Gambling and online gambling are generally legal in Canada (mostly charitable gambling, organized by non-profits, registered charities, and much of the gambling sector is state-owned, state controlled, one way or another). The legal status of gambling and online gambling in Canada are different in each province. In general, it is legal for individual players to play online from 5 provinces. However, what you have available can be as little as temporary online bingo organized by a non-profit charity, or a bone fide online casino owned by the government (and they are not very good, like all state owned things, private is always better), additionally the Kahnawake Gaming Commission licenses online casinos which accept players from the entirety of Canada. Because First Nations reserves can legislate for themselves (this includes games of chance, and internet gambling), this provides a legal loophole, and a way for Canadians to play online even from the provinces and territories where online gambling was not made legal yet. But apart the Kahnawake online casinos, most provinces don’t have much in a way of online gambling (online gambling is technically illegal on federal level, unless legalized on a provincial level). Also, players who play at foreign online gambling websites are not prosecuted, but it is technically illegal to offer gambling services to Canadians, if the company is not licensed within the province (you can find a list of online gambling websites, which accept players from Canada below, many of them are either Kahnawake licensed, or have a partnership with a Kahnawake licensed company).
This confusion stems from Canada’s political system. The country is divided into ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Sasquatchewan) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon) with barely any people living there. Traditionally, gambling legislation has been under provincial jurisdiction and there is no unified federal level gambling legislation, except for horse racing betting. Actually, on a federal level, all forms of gambling (apart from horse racing betting) and online gambling, which are not made explicitly legal on a provincial level, are considered illegal according to the Criminal Code of Canada*. This is very important, this the reason why, video game companies offering so called “loot boxes” are now being sued (see below, at the “Other” section).
This system is easy to understand: each province has its own set of laws and its own regulatory body (the exception is parimutuel betting on horse racing as mentioned before, which is under federal jurisdiction, but online horse racing betting is not regulated on a federal level, just brick & mortar betting, the federal regulatory body is the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency)**. With the advent of online gambling in Canada, provinces have sought to regulate online gambling as well. Several provinces have already some forms of online gambling, these are:
- British Columbia,
- Quebec,
- Ontario,
- Manitoba
- Alberta.
In these provinces online gambling is state controlled and operated. Apart from these provinces, online gambling remains illegal. It’s not possible for private companies to get online gambling licences.
This simple and straightforward system was made more complicated by the various Native American tribes, which decided to get involved in the gambling business, and nowadays even in provinces, where gambling is barely legal, you will find casinos on First Nations reserves (and sometimes online casinos as well, details below, at the “First Nations gambling” section).
Licensed gambling operators are often restricted to one province and/or territory. A licensed operator may only provide services to residents in other provinces if there is an inter-provincial agreement in place (which is getting more and more common nowadays, the big state-owned lottery companies, e.g.: Western Canada Lottery Corporation and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation are present in more and more provinces). Offshore online gambling companies, on the other hand, may not legally allow Canadians to place bets on their websites. Although, players are not prosecuted for playing in foreign online casinos, and actually, very few companies are prosecuted (they are outside of Canada’s jurisdiction). However, there has been an important watershed case of an online gambling company prosecuted under Canadian law in 1999, which created the legal precedent on how to handle such cases. Starnet Communications, had an office in Vancouver, and though they were operating under a Caribbean gambling licence, with servers located somewhere in the Caribbean. Starnet was found to be sufficiently connected to Canada to be prosecuted under its criminal code.*** Back then, in 1999, online gambling was illegal in every province. This has resulted in an exodus, and all gambling companies which operated with an offshore gambling licence left the country. They moved their HQs, offices, servers, staff they still accepted, many even to this day, players from Canada (many actually moved their headquarters to native American reservations e.g.: Kahnawake, and First Nations gambling is a politically sensitive topic, which such rouge companies exploit to continue to operate their illegal online gambling ventures, which has since been made legal in many Native American reservations e.g.: Kahnawake Gaming Commission).
Offshore gambling operators with no connection (so called ‘nexus’)**** to Canada, who are located abroad, and have their servers abroad, continue to successfully avoid Canadian authorities. Players who play in such unlicensed casinos (many of them operate without valid gambling licenses) are not prosecuted, but are often scammed, taken advantage of. Even though players who paly in these unlicensed casinos are not prosecuted, this is technically illegal, and therefore we do not recommend it. Stick to the legally operating and licensed online gambling websites below.
