Unfortunately for casino fans in Ontario, the local government has decided to delay its plan to launch an online gambling website in the province. The OLG has announced that it will be extending its submission deadline, giving operators and gaming companies more time to submit applications and proposals for the new online casino.
The original deadline was set for February 3, 2012. By that time, however, only three operators had completed their submissions: Amaya Gaming, GTECH G2 and OpenBet. While these companies would make great candidates, as they already have a presence in the Canadian gaming market, the OLG has been informed that there are other operators interesting in working on the new website.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation wants to choose from a wide range of applicants to ensure that it is picking the best possible option. Thus, the corporation has decided to extend the submission deadline, but has not announced a new date.
Once the OLG has received all of the submissions, it will have to take its time to review each applicant. The process was originally meant to be over by the summer, but with the new deadline, it is unlikely that we will see legalized online gambling in Ontario by mid-2012.
