Bojoko has emerged as one of the iGaming industry’s most distinctive affiliate platforms, earning recognition for its commitment to user-focused tools and meticulous vetting of every brand it features. Despite its growing prominence, the company operates exclusively in two vastly different markets: the United Kingdom and Canada. Bojoko.com serves British players with a strict focus on brands licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), while Bojoko.ca caters to the unique dynamics of Canada’s online gambling scene.

This narrowed focus is what makes Bojoko stand out. By dedicating itself to just two countries, the company can thoroughly navigate the unique challenges and opportunities presented by each market. In the UK, the UKGC license is a gold standard—renowned for its stringent regulations and formidable penalties. In stark contrast, Canada represents a predominantly “grey market,” where offshore online gambling operates with little regulation, apart from Ontario’s pioneering licensing framework.

To unpack the contrasts between these two landscapes, I spoke with Bojoko’s Christoffer Ødegården. Drawing from years of expertise in regulatory strategy and market behavior, Ødegården offers a compelling perspective on the factors shaping iGaming in these regions and the implications of their regulatory paths for the industry’s future.

Gustav Ellison: You oversee operations in both the UK and Canada. What unique challenges and opportunities do these markets present?

Christoffer Ødegården: Managing operations in these two markets feels like balancing two different worlds. The UK offers stability with its centralized and mature regulatory framework under the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). This structure not only builds trust among players and operators but also ensures consistency in how rules are applied.

For affiliates like Bojoko, this provides a clear path to follow, making it easier to build strong, transparent relationships with players and operators. While we take time carefully vetting and testing brands, the fact that we only list UKGC-licensed operators gives us a very easy framework and an instant sign of trust. Brands operating on licenses where they can get away with dodgy business are simply not even considered.

Canada, on the other hand, is fragmented. Each province has its own rules—or lack thereof. Ontario has taken the lead with a regulated market, which has been exciting to watch, but many other provinces are still behind. In many ways, Ontario is similar to the UK and has clearly taken its lessons on board, though sadly, it also offers very little in terms of variety.

This creates inconsistencies in player experiences and poses challenges for operators trying to navigate the system. For Bojoko, this means we have had to adapt by offering tools and information that specifically address these gaps, helping Canadian players find trusted operators in an evolving environment.

The difference between these two markets highlights how important governance is in shaping the growth and trust of the iGaming industry. It’s fascinating to see how a mature market like the UK contrasts with an emerging one like Canada, especially as both continue to evolve.

Ellison: Market size is another key factor. How do the UK and Canada compare in terms of revenue and growth potential?

Ødegården: The UK is a powerhouse. The British iGaming market generated around £15 billion in revenue last year. That’s driven by a strong cultural connection to gambling, particularly sports betting, and the trust from a well-regulated environment. It’s a mature market, but it still has room for innovation, particularly in responsible gaming and new technologies.

Canada, while smaller in comparison, is catching up fast. Legalizing single-event sports betting in 2021 opened up massive opportunities, and Ontario has led the charge. With over 14 million residents, Ontario alone could rival many national markets. I recall seeing insights from Ontario iGaming, which reported an annual revenue of over $1.4 billion, and this is just one province.

The growth potential in Canada is incredible. While the UK serves as a model of maturity, Canada represents the excitement of a rapidly expanding market. Each has lessons to offer operators, policymakers, and affiliates.

Ellison: Marketing plays a vital role in iGaming. How do strategies differ between these two markets?

Ødegården: The UK’s marketing landscape is all about regulation and responsibility. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the UK Gambling Commission have very clear rules about how operators and affiliates can advertise. These rules include restrictions on promotions like free bets and a focus on protecting vulnerable groups. Thus, marketing strategies need to be transparent, compliant, and carefully executed.

In Canada, it’s a bit of a Wild West—outside of Ontario, at least. The lack of a unified framework in most provinces allows offshore operators to use aggressive marketing tactics that wouldn’t fly in the UK. Ontario has started setting clear standards through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which is a step in the right direction. That said, this split market offers many challenges, as you need to ensure that any marketing targeting the rest of Canada cannot be reasonably seen by players from Ontario. This means you need a lot of technical solutions if you wish to cater to both the regulated market and the grey market.

At Bojoko, we’ve taken a UK-style approach to marketing in Canada. We prioritize transparency and compliance, which I think is also a big part of our success. We are used to thoroughly vetting all brands we list, and this due diligence is far more important in a grey market than one with a single, reliable authority. We are also careful about highlighting all key terms and empowering the players with information, which is another issue many will find lacking in an unregulated market.

Ellison: What are the implications of these regulatory differences?

Ødegården: The UK’s centralized model is a blueprint for balancing growth with player protection. Politically, it positions the UK as a global leader in iGaming, attracting international investment and setting the gold standard for regulation.

However, Canada reflects its federal structure, where provinces have control over their gambling laws. Ontario’s success proves that regional control can work, but it also highlights the inefficiencies of a fragmented system. Affiliates and casinos would prefer to market to one Canada rather than a fragmented Canada. If each province creates regulatory bodies with different or contradictory laws, there may be significant issues.

In my view, the best solution would be a consistent nationwide framework. Politically, though, achieving that would require significant coordination and commitment across provinces—a tall order, but not impossible.

Ellison: What lessons can other countries learn from the experiences of the UK and Canada?

Ødegården: The UK shows the value of a unified approach. Its centralized system ensures transparency, trust, and consistency, which are essential for sustainable growth. It reminds us that strong regulation doesn’t have to stifle innovation—it can actually drive it.

Canada offers a different perspective. The decentralized model allows for regional control, as we’ve seen in Ontario and a more wild-west approach where everything is permissible.

There are many grey markets that work like Canada, but the unique case here is the single body in Ontario, which makes everything more complex.

Ultimately, the main takeaway for us is that regardless of the regulations, players across the world are very different. They want to know that the brands they sign up for are safe, how good they are, what they can get from them, and often, a lot of nitty-gritty details from the small print to avoid surprises.

Cutting our teeth in the UK market allowed us to bring a model of absolute transparency and clarity to a sorely needed grey market. Our final lesson is that the less regulated an industry is, the more players crave trustworthy sources.