Short summary of the 2021 online gambling situation in Canada: Players are not prosecuted for playing on foreign, unlicensed gambling websites. And even operators are usually left alone, and are not prosecuted. Foreign online gambling operators physically located, but not licensed in a Canadian province can, and have been prosecuted (players were also not prosecuted in these cases as well). Unlicensed offshore online gambling websites are not blocked for legal reasons. E.g.: Quebec tried to force internet service providers (ISPS) to block unlicensed online gambling websites. However, in 2018 the Quebec Superior Court ruled this unconstitutional. It hasn’t been attempted since.*****
Sources:
**Online gambling: Is it even legal? (CBCnews)
***Police conclude search of Starnet (CBCnews – 1999 archive)
****/The Foreign Operators Principle states that as long there are no substantial links with Canada, whatsoever, (referred to as a “nexus” by Canadian courts), Canadian authorities have no jurisdiction over these offshore operators, and therefore, cannot enforce Canadian law. This means that offshore online casino operating under an offshore gambling licence, and with offices and servers outside of Canada are out of reach of Canadian authorities, and are sadly left alone. The only thing the government could do is to block these websites, and block financial transactions to and from these online casinos. But for various legal reasons this is not yet happening, unlike in most other countries. /
*****Quebec’s plans to block unlicensed gaming sites ruled unconstitutional
Below you can see the various Canadian provinces and territories, and their defining gambling bills (all link to the original legal document, click on the name to open it, it also links to the regulatory agency in each province):
Canada gambling licenses in each province
| Province: | Main pieces of gambling legislation, the gambling regulatory body responsible for licensing and regulating games of chance (digital and physical) within each Canadian province/territory, and the available gambling licenses: |
| Alberta | Regulatory body: Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (“AGLC”) – Gambling section. Available gambling licences (charitable groups only, must be a licensed charity, except First Nations casino operators):
These licences do not include internet gambling, only land-based, brick & mortar activity. Everything else is manged by the state through AGLC and the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act. |
| British Columbia | Regulatory body: Government of British Columbia – Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Finance (“GPEB”) Available gambling licences (charitable groups only, must be a licensed charity, except First Nations operators):
Theses licences do not include internet gambling, only land-based, brick & mortar activity except in case of the electronic, online raffle licence and bingo licence. The state owned and operated BC Lottery Corporation is the lottery and state owned gambling company in the province.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Gamin Control Act, Gaming Control Regulation |
| Manitoba | Regulatory body: Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba. Available gambling licences (charitable, non-profit only):
Apart from these licences, municipalities, local government districts and incorporated communities, are allowed to license charitable and religious organizations located within their boundaries to hold raffles where the total prize for each raffle does not exceed $3,000. Everything else seems to be manged by Western Canada Lottery Corporation and their subsidiaries.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act, The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act. |
| New Brunswick | Regulatory body: Gaming, Liquor and Security Licensing Branch of the Department of Justice and Public Safety, and the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) Available gambling licences (charitable, non-profit only):
Casino licence is not listed, but there are two casinos in New Brunswick and 3 First Nations casinos. It’s not clear how they got their licences, and whether it is at all possible to get additional casino licences. Everything else seems to be managed by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: New Brunswick Gaming Control Act |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Regulatory body:Consumer Affairs Division – Digital Government and Service NL. Available gambling licences (charitable, non-profit only):
No video lottery terminal site or lottery retailer licenses are issued anymore. Not clear why, no info about it. Casino gambling is illegal in the province. Atlantic Lottery Corporation is the lottery and state owned gambling company in the province, and manages lottery, scratch tickets and breakopen tickets, which are sold in convenience stores and through video lottery terminals, VLTs.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Newfoundland and Labrador Regulation 1/02 Lottery Licensing Regulations under the Criminal Code (M.C. 1081-82) |
| Northwest Territories | Regulatory body: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
Currently, few land-based gaming options are available to those living in the Northwest Territories. And that few is mostly manged by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. Main pieces of gambling legislation: Northwest Territories Lotteries Act |
| Nova Scotia | Regulatory body: Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and The Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division of Service Nova Scotia Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
Everything else is done by Atlantic Lottery Corporation and includes 6/49, Super 7, scratch tickets, breakopen tickets that are sold in convenience stores and through video lottery terminals or VLTs. Not possible to get a licence for private companies, and even for non-profits. Casino Nova Scotia, which is owned by the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, manages the two casinos – one in Halifax and the other in Sydney. It is not clear if it is at all possible to get additional casino licences (probably needs special approval from the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, not known how that works). Main pieces of gambling legislation: Nova Scotia Gaming Control Act |
| Nunavut | Regulatory body: Nunavut Department of Health, but the licensing is done by Consumer Affairs – Department of Community and Government Services
Available gambling licenses:
Currently, there are very few gambling establishments in Nunavut. And that few is mostly manged by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Lotteries Act – Consolidation of Lotteries Regulations |
| Ontario | Regulatory body: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
The AGCO is responsible for regulating and overseeing licensed lottery events (such as bingo, raffles and the sale of break open tickets) conducted by eligible charitable and religious organizations to raise funds to support charitable purposes. 3 casinos are owned by First Nations, and everything else is done by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Act, and Gaming Control Act |
| Prince Edward Island | Regulatory body: Consumer, Corporate and Financial Services Division of the Department of Justice and Public Safety and Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Lotteries Commission Act |
| Quebec | Regulatory body: Société des loteries du Québec (Loto-Québec), and Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ, english: Quebec Alcohol, Racing, and Gaming Commission), French only. Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
The province of Québec has four casinos (including Casino de Montreal, the largest casino in Canada), which are owned and operated by the Loto Québec. It’s not possible for others to acquire a casino licence. No First Nations casinos.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Rules respecting video lottery machines, Lottery Schemes Regulation, Regulation respecting bingo and a few more, you can find them here. |
| Saskatchewan | Regulatory body: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and Indigenous Gaming Regulators (“IGR”) responsible for First Nations gambling Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
There are nine casinos in the province, including seven First Nations casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). First Nations gaming in Saskatchewan is conducted through an agreement between the provincial government and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). The FSIN formed SIGA to operate the casinos on its behalf.
