How to Participate in the Live Poker Tournament
Players can earn a seat in the poker tournament semi-finals by winning a qualifying round to participate in the CNE Casino Hold'em Poker Tournament. This will run several times every day and the buy-in is only $200. The qualifying rounds of the tournament will be played in a sit-and-go format with a maximum of 10 players. You'll find up to 200 qualifying rounds, providing a maximum prize of $320,000.
The Live Poker tournament event in 2023 was a sell-out, offering a prize pool of $248,000. The management team at CNE Casino is expecting another sell-out this year along with a much bigger prize pool. There will be five semi-final qualifying rounds that will take place on July 31, August 7, August 14, August 21, and August 28. Each semi-final will have 40 participants, and the top 10 players from each semi-final will progress to the finals that will be held on August 30 and August 31.
Enjoy Online Action at PokerStars Ontario
If you are unable to participate in the Live Poker Tournament at CNE Casino, situated in Toronto's Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, you'll be pleased to know that PokerStars Ontario has got you covered. All you need to do is download the software on your desktop or mobile device and register a new account to access PokerStars Ontario. Players can look forward to scheduled daily events, sit-and-go tournaments, cash games, and regular festivals like the Spin and Go Heist and the Sunset Series.
CNE Attractions and Experiences to Enjoy
The CNE Casino Live Poker Tournament is just a small part of the entire CNE experience. For those who are unable to go past the qualifying events will have plenty of attractions and experiences to enjoy throughout their visit. This includes casino table games and poker cash games at CNE Casino. From August 18, CNE will open additional attractions for visitors, including a circus based on Cirque-Tacular Spectacular, a gaming tent, a farm, musical performances, fountain show, and an ice skating show.
You can also look forward to scheduled shows on a regular basis performed by a drone team, the monster energy skateboard team, and by SuperDogs. You will also benefit from additional celebrations from August 18 for the opening of the CNE experience. From September 2 until September 4, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the Canadian International Air Show that will take place overhead. There will undoubtedly be something for everyone this year, making it well worth your time and money.
Online Gambling Revenue in Q1 Grows by a Third in Ontario
The number of active player accounts throughout Ontario has doubled during the first quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year. Revenue in the province has also increased by 34.4% year-on-year from online casino gaming and sports betting. The Q1 report from iGaming Ontario shows a 31.4% in wagered amounts across all verticals to $18.4 billion in the three months ending June 30 which also represents an improvement of 3.4% on Q4.
This is primarily due to the fact that more players have entered the market. In the first quarter, active player accounts have more than doubled to an astonishing 1.9 million, with 50 operators overseeing 81 gambling sites. This surpasses Q1 2023-24 by a staggering 106.5%, representing a 46.2% on the previous quarter. The average monthly spend in Ontario per active player account has also increased by 44.2% to $284 year-on-year. After adjustments and winnings from promotional spend by licensees, the overall revenue for the quarter has increased 34.4% to $726m year-on-year.
iGaming Ontario Reports Total Gambling Handle of $18.4B in Q2
In the 2024-25 Q2 market performance report, iGaming Ontario showed significant growth throughout its regulated online gambling platforms. The total gambling handle between April and June 2024 reached $18.4 billion, showing a phenomenal 31% increase when compared to the same period in the previous year. The report also indicates that total gambling revenue increased to $726 million during the quarter which is a 34% increase year-on-year.
The biggest revenue drive for the province is casino games, contributing roughly 84% when it comes to total wagers. Over $15.5 billion was wagered by players on casino games, including peer-to-peer bingo, traditional and live table games, and online slots. This segment generated more than $529 million in revenue, representing 73% of the quarter's total revenue. The latest figures represent a significant increase compared to the 2023 Q2 report where $11.6 billion was wagered and gaming revenue was $393 million.
Number of Licensed Operators Continues to Rise
The number of gambling operators in Ontario have been rising since the introduction of the regulation and it now stands at 81 licensed online gaming sites, providing online poker, sportsbetting, and online casino games. The Casino Rewards Group is the most reputable, and many of their sites now hold iGO licenses too. Member casinos that form part of this prestigious group offer no deposit free spins, minimum deposit requirements, multi-tiered welcome packages, and excellent loyalty rewards. You can also look forward to live dealer action powered by Evolution along with hundreds of games supplied by Games Global.
