How Online Gambling Laws in Canada Work
May 15, 2024 Stephen CharlesworthCanada is soon becoming a haven for online gamblers in North America. Still, while online gaming is on the rise in Canada, there are still many laws and regulations that come with it. Today we will discuss online gambling laws in Canada and tell you more about legal and regulated Canadian online casinos.
Online Gambling Laws in Canada
Online gambling is becoming more and more popular with Canadian players who seek the convenience of playing at online casinos from their couch. However, online gambling laws in Canada vary greatly based on the province or territory. This is because Canada is a federal state whereas provinces are allowed to pass and implement various laws through their provincial governments.
Still, the provinces have to comply with federal laws concerning gambling. Most regulations concerning online gambling on federal level can be found in the Canadian Criminal Code which has been amended many times over the years.
An amendment of the Criminal Code from 1970, transferred power from the federal government over to the provinces in regards to gambling. The amendment thus allowed the provinces to regulate their own gambling industries. Additionally, in 2021, the Canadian government passed Bill C-218, allowing each province and territory to launch their own legal online gambling market.
However, the Canadian government does forbid Canadian-based online casinos unless they are state-run. While this is a bummer, Canadians can play at offshore online casinos and sportsbooks.
Online Gambling Laws in the Canadian Provinces and Territories
In the following sections, we will review the online gambling laws of each province and territory as they slightly differ.
Online Gambling Laws in Alberta
Online gambling is legal in Alberta and very popular. Alberta launched its own gambling platform called Play Alberta which offers casino style games, sports betting and lottery. Play Alberta is operated by the provincial government and regulated by the AGLC (Alberta Gaming Liquor & Cannabis). Additionally, players from Alberta are allowed to bet at offshore online casinos and sportsbooks.
Legal gambling age: 18+
Online Gambling Laws in British Columbia
Online gambling is allowed in British Columbia. Similar to Alberta, British Columbia owns and operates a gambling platform called PlayNow with the revenue going towards various social programs in the province. PlayNow features casino games, sports betting and lottery. The gambling operator is licenced and regulated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Players are also free to bet at casino sites abroad.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Manitoba
You can legally gamble online in Manitoba. Manitoba residents can play online at PlayNow which is run by the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation in partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Naturally, Manitobans can also play at offshore casinos and sportsbook.
Legal gambling age: 18+
Online Gambling Laws in New Brunswick
New Brunswick allows online gambling. Just like other provinces and territories, players can play online at the state-run gambling operator ALC.ca which is operated and licenced by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC). ALC.ca offers sports betting and all kinds of online gambling games such as slots, table games, scratch cards, bingo and lotto.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Newfoundland and Labrador
Players can legally bet online in Newfoundland and Labrador. There is one gambling platform and that’s ALC.ca again, operated and owned by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. You can also gamble at offshore casino sites.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in the Northwest Territories
While online gambling is legal in the Northwest Territories, there are no licenced gambling operators there. Instead, players have to either bet at land-based venues or register for online casinos abroad.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia allows online gambling and like many other provinces, it provides it through ALC.ca. Gambling in the province is regulated by the Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority. Players are allowed to bet at online casinos overseas.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Nunavut
Online gambling is legal in Nunavut, but perhaps due to the small population of the Canadian territory, there is no Nunavut-based gambling platform nor any land-based casinos. This is why players from Nunavut turn to legal and regulated online casinos from abroad.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Ontario
Online gambling is not only legal in Ontario, but it’s also highly popular with the province taking first place on our list of the most gambling-friendly Canadian provinces and territories. Ontario was the first province to legalise online gambling after the passing of Bill C-218 which allowed provinces to regulate online gambling.
Ontario thus welcomed commercial online casinos and sportsbooks (based abroad) in 2022. Commercial gambling operators have to be licenced and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (ACGO). So far, the ACGO has licenced over 60 online casinos and sportsbooks.
Ontario is projected to add $423 million in profit to its coffers in the three years since the launch of its legal online gambling industry.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Prince Edward Island
Online gambling is legal in Prince Edward Island. Players can bet at ALC.ca which is run by the Atlantic provinces. Residents are also free to bet online at offshore casinos and sportsbooks.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Quebec
Quebec allows online gambling. Quebecois can play at the gambling platform Loto-Quebec, run by the provincial government. Loto-Quebec offers sports betting, casino-style games, lottery, bingo and instant games.
Legal gambling age: 18+
Online Gambling Laws in Saskatchewan
Online gambling is legal in Saskatchewan with the province launching PlayNow in 2022. The platform, as previously mentioned, is run by multiple provinces. The Saskatchewan gambling regulator is Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SaskGaming). Players can also gamble at offshore casinos and sportsbooks.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Online Gambling Laws in Yukon
While online gambling is allowed in Yukon, the sparsely-populated territory has no legal online operators. Instead, players from Yukon can only bet at overseas online casinos and sportsbooks.
Legal gambling age: 19+
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed learning about the various online gambling laws in Canada and its provinces and territories. Shall anything change in the future, we will update this article.
FAQ
Thank you for reading this article! Don’t forget to check out the popular questions below for more specific information regarding online gambling laws in Canada:
Is online gambling legal in Canada?
Online gambling is not prohibited in Canada, meaning that you can legally partake in it. Different provinces and territories have different laws regarding gambling, but you can bet online at offshore online casinos in all of Canada.
Are there commercial online casinos in Canada?
There is currently only one province with commercial online casinos – Ontario. Ontario has so far licenced over 60 commercial gambling operators and it's likely for other provinces to follow suit in the future.
What’s the legal gambling age in Canada?
The legal gambling age in Canada varies based on the province/territory. Most provinces like Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia set it at 19, but others like Quebec have a legal gambling age of 18+.