Main pieces of gambling legislation: Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997, The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation Casino Regulations, 2002 and The Gaming Regulations, 2007 |
| Yukon Territory | Regulatory body: Professional Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Branch of the Department of Community Services Available gambling licenses (charitable, non-profit only):
The Klondike Visitors Association operates Yukon’s first and only casino with a special gambling licence from the Government of Canada, called0 Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall (it’s Canada’s oldest casino actually). Additional casino licenses are not issued. Main pieces of gambling legislation: Lottery Licensing Act |
A few words, a short summary about the gambling and online gambling situation in each province:
Choose your province
Click on the drop down menus below for details.
Alberta
Alberta gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
Alberta has 33 casinos, 5 of them are First Nations casinos.
List of casinos in Alberta:
- Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, 260 Century Downs Drive, Rocky View County, AB T4A 0V5
- Casino Calgary, 1420 Meridian Road NE, Calgary, AB T2A2N9
- Cash Casino Place, 4040B Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2G4E6
- Deerfoot Inn & Casino, 11500 – 35 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2Z3W4
- Elbow River Casino, 218-18 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G1L1
- Grey Eagle Casino, 3777 Grey Eagle Dr. (37 St. SW & Glenmore Tr.) Calgary, AB T3E3X8
- Century Casino Calgary Inc., 1010 – 42 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G1Z4
- Cowboys Casino, 421 – 12 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G1A5
- Camrose Resort Casino, 3201 48 Avenue, Camrose, AB T4V0S5
- Casino Dene, Route 28 &, AB-897, Cold Lake, AB T9M 1P4
- Casino Edmonton, 7055 Argyll Road NW, Edmonton, AB T6C4A5
- Casino Yellowhead, 12464 153 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5V1S5
- Century Casino, 13103 Fort Road NW, Edmonton, AB T5A1C3
- Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, 14711 Airport Perimeter Road, Edmonton International Airport, AB T9E 0V6
- Grand Villa Casino Edmonton. 10204 – 104 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5J4Y8
- Starlight Casino Edmonton, 2710, 8882 – 170 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5T4J2
- River Cree Resort and Casino, 300 East Lapotac Boulevard, Enoch, AB T7X3Y3
- Boomtown Casino, 9825 Hardin Street, Fort McMurray AB T9H4G9
- Evergreen Park, Grandstand Building, Evergreen Park, Grande Prairie AB T8V 3A5
- Great Northern Casino, 10910 – 107A Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB T8V7B2Casino Lethbridge, 3756 2 Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J4Y9
- Rocky Mountain Turf Club (Whoop Up Downs), 3401 Parkside Dr S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4R3
- Copper Coulee Casino, 1051 Ross Glen Drive SE, Medicine Hat, AB T1B3T8
- Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino, 888 Nakoda Way, Morley, AB T0L1N0
- Cash Casino – Red Deer, 6350 – 67 Street, Red Deer, AB T4P3L7
- Jackpot Casino, 4950 – 47 Avenue, Red Deer, AB T4N6P8
- Century Casino St. Albert, 24 Boudreau Road, St. Albert, AB T8N6K3
- Eagle River Casino and Travel Plaza, TWP Rd 602A and Hwy 32 N, Whitecourt, AB T7S1N3
+ 5 Alberta First Nations casinos:
- Casino Dene, Route 28 &, AB-897, Cold Lake, AB T9M 1P4
- Eagle River Casino & Travel Plaza, AB-43, Woodlands County, AB
- Grey Eagle Casino, 3777 Grey Eagle Dr, Calgary, AB T3E 3X8
- River Cree Resort And Casino, 300 Lapotac Boulevard, Edmonton, AB T7X 3Y3
- Stoney Nakoda Resort Casino, 888 Nakoda Way, Kananaskis, AB T0L 1N0
Western Canada Lottery Corporation is active in the territory with VLTs (video lottery terminals) and lottery retailers. Apart from the lottery and casinos Horse Racing Alberta handles horse racing betting and the province now has an online casino called Play Alberta, which is just like all the other 4 state owned online casinos, and it is really not very good, and has very few games, also looks pretty much abandoned at this point (they probably barely have any players).
Alberta legal gambling age: 18 – applies to every type of gambling
Alberta gambling tax: none
British Columbia
British Columbia – BC gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
British Columbia has 1 First Nations casino, and 19 land-based casino gambling establishments.
