NSUS Group Warns Ontario Online Poker Faces Bleak Future Without Shared Liquidity

Ontario’s regulated online poker market faces a bleak future if the Supreme Court of Canada blocks international player pooling, an executive with GGPoker parent NSUS Group warned. Sarne Lightman, managing director of NSUS, said ring-fencing the province will ultimately drive Canadian players back toward unregulated offshore sites.

Ontario’s current ring-fenced poker market has limited the player experience, he added.

Ontario Poker Market Struggles

“Ontario has built one of the most successful regulated iGaming markets in North America, but poker is the exception,” said Lightman. “Unlike slots or sports betting, poker is a peer-to-peer game that needs a critical mass of players at the same time. The small liquidity has dramatically reduced tournament prize pools, and many game types and blind levels are no longer offered. 

“Outside peak hours, the tables are thin, and that hits recreational players hardest. As the rest of the gambling market grows, poker has stagnated, with players slowly bleeding off to unregulated black-market poker companies. Ontarians are still freely signing up to these sites today.”

According to iGaming Ontario’s August report, peer-to-peer poker accounted for just over 1% of the province’s CA$9.74 billion ($6.88 billion) in total wagering, representing roughly CA$122 million ($86.18 million).

“We see no future for poker in a provincially ring-fenced Canada,” said Lightman. “This isn’t only a commercial concern.”

Supreme Court Weighs Liquidity

The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments on Oct. 7 in a closely watched legal case that could reshape Ontario’s regulated online gaming market.

The argument is whether Ontario-based players should be allowed to compete against international opponents in peer-to-peer games like online poker and daily fantasy sports.

Ontario, supported by Alberta, the Canadian Gaming Association and gaming operators, argued that international liquidity for online poker and daily fantasy sports should be allowed under the Criminal Code as long as Ontario continues to conduct and manage legal iGaming within provincial borders.

International Pools Defended

Each regulator would remain fully responsible for its own operators and players, as they join international pools, without needing government-to-government treaties, Lightman said, similar to the United Kingdom and European model. Each operator licensee would be answerable to its own regulator for all of the network activity its players take part in.

The Supreme Court case followed a 4-1 decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal in November 2025 that supported international liquidity.

“Having several regulators oversee the same network makes it safer, not riskier,” said Lightman.

Provincial Lotteries Challenge Model

Provincial lottery corporations representing British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces challenged Ontario’s interpretation, arguing that pooling players across international borders exceeds provincial jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court heard both sides and reserved its decision, with no timeline announced for a ruling.

As Lightman said, the nature of the judges’ questions during last week’s Supreme Court of Canada hearing doesn’t necessarily indicate where the justices are leaning, and he remains confident that the Supreme Court will uphold last year’s decision.

Offshore Poker Sites Benefit

The ring-fenced poker market has “drastically” damaged the poker experience in Ontario, Lightman said.

“Those unregulated black-market sites offer access to global liquidity, but without the proper anti-money laundering (AML) and Safer Gambling protections that Ontarians deserve,” Lightman said. “The black market is ultimately a liquidity competitor: players go where the biggest pools, the most games and the largest tournaments are.”

NSUS Expands Global Operations

Toronto-headquartered NSUS Group, licensed and operating in Ontario, runs GGPoker.ca and, in 2024, acquired the World Series of Poker (WSOP) brand from Caesars Entertainment, significantly expanding its international poker business.

However, NSUS doesn’t operate in Alberta, which went live with an Ontario-style private, competitive, regulated iGaming market in July. 

Like Ontario, players are fenced in. The player pool in Alberta doesn’t justify operating there, he said.

Interprovincial Agreements Dismissed

Asked whether NSUS would participate in potential interprovincial pooling agreements between Ontario and Alberta, Lightman dismissed the concept as inadequate.

“Liquidity sharing between Ontario and Alberta would not meaningfully change the current situation,” Lightman said. “As Alberta forced all unlicensed operators to cease operations on Tuesday, poker players have already migrated to unregulated offshore sites and will have little incentive to return.”

In contrast to the European model, U.S. jurisdictions require states to sign formal multi-jurisdictional compacts before operators can share player pools.

“Even if an agreement could be reached between Alberta and Ontario, a two-province pool would be the U.S. compact model in miniature: too small to compete with the global black market,” Lightman said.