Online casino and sports betting giant Rush Street Interactive (RSI) has made its debut in the Canadian market with the launch of its social gaming platform, CASINO4FUN, in the province of Ontario.

The free-to-play online casino and sportsbook is available now on all mobile devices, tablets, desktop, and laptop computers for Ontarians aged 19 and older at BetRivers.net.

CASINO4FUN is powered by the same proprietary technology behind RSI’s real-money platform and offers Ontario players the same gaming options that the company offers its players in the U.S. and Latin America. The online casino includes over 350 of the latest slot machines and table games and loyalty and bonus features, while the online sportsbook offers single-game betting and parlays in numerous leagues worldwide.

Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI, said: “Our expansion into Canada represents an exciting new frontier for RSI and continues our growth across the Americas. CASINO4FUN offers our community of players the same high level of entertainment and customer service of RSI’s real-money gaming platform, delivered in a casual and free-to-play setting. We look forward to providing a truly differentiated gaming experience for players in Ontario that is focused on fostering player trust and enjoyment.”

Subject to licensing and regulatory approvals, RSI expects to launch a real-money online casino and sports betting in Ontario under its BetRivers brand in the coming months.

RSI seems to plan to use CASINO4FUN as a leverage point for BetRivers. CASINO4FUN allows the firm to build its brand and player database and provide players with access to complete the registration process for the BetRivers real-money platform upon its launch.

This is the latest major sign that the competition in Ontario’s evolving iGaming and sports betting market is heating up, not least from the likes of Penn National Gaming, which has recently added Score Media and Gaming to a portfolio of assets that already includes Barstool Sports.