Sports betting and gaming group Entain announced Friday that its Sports Interaction brand has secured an online gaming license to operate in the recently regulated Ontario market. The permit was granted by the jurisdiction’s regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

This milestone will see four Entain brands operational in the jurisdiction, as Sports Interaction will sit alongside bwin, Party and BetMGM. Entain acquired Canadian sports betting operator Avid Gaming – the owner of Sports Interaction – earlier this year.

The combination of Sports Interaction’s heritage, local expertise and Entain’s global platform “provides customers with an unrivaled experience in the market,” the company said in a statement.

Robert Hoskin, Chief Governance Officer at Entain, commented: “We’re really pleased with our performance so far across our stable of brands in Ontario, and in particular to have secured a license for our Sports Interaction brand in this highly competitive market.”

He also stated that, since the Sports Interaction acquisition, the company has bolstered the team on the ground “as part of the integration to really capture the exciting growth opportunity ahead.”

“It has the potential to be a significant market with a large, engaged and passionate sports fan base. As a global leader in sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment, this aligns with our strategy to be a leader across our regulated markets,” he concluded.

Entain has committed to operating only in fully domestically regulated jurisdictions by the end of 2023, and sees Sports Interaction’s Ontario license as a significant step in this direction. 

Ontario’s iGaming market saw total wagers of CAD 4.07 billion ($3.09 billion) in the second quarter of the year – its first full quarter of market operations -, leading to total gaming revenue of CAD 162 million ($123.9 million) for the period ending June 30.