OLG launching online gambling site

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is set to go all in with its new online gambling site.

Dubbed PlayOLG, the site will first be tested by approximately 53,000 of the OLG's most loyal customers before the official launch in the coming weeks.

"Eligible members of OLG’s Winner's Circle Rewards programs will participate in a short-term, soft launch of the new site before it becomes available to legal-aged Ontarians in coming weeks," OLG said in a statement on Tuesday.

The site will offer an assortment of interactive, casino-style games, such as slots, Blackjacks and Roulette. Customers will also be able to purchase their Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max tickets, as well as play Encore on the site.

Similar sites that are regulated by crown corporations are already available in British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, and all of the Atlantic provinces.

The OLG says their new site aims to capture some of the millions of dollars that flow each year into off-shore gambling websites.

"Currently, approximately 500,000 Ontarians spend an estimated $400 - $500 million annually on out-of-province, grey market sites which are not regulated in Ontario," OLG said.

The new site will also feature a number of safeguards designed to prevent addictive gambling behaviour. For example, there will be a limit on the number of lottery tickets that can be purchased, and a limit for time spent playing casino-style games.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss