Canada is an open-minded country, and Canadian gamblers are allowed to enjoy online gambling on their favourite sports and players! News about Canadians who won record-breaking sums motivates punters even more, and all of them want a piece of the action. Laws in Canada can confuse you, so we invite you to read our review and learn more about everything you need to know!
Is Online Gambling Legal In Canada?
Online gambling is completely legal and regulated in Canada, which is an additional reason why there are so many enthusiastic gamblers in this beautiful country. However, the law includes only playing at trusted gambling sites that are fully licensed and independently regulated. In 2012, British Columbia opened its first governed and fully legal slot machine in North America. There are also online casinos and online Poker Rooms for anyone over the legal age wishing to play all over the internet in the land of Canada. The only exception is Alberta, which combines its functions into one government agency. British Columbia is the only province in the country with regulated casino jurisdiction.
Online Casinos & Sports Betting In Canada [YEAR]
Canada has 10 self-governed provinces, and each of them comes with similar gambling laws. The relationship between the government and private companies varies. While it is illegal to operate a gambling house in Canada, it’s not officially illegal to gamble online. Online casinos in Canada have proper licenses issued by reputable governing bodies. Many Canadians also opt to play online at offshore casinos as they are friendly to Canadian players. The good news is the Canadian law doesn’t prevent players from accessing casinos in both Canada and offshore locations.
Gambling In The Provinces
Canada is divided into 10 provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island. Each province has its own autonomous power granted by the federal government to the many lieutenant governors. In this section, we will review all 10 of the provinces and their impact on the average gambler.
Alberta
Currently, gamblers in Alberta can place sports wagers by betting on the result of several sports matches as well as on single-event sports. Alberta works together with the successful WCLC (Western Canada Lottery Corporation). This mega-corporation controls Sport Select, and its list of games includes Point Spread, Pro-Line, Over-Under, Pools, and Props. Nowadays, gamblers can place a Sport Select bet only at authorized WCLC retailers all over Alberta. Offshore casinos and land-based casinos are also very popular here.
Manitoba
From basketball to soccer, baseball to hockey and horse racing, in Manitoba, you can bet on all popular sports events you can think about. The best part is that you can find fanciful lines and attractive markets via all grand online sports wagering companies related to offshore online casinos.
Manitoba offers the simplest betting process in the world. Any resident of this province can bet online if they are older than 18 years, already have their own phone number and email address, and can transfer money using any of the available banking methods. Once an interested punter meets these criteria, they can move towards selecting their favourite sportsbook and start online gambling.
Quebec
Quebec is a place where a big chunk of its residents like to play online casino games for real money and enjoy online betting. Fortunately, Canada has some significant rules and protocols regarding online gaming activity.
Lots of Canadian betting sites operate in province borders, even if based offshore. The government of Canada doesn’t regulate these sites, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t reliable. They all do their best to offer good betting options and the safest payment system for their customers.
British Columbia
I guess you weren’t familiar with the fact that a few years ago gamblers couldn’t bet on single-sport, as it was illegal. In this popular destination, the previous betting laws were so strict that they pushed punters to gamble at suspicious and gray-market betting sites. They also used casinos through the Washington State border because their law permitted betting on single-event sports.
However, punters could still wager on “parlay style bets”, which means the law allowed them to bet on the result of a minimum of two different sports events. Fortunately, this changed in the summer of 2021, and the British Columbia lottery corporation became the center of players’ attention. In terms of the legal gambling age, this province allows residents older than 19 years to place a bet and keep their winnings if they follow the responsible gaming and gambling laws.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is home to the widest betting fan bases in the country. An astounding number of punters regularly gamble, and they do it on the internet.
This may come as a surprise, but currently, a vast amount of the grandest online gambling websites on the Earth are available in New Brunswick. NB citizens are lucky to have so many fantastic online gambling sites to choose from, but sometimes, you can hear them saying it is hard to pick the right bookmaker to join!
Newfoundland and Labrador
We must admit that we were happy when we discovered that gambling in this eastern province of Canada is legal and extremely popular. Newfoundland & Labrador residents like online casinos; they engage in poker rooms, table games, casino games, slot machines, and sports betting. There is a wide array of online operators players can choose from, just like in other Canadian provinces, and they are all beneficial.
