Ontario and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation have launched a Call for Investment seeking up to three new casino operators for the Niagara Region, each required to invest at least C$1.5bn and pay a C$100m entrance fee. The province expects the move to draw more than C$3bn in direct gaming investment into one of Canada’s largest casino markets.
Under the terms, Ontario will apply a 9.75 per cent gaming tax rate to the new Niagara operators. The government estimates the construction of the new integrated resorts could generate more than 10,000 construction jobs. Both figures come as government estimates and are not independently verified.
A market opened by decree
The call follows an agreement between OLG and MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc that ended that company’s exclusive rights in the region under the Niagara Gaming Bundle. The deal was part of Premier Doug Ford’s Destination Niagara Strategy, which the province says targets more than 25 million annual visitors to Niagara and roughly 46,500 permanent jobs. The province said entrance fees and the additional economic activity would offset any loss of revenue from the change to MGE’s exclusivity rights.
Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Zee Hamid said in a statement, “Niagara has enormous potential for growth and our Destination Niagara Strategy is unlocking new opportunities to attract investment, create jobs and strengthen the region’s tourism economy.”
The market opening puts Ontario alongside other jurisdictions redrawing their casino maps this year, including New Zealand naming 11 operators cleared for its online casino licensing, as regulators weigh how many licences a market can carry.
The path to a licence
Interested companies must submit initial expressions of interest by December 3, 2026. Shortlisted applicants then compete with detailed proposals for new integrated casino developments. Further expansion beyond the initial three operators could be considered after a fixed 10-year term, depending on tourism growth and operator performance.
The government has not named any companies that have expressed interest, and the financial terms of the OLG-MGE agreement that lifted the exclusivity are not public.
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