The iGO register is the licence. The Gauge is the score.

Two lists, two jobs

Ontario real-money play is iGO-listed operators only, 19+. That sentence is law, not a ranking kicker. The iGaming Ontario player directory is the source of truth for who may take a bet. TrustFacts does not replace it.

The Trust Gauge is a public 0–100 editorial score. Seven pillars, 30 signals, max 100. It answers a different question: given that this URL is (or is not) on the register, how does the product hold up on licensing paper, payouts, player safety, fairness, transparency, responsible gambling, and complaints?

What the register does

iGaming Ontario sits under AGCO. An operator needs an iGO registration and an AGCO internet gaming operator licence before it can take a bet from someone in the province. Lists move. Confirm the live row before you deposit.

PlayOLG is the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation vertical. It is not the regulator. Private brands on the directory — DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PlayOJO, and others — are different companies with a different cashier and a different recourse model. Same-logo .com sites are different files. See PlayOLG vs iGO.

What the Gauge does

Every published Ontario file is scored from earned signals. You can rerun the math on the review. Rank is never sold. A visit hop attaches only when Gauge is 60 or higher and the file is treated as iGO. Below 60: no hop.

The Ontario desk ranks those files by Gauge, not by welcome bonus. “Best” on that page means the highest Trust Gauge among iGO-facing products we have scored. It is not a paid placement. It is not a substitute for the live register.

What happens when they disagree

If a brand is not on the live iGO directory, it is not an Ontario product. Scoring it would not put it on the Ontario desk. Stake is the worked example: Curaçao paper, crypto cashier, not iGO. Do not VPN.

If a brand is on the directory and the Gauge is low, the review stays in the index. High-risk files still appear. We do not bury a listed operator because the affiliate rate is poor, and we do not promote an unlisted operator because the bonus is large.

How do I check if an online casino is legal in Ontario?

Search the live iGaming Ontario player directory for the operator name. If it is not listed, it is not an Ontario product. Then open the TrustFacts review if we have filed it.

A high Gauge is not a licence. Full walkthrough: How do I check if an online casino is legal in Ontario?.

How to cite either one

Cite the register for legality. Cite the review URL plus the integer Gauge for the editorial score. Do not invent a number. Do not treat an Ontario iGO URL as an Alberta AGLC licence or as the US sister file.

Machine-readable scores: Trust Gauge CSV. Attribution rules: how to cite. Methodology: The Gauge.

Quick answers

Is the Trust Gauge the same as the iGO register?

No. The live iGaming Ontario player directory is the legal list. The Trust Gauge is a public 0–100 editorial score of products we have filed. Rank is never sold. 19+.

If a casino scores 90, is it legal in Ontario?

Only if it is on the live iGO directory. A high Gauge is not a licence. Confirm the register before you deposit.

Why does TrustFacts still list brands that are not iGO?

So the index is honest. Those files sit on the rest-of-Canada or other desks. A rest-of-Canada hop is not legal in Ontario. Do not VPN.