Northwest Territories
As we already know, the Northwest Territories don’t have professional sports clubs and a big population. Interestingly, though, this province is home to the most enthusiastic sports supporters and gamblers!
Sportsbooks warmly welcome all Northwest Territories citizens and sweeten the pot, providing generous bonuses for those who taste the online gambling waters for the first time. What we found most exciting is the fact that they allow you to wager on various sports, such as horse racing, baseball, ice hockey, Esports, and MMA.
Nova Scotia
It isn’t a secret that this small province with a high percentage of online bettors allows its citizens to bet online legally if they gamble responsibly. Namely, it offers solid opportunities for gamblers at the moment. Believe it or not, here, the provincial government has its own betting website run by the Grand Atlantic Lottery Corporation. It brings a mixture of fascinating gambling options, such as bingo, lottery games, horse races, and other sports betting events.
However, its website doesn’t support old-style betting options, including comprehensive sports betting options and online games betting. So, lots of gamblers play at offshore sites, which aren’t regulated by the Canadian government gambling laws, but they are 100% legal in the green Nova Scotia.
Ontario
Niagara Falls and precious stones aren’t the only notable interesting facts about Ontario. Legal sports betting and lots of sportsbooks are equally as attractive and challenging aspects. Residents of this exotic destination can become a part of the giant online gambling market as long as they meet the criteria like legal gambling age and healthy sports betting habits. As soon as you register and create an account, you are just a few minutes away from parlay bets and sporting events!
Prince Edward Island
This Canadian province with a catching name is a small island whose residents can bet on various betting options. In Prince Edward Island, players can engage in video lottery terminals, racetracks, sports betting as well as charitable gaming. Residents of this region can enjoy lots of sportsbooks that provide decent sports betting services and support the French language alongside the Canadian dollar.
Saskatchewan
Only a small number of online gamblers know that most of the leading betting websites work in Saskatchewan. Many sites take severe measures to provide their customers with safe banking methods and a rich library of good sporting odds and entertaining games. Some of those online casinos are Jackpot City, Spin Casino, and Ruby Fortune.
Yukon Territory
Becoming a resident of Yukon brings many benefits, and legal online gambling is one of them. Even though Yukon doesn’t have tons of sports clubs and gamblers don’t have too many betting options, there are still lots of gamblers who enjoy online betting on their favourite players and teams around the world. They mostly prefer betting on winter sports as well as MMA, golf, and baseball.
Who Is Responsible For The Licensing Of Online Casinos & Sportsbooks?
To be marked as a legal casino, both online casinos and land-based operators need to have a license. Casinos get their licenses from different jurisdictions, and the federal government legislation has the right of control over their online gambling business. Independent licensed regulators can provide gambling licenses, too. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and Curaçao Electronic Gambling Commission are some of the key players.
How Do I Sign Up For A Gambling Site In Canada?
All of our recommended casino sites are safe to play at. Find the online casino that best suits you and sign up by providing a couple of personal details. Make your first deposit and play on the device you prefer. All top online casinos offer mobile sites or apps that run flawlessly on mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, Android devices, etc. You can also play on your desktop computer as all the games and sports are optimized and compatible with all devices regardless.
FAQ
How much can I earn betting at Canadian gambling websites?
The answer depends on how much money you’re willing to risk. Speaking of wagering and the gaming industry as a whole, you have many betting opportunities to win, including sports betting, lottery tickets, and online casinos. So, the amount you can win is not a fixed one, as it solely depends on how much you’re willing to risk and the outcome of your bet.
How can you Avoid illegal casinos?
You need to be careful when choosing a casino. You should always check if the casino is legal or not, and you can do it by selecting only the ones holding a license. By practicing illegal gambling, you might break Canadian laws or the criminal code related to gambling in Canada.
Which type of gambling should I try, and what should I do if I have a problem with withdrawing my funds?
First of all, you must register and deposit with a reputable gambling website to avoid such scenarios. You can try Alberta gaming, Ontario lottery, provincial lottery betting house, or another common betting house because they allow you to keep all of your casino winnings. If you have a problem with withdrawing your money, you can contact the gaming commission and ask for legal advice without breaking the federal criminal code or federal competition act provisions.
What if you can’t control your gambling habits?
It’s paramount to control your gambling activities whether you are a fan of national lottery games or other online gambling services. If you somehow knee down to gambling addiction, ask for help as soon as possible.
Last Updated on November 18, 2021
