A landmark court ruling could soon pave the way for cross-border online competition for Ontario poker players. This means international opponents could enter the fray soon, diversifying Canada’s iGaming landscape.
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What Did the Court of Appeal for Ontario Rule?
Ontario poker players could one day share tables with opponents outside Canada. In November 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled 4-1 that the province’s proposed international pooled liquidity model would be lawful under the Criminal Code. That opinion is now under appeal at the Supreme Court of Canada, which hears the case on October 2026, and nothing changes for players until the court rules.
Pooled liquidity means combining player pools across jurisdictions, so more players sit at the same cash game tables and enter the same tournaments. The court’s opinion came with a condition: Ontario must continue to conduct and manage the Ontario side of the scheme through iGaming Ontario (iGO), the provincial agency that contracts with private operators. The proposed model covers players outside Canada, not players in other Canadian provinces
The majority answered the reference question in the affirmative: online gaming and sports betting would remain lawful under the Criminal Code if Ontario players could take part in games with players outside Canada. Justice van Rensburg dissented, finding that the scheme would need to be conducted and managed entirely within Ontario.
What Would Shared Poker Tables Mean for Ontario Players?
The main takeaway here is that more money and more competition will enter the picture. Top Canadian online casinos could offer cash games between players in Ontario and across the border. Plus, with greater participation and turnout in online tournaments, prize pools will become much more valuable.
The opinion has no practical effect yet. In December 2025, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and Loto-Québec joined as an appellant in April 2026. These provincial lottery corporations run government-owned Canadian online casinos in their own provinces and oppose international pooled liquidity. The Supreme Court hears the appeal on October 7, 2026, with Alberta supporting Ontario’s position.
| Factor | If the Supreme Court Upholds the Ruling | Approval from Supreme Court on Pooled Liquidity (What Can Potentially Open Up) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Status | Ongoing appeal process; no definitive legal answer | Legal clarity that would provide operators with more guidance |
| Market | All online poker remains within Ontario’s borders | Shared player pools with approved international jurisdictions |
| Tournament Size | Smaller due to provincial limitations | Larger due to participants from around the world |
| Online Poker Availability | Fewer active tables concentrated at peak hours | Active and consistent gameplay at all times |
What Happens If Ontario Wins?
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of pool liquidity, the best Ontario online casinos will let players compete in multinational and global networks. Ontario can decide whether and how to launch international pooled liquidity. iGO-licensed poker rooms could then connect Ontario players to international networks, giving them larger tournament fields and bigger prize pools than the Ontario-only market supports
Tournaments will be bigger, and payouts will be worth much more. And players won’t have to pay a premium to enter. Players can explore the competition and participate based on what their bankroll will allow.
What Happens If the Supreme Court Overturns the Ruling?
If the Supreme Court overturns the ruling, Ontario’s online poker market stays ring-fenced, as it has been since the regulated market launched in April 2022. Ontario players would keep competing only against other Ontario players, with the smaller fields and prize pools that come with a closed market.
When Could Ontario Poker Players Share Tables?
Shared tables will not arrive quickly even if Ontario wins. The Supreme Court of Canada does not rule from the bench, and decisions usually follow several months after oral arguments. Ontario would then need to set up the regulatory framework and agreements with international jurisdictions before any poker room could pool players. Separately, Ontario and Alberta are working toward a memorandum of understanding on sharing liquidity between the two provinces
The Supreme Court’s decision will settle whether Ontario’s international pooled liquidity model is lawful under the Criminal Code. Until then, Ontario poker players remain limited to Ontario-only player pools at Ontario online casinos.
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