NSUS Group says Ontario online poker is struggling after Supreme Court of Canada rejects cross-province liquidity sharing

Ontario's regulated online poker market is under pressure, according to NSUS Group, the parent company of GGPoker, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that went against sharing player liquidity across provincial borders.

Had the court ruled the other way, provinces that permit online poker, Alberta in particular, could have combined their player pools and prize money into a single market. The source describes Ontario's online poker sector as waning, with player numbers struggling.

Sarne Lightman of NSUS Group made the comments to Casino.org. He said Ontario is one of the most successful examples of regulated iGaming in North America, but that online poker remains an outlier. In his words, poker is a peer-to-peer game that needs a critical mass of players online at the same time, unlike slots or sports betting. He said the small liquidity has sharply reduced tournament prize pools and that many game types and blind levels are no longer offered.

Shared liquidity has already been adopted elsewhere. In the United States, the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement brings together Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, allowing poker players from different jurisdictions to play on the same platform.

The article also points to wider structural challenges for the game. Poker is historically harder to recruit new players into, as botting and experienced players who keep grinding the tables can leave newcomers feeling out of their depth, prompting some to give up early. Offshore poker sites add further pressure, since they can gather larger player bases and offer better prize conditions because of their size.

Pooling liquidity would have helped consolidate the player base and made the Ontario market more attractive, the report suggests. With the Supreme Court holding back, however, it concludes that a significant improvement in the province's online poker scene is unlikely in the near term.