Poker In Ontario
Anyone have any insight into what this will mean for Ontario players in terms of the unregulated sites like Bodog, BOL, WPN, etc?
Also confirmation that Ontario players will no longer be able to access sites like Pokerstars, Pokerparty, GG/Natural8, etc?
one thing that is good about going back to global pool is the longer hours of
available playtime. Right now you can only play tournaments 12-9 maybe outside that
time the options become limited. Being able to play earlier is good, and possibly later also.
one thing that is good about going back to global pool is the longer hours of
available playtime. Right now you can only play tournaments 12-9 maybe outside that
time the options become limited. Being able to play earlier is good, and possibly later also.
I'd rather only be able to play in an 8-12 hour window than be able to play 24/7 but make a ton less money to the point where the opportunity cost of not having a real job/career really kicks in (although looking at the bigger picture might be a very good thing that I would appreciate in 20 years).
This one?
Perhaps I'm ******ed but I can't find the data you're referring to.
The article says 3% of gambling revenue or something is from poker and only 14% of people play on non ring fenced sites . 14% of 3% is 0.43% which means they are only losing 0.43% of revenue from people playing poker on illegal sites. not sure if the numbers are exact it was like a week ago but its close.
"for the 2023-24 fiscal year show $51.7 billion wagered on provincially regulated online casino sites and $9.7 billion on sports betting, compared with $1.6 billion on peer-to-peer poker.
51.7 % 1.6= 3.2%
A spokesperson for iGaming Ontario says pay-for-play daily fantasy sports products are not currently offered by any registered operators, and says peer-to-peer poker accounts for just two to three per cent of wagers on the province's regulated sites.
So here they admit that poker revenue is only 3% which might sound small. BUT THEN THEY DROP THIS GEM
"According to a report commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, 86 percent of online gamblers in the province are currently using regulated sites. Before the launch of iGaming Ontario, when the only legal site in the province was Ontario Lottery and Gaming's PlayOLG, the report estimates that 70 per cent of online gambling occurred on unregulated sites."
So they admit that 86% of people are using the regulated sites. meaning there is no room for poker to grow because the majority is already on them. By moving regulated poker to row they are aiming to increase revenue by 0.48% how ****ing stupid do they think we are?
In this article they both show with numbers that moving ontario poker into row will make them no money while also pushing for it. absolute idiot lobbyists running the show
The article says 3% of gambling revenue or something is from poker and only 14% of people play on non ring fenced sites . 14% of 3% is 0.43% which means they are only losing 0.43% of revenue from people playing poker on illegal sites. not sure if the numbers are exact it was like a week ago but its close.
"for the 2023-24 fiscal year show $51.7 billion wagered on provincially regulated online casino sites and $9.7 billion on sports betting, compared with $1.6 billion on peer-to-peer poker.
51.7
Perhaps the data you mentioned will be recognized during the fall meetings and they'll shut down any major proposed changes.
Fingers crossed nothing changes but here's my prediction:
Step 1: Ontario opens its fence to some other provinces.
Step 2: Those provinces expand by allowing some states in the USA in.
Step 3: Incorporating specific areas in ROW.
https://www.ontariopoker.ca/news/ontario...
"One of the most glaring oversights in the Ontario government's push to rejoin the global pool is the potential for a significant decline in gaming-related revenue. While proponents of the plan argue that integrating with the global market will increase player activity and, by extension, tax revenues, this assumption is dangerously optimistic.
The reality is that Ontario's player base is likely to shrink as they face harsher competition from seasoned global professionals. Many recreational players—who currently make up a substantial portion of the province's online poker community—could be discouraged by frequent losses and the stark contrast in skill levels. As a result, these players may choose to reduce their participation or quit altogether, leading to a reduction in overall gaming activity.
Moreover, the funds that Ontario players do lose in this global environment are unlikely to stay within the province. Instead, they will flow to players in other parts of the world, particularly regions where the cost of living is lower, and the incentive to play is higher. This outflow of money represents a direct loss to Ontario's economy, draining resources that would otherwise be spent locally. While the current system not only supports the individual players but also circulates the money back within the Ontario economy. When winnings stay local, they contribute to the province's financial health, supporting businesses. Transitioning back to a global pool would mean that money lost by Ontario's recreational poker players will flow out to international jurisdictions."
"Another critical issue with rejoining the global player pool is the increased risk of exposure to unethical practices that have plagued the international online poker scene for years. As discussed, real-time assistance (RTA) tools and collusion among players, especially from economically disadvantaged regions, have become a persistent problem. While not every player from these areas engages in dishonest behavior, the prevalence of such practices is undeniably higher in regions where economic pressures are more intense.
