The Ontario government has pledged $9 million to bolster responsible gambling measures in the province as part of a three-year investment plan.

The funding for the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund (RIGF) was announced during the Responsible Gambling Council’s annual Discovery Conference. It will support the creation of education and additional resources for Ontario players, improving consumer education campaigns, expanding community outreach programs and building partnerships with community groups all with the aim of ensuring every Ontarian bettor and player has easy access to a range of RG resources.

The RGC called the announcement a “monumental moment” and stated that the additional funding will pave the way for  it to “further enhance its consumer education campaigns, expand community outreach programming, and build partnerships with local community groups to deliver its message to more Ontarians.”

“Ontario has long been a champion for responsible gambling and this investment into prevention education and programming and today’s announcement is a game-changer,” said RGC CEO Shelley White. “This clearly demostrates Ontario is the Canadian leader in promoting responsible play, minimizing harm and creating a strong, sustainable online gambling market.”

“We applaud and thank the Ontario government for this welcome and historic investment into responsible play. We know online gambling comes with unique risks and this funding will have a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of so many Ontarians by providing them with the resources and programming to help keep them safe and build a culture of responsible play in this new environment.”

As Ontario’s regulated online betting and gaming market marks its second anniversary on April 4, the province is continuing its efforts to ensure players in the province are protected.

Last November, the Canadian Gaming Association launched a new program called the CGA Commitment and Strategy to Promote Player Health and Wellbeing which aims to produce responsible gambling guiding principles for the association and develop an advertising and marketing code of conduct.

Last month, iGaming Ontario formally opened its request for proposal process to help construct a centralized self-exclusion solution for gaming in the province. Until April 24, the iGO is accepting bids for a SaaS project that will make it as easy as possible for provincial sports bettors to voluntarily ban themselves from any regulated website. The successful bidder will collaborate with iGO on a multi-year project to build a program which earns and holds the trust and confidence of the Ontario industry’s range of stakeholders, including players and operators.

Meanwhile, the RGC continues to accredit the responsible gambling efforts of major sportsbooks and iGaming operators.

Just last week, the council announced that Caesars Sportsbook, whose Caesars Digital and Caesars Sportsbook brands are available legally on the regulated online market to millions of players in Ontario, has been awarded the RG Check accreditation, certifying that the operator “has achieved the highest standards for their responsible gambling practices.”