — including those at risk — into gambling more than they intended.
The key mechanics:
- Bonuses are opt-in only. Operators may only present bonus and credit offers to players who have actively chosen to receive such marketing, with an easy way to withdraw consent.
- “Free” must be genuinely free, and an offer cannot be called “risk-free” if the player has to risk or lose their own money to benefit.
- Material terms must be clear. Where an offer is shown to an opted-in player, its conditions have to be disclosed up front, not buried.
This is why compliant Ontario operators — and review sites like ours — don’t display welcome-bonus amounts on public pages.
The 2024 ban on athletes and celebrities
Ontario tightened the rules further after the regulated market’s first year. Effective February 28, 2024, the AGCO amended the Registrar’s Standards to prohibit the use of athletes — active or retired — in iGaming advertising, except where the sole purpose is advocating for responsible gambling. The standards also restrict celebrities, entertainers, and social-media influencers who would likely appeal to people under the legal gaming age.
The AGCO’s stated rationale, after observing the market’s first year, was that athlete- and celebrity-driven marketing posed a potential harm to those under the legal gaming age (per the AGCO, with the change widely reported by CBC News and analysed by law firm Blakes). It’s why the celebrity-fronted sportsbook ads common when the market launched have largely disappeared from Ontario.
How it’s enforced
These standards have teeth. The AGCO issues Orders of Monetary Penalty for breaches, and inducement marketing has been a repeated target.
Key insight: In March 2025 the AGCO fined BetMGM Canada CA$110,000 after marketing companies it engaged offered cash to members of the public in return for opening new BetMGM accounts — a direct breach of the inducement rules (per the AGCO).
That penalty is part of a broader enforcement pattern in the Ontario market, where the AGCO has fined multiple operators for advertising and integrity failures. The takeaway for players: the no-bonus-advertising rule isn’t a suggestion — it’s actively policed.
What it means for you as a player
The absence of bonus advertising changes how you should choose a casino. Because you can’t comparison-shop on flashy public offers, the things that actually matter come to the front: licensing, payout reliability, game quality, support, and compliance record. That’s exactly what our methodology scores, and why our operator rankings never factor in bonus size.
It also means you should be suspicious of any site aggressively advertising bonuses to you — a public “risk-free $1,000” banner is a sign of an unregulated, offshore operator, not a licensed Ontario one. For how to tell the difference, see our guide on whether online gambling is legal in Ontario. And because we earn commissions from operators, our own affiliate disclosure explains why our rankings are never influenced by them.
Frequently asked questions
Can Ontario online casinos advertise bonuses?
Not publicly. Under AGCO Standard 2.05, bonuses, credits, and inducements can only be shown to players who have actively opted in to receive such marketing — they cannot appear in general public advertising.
Why can’t I see welcome offers on licensed Ontario casinos?
Because public bonus advertising is restricted by AGCO Standard 2.05. Compliant operators only present offers after you opt in, which is why bonus amounts don’t appear on their public pages or on review sites like this one.
Are athletes banned from Ontario gambling ads?
Yes. Since February 28, 2024, the AGCO prohibits the use of athletes — active or retired — in Ontario iGaming advertising, except to advocate for responsible gambling, and restricts celebrities and influencers who appeal to minors.
What happens if an operator breaks the advertising rules?
The AGCO can issue monetary penalties. For example, it fined BetMGM Canada CA$110,000 in March 2025 over inducement marketing that offered cash for opening new accounts.
The bottom line: Ontario casinos can’t advertise bonuses publicly because AGCO Standard 2.05 makes such offers opt-in only, and since February 2024 athletes and minor-appealing celebrities are off-limits too — rules the AGCO enforces with real penalties. For players, that means choosing on substance, not offers. See exactly what we score in our methodology.
19+ only. Play within your limits. If gambling is a problem, ConnexOntario offers free, confidential help 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600.
Sources: AGCO Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming; AGCO athlete advertising ban; athlete/celebrity ban analysis — Blakes; BetMGM Canada CA$110,000 penalty — AGCO. Figures current as of the publication date and subject to change.