List of casinos in British Columbia:
| City | Facility |
|---|---|
| Burnaby | Grand Villa Casino |
| Chilliwack | Elements Casino Chilliwack |
| Coquitlam | Hard Rock Casino Vancouver |
| Cranbrook | Casino of the Rockies |
| Fort St. John | Chances Fort St. John |
| Kamloops | Cascades Casino Kamloops |
| Kelowna | Playtime Casino Kelowna |
| Langley | Cascades Casino |
| Nanaimo | Great Canadian Casino Nanaimo |
| New Westminster | Starlight Casino |
| Penticton | Cascades Casino Penticton |
| Prince George | Treasure Cove Casino and Hotel |
| Quesnel | Billy Barker Casino Hotel |
| Richmond | River Rock Casino Resort |
| Surrey | Elements Casino |
| Vancouver | Parq Vancouver |
| Vancouver | Hastings Racecourse |
| Vernon | Lake City Casino Vernon |
| View Royal | Elements Casino Victoria |
List of British Columbia Indigenous Peoples casinos:
St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino, 7777 Mission Road, Cranbrook, BC V1C 7E5
Apart from this British Columbia gambling mostly includes land-based, brick & mortar, small scale charity bingo, raffles and it’s possible to get licence for electronic, online raffle and bingo as well (for charities).
The state owned and operated BC Lottery Corporation conducts the following gambling activities (lottery, some casino gambling, sports betting, and the online casino). The state owned online casino is called PlayNow. Private companies can not get a similar licences.
British Columbia legal gambling age: 19 – applies to every type of gambling
British Columbia gambling tax: none
Manitoba
Manitoba gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
There are 3 First Nations Casinos in MB, and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation also owns two casinos. Apart from these, there are a smaller gambling establishments that the locals call “casino”, but in reality they are slot halls or bingo halls, bingo too,
List of Manitoba casinos (owned by the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation):
- Club Regent Casino, 1425 Regent Ave W, Winnipeg, MB R2C 3B2
- McPhillips Station Casino, 484 McPhillips St, Winnipeg, MB R2X 2H2
List of Manitoba First Nations casinos:
- Aseneskak Casino, MB-10, Opaskwayak, MB R0B 2J0
- South Beach Casino, 1 Ocean Dr, Scanterbury, MB R0E 1W0
- Sand Hills Casino, 777 Sand Hills Drive, Carberry, MB R0K 0H0
Apart from these licences, municipalities, local government districts and incorporated communities, are allowed to license charitable and religious organizations located within their boundaries to hold raffles where the total prize for each raffle does not exceed $3,000. Everything else seems to be manged by Western Canada Lottery Corporation and their subsidiaries.
Manitoba legal gambling age: 18 – applies to every type of gambling
Manitoba gambling tax: none
New Brunswick
New Brunswick – NB gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
There are three First Nations casinos in New Brunswick (Eagles Nest casino, Tobique Gaming Center, Saint Mary’s Entertainment Centre). Apart from these there are two other casinos, It’s not clear how these got their licences, and whether it is at all possible to get additional casino licences.
Casino New Brunswick (opened in May 2010) is located in the city of Moncton and offers slots, poker and other table games. Casino New Brunswick is operated by a private operator, the Great Canadian Gaming (New Brunswick) Ltd..
Grey Rock Casino (opened in March 2015) is located on the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation (Edmundston) and offers slots, electronic table games and poker. Grey Rock Casino is operated by a private operator, the Grey Rock Entertainment Centre Inc..
There are also 3 racetracks in New Brunswick: Fredericton (Fredericton Raceway), Saint John (Exhibition Park Raceway) and Woodstock (Woodstock Driving Club), which belong to the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission and are regulated on a federal level (horse racing betting is the only form of gambling that is legal on a federal level).
Everything else seems to be managed by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
New Brunswick legal gambling age: 19 – applies to every type of gambling
New Brunswick gambling tax: none
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador – NL gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
Casinos are not yet legal in NL.. No video lottery terminal site or lottery retailer licenses are issued anymore. Not clear why, no info about it. Casino gambling is illegal in the province and there are no casinos. There are also no First Nation Casinos in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation is the lottery and state owned gambling company in the province, and manages lottery, scratch tickets and breakopen tickets, which are sold in convenience stores and through video lottery terminals, VLTs.
Gambling in the province is very restricted and seems to consist of only small scale charity bingo at Cowan Plaza Bingo and horse racing betting at St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre. If you know about anything else let me know in the comments section below.
Newfoundland and Labrador legal gambling age: 19 – applies to every type of gambling
Newfoundland and Labrador gambling tax: none
Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories – NWT gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
Has no casinos.. Currently, few land-based gaming options are available to those living in the Northwest Territories. And that few is mostly manged by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. Even casino gambling is legal in the province, but there are no casinos in NT at the moment.
Northwest Territories legal gambling age: 19 – for entering casinos, and 18 for everything else.
Northwest Territories gambling tax: none
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia – NS gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
There are only two casinos in NS, both are owned by the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation: Casino Nova Scotia Halifax, Casino Nova Scotia – Sydney.
