Online gambling in Ontario: 5 facts from OLG

A screen grab shows the homepage of PlayOLG.ca.

Ontario officials hope the launch of an online gambling site will keep money that was being spent on international sites in the province.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation launched its online gambling site PlayOLG.ca nearly four months ago, letting residents of the province play casino games and buy lottery tickets from home.

The site went live on Jan. 8, after several weeks of preview testing by members of OLG's rewards program. Before the site launched, OLG representatives estimated that Ontarians were spending at least $500 million every year on offshore gambling sites.

OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti said those behind the site hope it will bring a large portion of the money back to Ontario.

Four months after the site launched, here are five facts about PlayOLG.ca:

Are the games fair?

A statement on PlayOLG.ca says the site only offers games that give genuinely random outcomes. The randomness is thoroughly tested by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario software testing experts, the site says. Game outcomes are also recoverable so player bets can be settled appropriately.

Which provinces offer online gambling sites?

Ontario is the eighth province to set up a provincially regulated Internet gaming website. British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and P.E.I. all have similar sites.

Who uses online gambling sites?

Approximately 500,000 Ontario residents spend between $400 million and $500 million annually on out-of-province gambling sites, according to OLG.

Where does the money go?

The proceeds from PlayOLG.ca go to health, education and community programs in Ontario. The money goes into the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the Province of Ontario, where it is split up and spent on provincial priorities.

Millions of dollars go to charities, community events, hospitals, gambling addiction research and amateur athletes. A full breakdown of programs funded by OLG is available online.

Which numbers are the most frequent winners?

If you've decided to buy a lottery ticket but aren't sure which numbers to pick, OLG lets users check the frequency of winning numbers online. For example, the most frequent winning Lotto 649 numbers are 31, 45, 34, 40 and 20.

Wondering if your numbers have ever won? OLG lets users check their numbers online.

We'd like to talk to players about their online gambling experiences at PlayOLG.ca. Contact consumer reporter Pat Foran at [e-mail] to share your story.