For Ontario's players, this means a less enjoyable and potentially frustrating gaming experience. Recreational players, in particular, are at risk of being targeted by sophisticated rings of players who use these tactics to exploit inexperienced opponents. The result is a playing environment where fairness is compromised, and the enjoyment of the game is diminished."
Who Really Stands to Benefit?
Given the numerous downsides, it begs the question: who actually benefits from Ontario's re-entry into the global poker pool? The answer, unfortunately, points to a narrow set of interests that do not align with the broader well-being of Ontario's poker community or economy.
1. The Online Poker Sites
The primary beneficiaries of this move are the online poker operators themselves. By consolidating player pools, these companies can reduce their overhead costs associated with managing separate platforms for different regions. The global pool also makes it easier for these sites to hit guaranteed prize pool amounts and offer larger promotions, which can attract more players and increase their overall profitability.
However, this increased profitability comes at the expense of Ontario's players, whose chances of success diminish in the face of tougher global competition.
So government wants to lose money and take money out of Ontario to support lobbyists tldr
Hey does anyone have a link to the Ontario poker discord?
When is this vote thing happening? I want DFS back
Has anyone else noticed PVI is back?
I'm on Octopus (50% RB).
However I've been averaging 35% RB (I track my RB each week and compared to H2N rake paid).
My guess is that the H2N figure includes the BBJ fee, and we don't get rakeback on that.
So over 42k hands I've raked 16.8k and only recieved 5.6k in rakeback ~33% instead of 50%, I think BBJ makes up for a very small % of rake.
I'm not sure if this is related to my account only or if GG have done this to other accounts too.
Does anyone else track their RB each week? Might be worthwhile checking to see if you're being screwed too.
I've emailed GG 4 times now they havent replied to any of them so far.
ya like he said your not calculating the badbeat jackpot which is not rake. 15-17% sound about right for that. your getting the right rakeback your not winning enough badbeat jackpots! bbj is not small its easily in that percentage range. its like 1.7bb/100 so you rake 10bb/100 thats almost 20%
Where did you get the 1.7bb/100 stat from? The rake is 1bb for every 30bb pot. So if every hand was 30bb+ that would be a rake of 3.33bb/100. So to have a 1.6bb/100 BBJ rake you would need that to happen over half the time which seems close to impossible.
Where did you get the 1.7bb/100 stat from? The rake is 1bb for every 30bb pot. So if every hand was 30bb+ that would be a rake of 3.33bb/100. So to have a 1.6bb/100 BBJ rake you would need that to happen over half the time which seems close to impossible.
If every hand was 30+ bb and you played all of them, it would be 100 bb/100. You can get what the BBJ fee is in other trackers. Holdem manager has 2 different rake stats, and the bigger one includes BBJ. Poker tracker I believe someone made a custom stat to figure it out. I checked my stats for the week before you made this post, and when looking at the rakeback stat that included BBJ, it looked like I received roughly 50% rakeback instead of the 70% I actually get - a similar ratio to your 35% and 50%. BBJ is somewhere in the region of 2 bb/100 across all of the stakes that I've checked
If every hand was 30+ bb and you played all of them, it would be 100 bb/100. You can get what the BBJ fee is in other trackers. Holdem manager has 2 different rake stats, and the bigger one includes BBJ. Poker tracker I believe someone made a custom stat to figure it out. I checked my stats for the week before you made this post, and when looking at the rakeback stat that included BBJ, it looked like I received roughly 50% rakeback instead of the 70% I actually get - a similar ratio to your 35%
Awesome thanks man, sounds like there’s no issues then 😅
Hey, could I get a link to the Ontario poker discord? (the link a few replies ago expired)
Hey, could I get a link to the Ontario poker discord? (the link a few replies ago expired)
Hello All,
For PokerStars Ontario, rake was increased from 5% to 5.50% effective Nov. 12, 2024 . It appears that they attempted to 'slip' this through without any warning/heads up. Just wondering, did anyone receive any communication on this?
Thats hilarious the effective rake between the two major Ontario sites was already a massive gap. Dont play this site I sure don't
this screenshot was taken just now (before people have learned about the rake increase) LMAOLMAO. Good time to raise rake jokerstars
ya i figured that out after. still it was like 30 mins after. how should i know im not playing that horrible site regularly. it seemed very believable given current events