List of Nova Scotia casinos:
- Casino Nova Scotia Halifax, 1983 Upper Water St, Halifax, NS B3J 3Y5
- Casino Nova Scotia – Sydney, 525 George St, Sydney, NS B1P 1K5
And some small scale non-profit bingo.
Everything else is done by Atlantic Lottery Corporation and includes 6/49, Super 7, scratch tickets, breakopen tickets that are sold in convenience stores and through video lottery terminals or VLTs. Not possible to get a licence for private companies, and even for non-profits.
Nova Scotia legal gambling age: 19 – applies to every type of gambling
Nova Scotia gambling tax: none
Nunavut
Nunavut gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
Currently, there are very few gambling establishments in Nunavut. And that few is mostly manged by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Nunavut legal gambling age: 19 – for entering casinos, and 18 for everything else.
Nunavut gambling tax: none
Ontario
Ontario gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
There are 24 casinos in Ontario, and 3 First Nations casinos, 27 in total, the second most of any province.
List of Ontario casinos:
- Casino Ajax, 50 Alexander’s Crossing, Ajax, ON L1Z 2E6
- Casino Woodbine, 555 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 5L1
- Elements Casino – Mohawk, 9430 Guelph Line, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0
- Gateway Casinos – Innisfil, 7485 5th Side Rd, Innisfil, ON L9S 3S1
- Casino Niagara, 5705 Falls Ave, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6T3
- Fallsview Casino Resort, 6380 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 7X5
- Gateway Casinos – Sault Ste. Marie, 30 Bay St, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 7A6
- Gateway Casinos – Sudbury, 400 Bonin St, Chelmsford, ON P0M 1L0
- Gateway Casinos – Casino Thunder Bay, 50 Cumberland St S, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5L4
- Pickering Casino Resort, 888 Durham Live Avenue, Pickering, ON L1W 0C1
- Rideau Carleton Casino, 4837 Albion Rd S, Gloucester, ON K1X 1A3
- Shorelines Casino Belleville, 380 Bell Boulevard Belleville, Ontario K8P 5H8
- Shorelines Casino Kawartha Downs, 1382 County Rd 28 Fraserville, ON K0L 1V0
- Shorelines Casino Peterborough, 1400 Crawford Drive Peterborough, ON K9J 6X6
- Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, 380 Highway 2, Gananoque, Ontario K7G 2V4
- Caesars Windsor, 377 Riverside Drive East, Windsor, Ontario N9A 7H7
- Elements Casino – Brantford. 40 Icomm Drive Brantford, Ontario N3S 7S9
- Elements Casino – Flamboro, 967 Ontario 5, Dundas, ON L9H 5G1
- Elements Casino – Grand River, 7445 Wellington County Rd 21, Elora, ON N0B 1S0
- Gateway Casinos – Clinton, 147 Beech St, Clinton, ON N0M 1L0
- Gateway Casinos – Woodstock, 851 Nellis St, Woodstock, ON N4S 4C6
- Gateway Casinos – London, 900 King St, London, ON N5W 5K3
- Gateway Casinos – Sarnia, 1730 London Line, Sarnia, ON N7T 7H2
- Playtime Casino Hanover, 275 5th St, Hanover, ON N4N 3W6
- Starlight Casino Point Edward, 2000 Venetian Boulevard, Point Edward, Ontario N7T 8G4
- Cascades Casino Chatham, 615 Richmond St, Chatham, Ontario N7M 1R2
List of Ontario First People’s casinos:
- Casino Rama Resort, 5899 Rama Rd, Orillia, ON L3V 6H6
- Golden Eagle Charitable Casino & Entertainment Centre, Golf Course Road Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X8
- Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, 21777 Island Road, Port Perry, Ontario L9L 1B6
The AGCO is responsible for regulating and overseeing licensed lottery events (such as bingo, raffles and the sale of break open tickets) conducted by eligible charitable and religious organizations to raise funds to support charitable purposes.
Everything else is done by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Ontario legal gambling age: 19 – for entering casinos, and 18 for everything else.
Ontario gambling tax: none
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
Prince Edward Island only has one gambling establishment, it’s the Red Shores Racetrack & Casino. Apart from this, it’s possible to get a licence for non-profit bingo and lottery.
Prince Edward Island legal gambling age: 19 – applies to every type of gambling.
Prince Edward Island gambling tax: none
Quebec
Quebec gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
The province of Québec has four casinos, all 4 of them are owned and operated by Loto Québec. It’s not possible for other companies to acquire a casino licence. No First Nations casinos.
List of Quebec casinos:
- Casino de Montréal, 1 Avenue du Casino, Montréal, QC H3C 4W7
- Casino de Mont-Tremblant, 300 Chemin des Pléiades, Mont-Tremblant, QC J8E 0A7
- Casino de Charlevoix, 183 Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, QC G5A 1X8
- Casino du Lac-Leamy, 1 Boulevard du Casino, Gatineau, QC J8Y 6W3
Apart from this it’s the usual, non-profit, for charity, small scale gambling.
