William Hill is suspending its new operations in Ontario until it is approved to enter the province’s regulated market.

The brand, which is owned in the US by Caesars Entertainment and outside the US by 888, contacted its active casino and gambling affiliates to inform them not to send marketing material or traffic from the Canadian province of Ontario until the company has acquired an operations license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

The email sent by the company said that it has made “the strategic decision” to stop operations in Ontario until it has obtained a license, and is no longer accepting new registrations from Ontario.

The communication added that there is no set date for completion of the switch to regulated operations in Ontario, but the company says it expects to re-enter in the market “in the coming months”. In the meantime, William Hill will continue promoting its products in the rest of Canada.

888 has its own brands, 888casino, 888sports, and 888poker, already live in the regulated Ontario market.

Meanwhile, William Hill US owner Caesars already has a stake in the market with its https://sportsbook.caesars.com site licensed and operational. However, William Hill, a giant of UK and US betting, is yet to join other industry leaders such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and theScore Bet in the province.

Caesars acquired the US business of William Hill in April 2021.