Quebec legal gambling age: 18 – applies to every type of gambling.
Quebec gambling tax: none
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
There are nine casinos in the province, including seven First Nations casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). First Nations gaming in Saskatchewan is conducted through an agreement between the provincial government and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). The FSIN formed SIGA to operate the casinos on its behalf.
List of First Nations casinos in Saskatchewan
- Gold Eagle Casino, 11902 Railway Ave E, North Battleford, SK S9A 3K7
- Northern Lights Casino, 6800 Y Frontage Rd NW, Walker, MN 56484
- Bear Claw Casino, White Bear First Nation, SK-9, Carlyle, SK S0C 0R0
- Painted Hand Casino, 510 Broadway St W, Yorkton, SK S3N 0P3
- Dakota Dunes Casino, 204 Dakota Dunes Way, Whitecap, SK S7K 2L2
- Living Sky, 1401 North Service Rd E, Swift Current, SK S9H 3X6
- Gold Horse Casino, 3910 41 St, Lloydminster, SK S9V 2K8
- Casino Regina, 1880 Saskatchewan Dr, Regina, SK S4P 0B2
- Casino Moose Jaw, 21 Fairford St E, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0C8
The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SGC) operates casinos in Regina and Moose Jaw.
Saskatchewan legal gambling age: 19 – for entering casinos, and 18 for everything else.
Saskatchewan gambling tax: none
Yukon Territory
Yukon Territory gambling, online gambling, licenses, taxation, gambling establishments
The Klondike Visitors Association operates Yukon’s first and only casino with a special gambling licence from the Government of Canada, called Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall (it’s Canada’s oldest casino actually). Additional casino licenses are not issued.
Apart from this, there is only non-profit small scale gambling.
Yukon legal gambling age: 19 – for entering casinos, and 18 for everything else.
Yukon gambling tax: none
Canada Gambling Tax
There is no specific gambling tax in Canada, because most gambling operators are owned by the government (fully or partially) or are non-profit companies. Apart from the usual taxes, there is no extra gambling tax payable (but interest on any such wins still needs to be declared).
For players: Gambling winnings are considered, so called, “windfalls” in Canada (in all provinces and territories) and therefore are tax exempt. This applies to all forms of gambling, and online gambling and charity gambling. The only exception is if you are a professional gambler, doing gambling regularly as a business activity (e.g.: professional poker player).
Other: Social gambling (as long as money is not involved) is not regulated, and it is not considered gambling. Fantasy betting, a.k.a. fantasy football is not specifically regulated in Canada, but if money is involved it is considered betting, and it’s illegal unless specifically made legal in a province where the fantasy betting takes place (and license is required).
Tourists and expats residing in Canada can access online gambling websites without any issues.
UPDATE 2021: Loot boxes are now considered gambling in Canada, and major video game companies are being sued for hundreds of millions of $, the video below summarizes the situation very well.
First Nations gambling in Canada
Indigenous peoples of Canada can legislate for themselves, including regulating games of chance (if the tribe is of a necessary size, and they have provided proof of their ancestry, claims, and have made the necessary legal steps, and within tribal territory). Probably the most well known example of this are the infamous “Indian casinos”, which have been twisted by mainstream media into a pejorative symbol for greedy tribes turning their back at a traditional way of life, and choosing greed over tribal values*.
First Nations gambling is a politically sensitive topic in Canada. It’s clear that many of the Canadian Indigenous tribes have managed to kind of destroy the purpose of the Canadian system, at least when it comes to online gambling*. The Canadian system really prefers non-profit, preferably small-scale, gambling for charitable purposes, and big state owned-owned gambling companies (, which all spend their earnings on community programs acting like charities pretty much). And everything else is seen as necessary evil, especially online gambling (only state-owned online casinos exist in Canada, no private operators). And this is a really good system, gambling, (unless strictly controlled, preferably owned by the government) doesn’t lead to anything good, in general. And this is what the Kahnawake Gaming Commission by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake kind of destroyed. At this point, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission licenses 250-300 privately owned online casino websites, all of them can, and do accept payers from the entirety of Canada, even from provinces, where online casinos are illegal. This is perfectly legal according to Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982**, and the Kahnawake Gaming Law 1996***, and entirely unethical.
Apart from the online casinos, there are casinos operating on First People’s reserves (18 Indigenous casinos in total) in the following provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan. This fits in nicely with the Canadian system, because apart from 3 provinces (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador) there are private casinos everywhere as it is.
Alberta First Nation Casinos
- Casino Dene
- Eagle River Casino & Travel Plaza
- Grey Eagle Casino
- River Cree Resort And Casino
- Stoney Nakoda Resort Casino
British Columbia First Nation Casinos
- St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino
Manitoba First Nation Casinos
- Aseneskak Casino
- South Beach Casino
Ontario First Nation Casinos
- Casino Rama
- Golden Eagle Charitable Casino & Gaming Centre
- Great Blue Heron Casino
Saskatchewan First Nation Casinos
- Bear Claw Casino & Hotel
- Dakota Dunes Casino
- Gold Eagle Casino
- Gold Horse Casino
- Living Sky Casino
- Northern Lights Casino
- Painted Hand Casino
Sources:
*It’s bullshit media propaganda btw., money is opportunity, possibility in a quantifiable form. How you spend it is up to you, but if you don’t have it, you are not traditional, you are not living according to tribal values, you are just poor. Which means, you don’t have opportunities, and you can not take your own life into your own hand. And you will be reliant on handouts, government welfare, which isi exactly where many politicians want the Native Americans to be, under the thumb of the government, controlled by handouts. Indian casinos are absolutely a good thing.
Online casinos accepting players from Canada
The following online gambling websites accept players from Canada
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
GT Bets Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 150% up to $500 on your first deposit (then 100%, up to $250 bonus on your second deposit)
- 10% weekly rebate, 15% cashback on horse racing betting
- Free spins for returning players
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
| Earnings ($10) | Sign Up Bonus Playthrough | Reload Bonus (Varies by %) Playthrough | |
| Sports | 5 points for every $10 wagered | 12x | 6x-10x |
| (Baseball) | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Horses | 7.5 points for every $10 wagered | 8x | 4x-6.7x |
| Slots | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Table | 1 point for every $10 wagered | 60x | 30x-50x |
| Video Poker | 1.5 points for every $10 wagered | 40x | 20x-33x |
Wagering limitation:
- Please be advised - the use of bonus funds to place wagers on the following games is not allowed: Baccarat (including Live), Craps, and European Roulette (including Live).
- For bonuses, sports moneyline wagers with odds of -300 (1.33) or less, will not qualify for rollover point earnings. So for example, betting NBA - NY Knicks (-350) will not earn rollover points towards a bonus.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Betsson Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to €100
- 101 free spins on your first deposit
- €5,000 every week for one lucky active returning player (no wagering limitation, no playthrough requirement)
US players can not register. Betsson has over 1500 games, the most games of any casino. You can read the review of Betsson casino here.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: No playthrough requirement for the extra weekly money. In case of the welcome bonus: • 100%: Slots • 10%: All Roulette (except Live), Caribbean Stud & Casino Stud Poker Games • 10%: All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow, Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games • 5%: All BlackJack (except Live BlackJack), Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games
Wagering limitation:
- The bonus cannot be wagered on the following games: 1429 Uncharted Seas, Aliens, Big Bang, Blood Suckers, Castle builder, Castle Builder 2, Champion of the Track, Dead or Alive, Devil´s Delight, Eggomatic, Epic Gems, Eye of the Kraken, Kings of Chicago, Pearls of India, Robin Hood, Scrooge, Sea Hunter, Super Monopoly Money, The Wish Master, Tower Quest, Wild Gambler, Wizard Shop, Zombies.
- Player from certain countries are not allowed use bonuses due to regular bonus abuse, check the casino's website for the ever changing up to date list.
Summary:
- Canada gambling licences
- Canada gambling tax
- First Nations gambling in Canada
- Casino gambling in Canada
- Bingo in Canada
- Poker in Canada
- Sports betting in Canada
- Lottery in Canada
- Bitcoin gambling in Canada
Casino gambling in Canada
Online casino gambling in Canada: only legal in the following provinces: British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, visiting foreign online casinos is technically illegal, but players are not prosecuted, Kahnawake licensed online casinos are legally accessible in every province
Online casino gambling in Canada is under provincial jurisdiction, and currently legal in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, only. Saskatchewan used to have a First Nations online casino, The Northern Bear Casino, which was operated by the White Bear First Nation, but it closed in 2014 for unknown reasons. Canadian Native American tribes (so called First Nations) are allowed to pass their own gambling and online gambling laws in Canada, which resulted in the Kahnawake Gaming Commission by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. The online casinos licensed in Kahnawake can be accessed in all the provinces of Canada legally, and the online casinos listed below are either licensed in Kahnawake, or are partnered with a Kahnawake licensed online casinos to accept Canadian players.
Land-based casinos are also legal in Canada, and apart from Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador there are casinos or First Nations’ casinos, at this point there are around 110 casinos, but due to the COIVD-19, probably some of them will go out of business. Most of these casinos are closed during the pandemic, you can find more info about the casinos in Canada here.
The online casinos below accept players from Canada.
The following online casino websites accept players from Canada:
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
GT Bets Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 150% up to $500 on your first deposit (then 100%, up to $250 bonus on your second deposit)
- 10% weekly rebate, 15% cashback on horse racing betting
- Free spins for returning players
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
| Earnings ($10) | Sign Up Bonus Playthrough | Reload Bonus (Varies by %) Playthrough | |
| Sports | 5 points for every $10 wagered | 12x | 6x-10x |
| (Baseball) | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Horses | 7.5 points for every $10 wagered | 8x | 4x-6.7x |
| Slots | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Table | 1 point for every $10 wagered | 60x | 30x-50x |
| Video Poker | 1.5 points for every $10 wagered | 40x | 20x-33x |
Wagering limitation:
- Please be advised - the use of bonus funds to place wagers on the following games is not allowed: Baccarat (including Live), Craps, and European Roulette (including Live).
- For bonuses, sports moneyline wagers with odds of -300 (1.33) or less, will not qualify for rollover point earnings. So for example, betting NBA - NY Knicks (-350) will not earn rollover points towards a bonus.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Betsson Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to €100
- 101 free spins on your first deposit
- €5,000 every week for one lucky active returning player (no wagering limitation, no playthrough requirement)
US players can not register. Betsson has over 1500 games, the most games of any casino. You can read the review of Betsson casino here.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: No playthrough requirement for the extra weekly money. In case of the welcome bonus: • 100%: Slots • 10%: All Roulette (except Live), Caribbean Stud & Casino Stud Poker Games • 10%: All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow, Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games • 5%: All BlackJack (except Live BlackJack), Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games
Wagering limitation:
- The bonus cannot be wagered on the following games: 1429 Uncharted Seas, Aliens, Big Bang, Blood Suckers, Castle builder, Castle Builder 2, Champion of the Track, Dead or Alive, Devil´s Delight, Eggomatic, Epic Gems, Eye of the Kraken, Kings of Chicago, Pearls of India, Robin Hood, Scrooge, Sea Hunter, Super Monopoly Money, The Wish Master, Tower Quest, Wild Gambler, Wizard Shop, Zombies.
- Player from certain countries are not allowed use bonuses due to regular bonus abuse, check the casino's website for the ever changing up to date list.
Bingo in Canada
Online bingo in Canada: legal only in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, requires licence, foreign, visiting foreign online bingo platforms is technically illegal, but players are not prosecuted, Kahnawake licensed online bingo sites are legally accessible in every province
Online bingo is only legal in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador. This only means bingo for charitable purposes, organized by a registered charity. However, Kahnawake (First Nations gambling commission) licensed online casinos with live bingo are freely accessible in every province, by taking advantage of a loophole in the Canada gambling legislation.
The following bingo websites are licensed in Kahnawake accept players from every Canadian province:
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
Poker in Canada
Online Poker in Canada: only legal in the following provinces: British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, visiting foreign online poker sites is technically illegal, but players are not prosecuted, Kahnawake licensed online poker platforms are legally accessible in every province
In many countries poker is considered a game of skill, not a game of chance. This is not the case in Canada, it is considered a game of chance. Online poker is not legal in most provinces of Canada. It’s only legal in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta.
However, Canadian poker players from any province are are free to play on Kahnawake licensed poker sites, because these are licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the Mohawk Gaming Commission of Canada. And according to the Constitution Act 1982, and the Kahnawake Gaming Law 1996, these poker websites can freely accept poker players from all Canadian provinces (unless specifically made illegal, and/or blocked by any province, but so far, this has never happened, in case the websites below are perhaps blocked, and no longer accept players from Canada, please let me know).
The online poker sites below accept players from Canada.
The following online casino websites have poker and accept players from Canada:
GT Bets Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 150% up to $500 on your first deposit (then 100%, up to $250 bonus on your second deposit)
- 10% weekly rebate, 15% cashback on horse racing betting
- Free spins for returning players
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
| Earnings ($10) | Sign Up Bonus Playthrough | Reload Bonus (Varies by %) Playthrough | |
| Sports | 5 points for every $10 wagered | 12x | 6x-10x |
| (Baseball) | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Horses | 7.5 points for every $10 wagered | 8x | 4x-6.7x |
| Slots | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Table | 1 point for every $10 wagered | 60x | 30x-50x |
| Video Poker | 1.5 points for every $10 wagered | 40x | 20x-33x |
Wagering limitation:
- Please be advised - the use of bonus funds to place wagers on the following games is not allowed: Baccarat (including Live), Craps, and European Roulette (including Live).
- For bonuses, sports moneyline wagers with odds of -300 (1.33) or less, will not qualify for rollover point earnings. So for example, betting NBA - NY Knicks (-350) will not earn rollover points towards a bonus.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Betsson Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to €100
- 101 free spins on your first deposit
- €5,000 every week for one lucky active returning player (no wagering limitation, no playthrough requirement)
US players can not register. Betsson has over 1500 games, the most games of any casino. You can read the review of Betsson casino here.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: No playthrough requirement for the extra weekly money. In case of the welcome bonus: • 100%: Slots • 10%: All Roulette (except Live), Caribbean Stud & Casino Stud Poker Games • 10%: All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow, Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games • 5%: All BlackJack (except Live BlackJack), Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games
Wagering limitation:
- The bonus cannot be wagered on the following games: 1429 Uncharted Seas, Aliens, Big Bang, Blood Suckers, Castle builder, Castle Builder 2, Champion of the Track, Dead or Alive, Devil´s Delight, Eggomatic, Epic Gems, Eye of the Kraken, Kings of Chicago, Pearls of India, Robin Hood, Scrooge, Sea Hunter, Super Monopoly Money, The Wish Master, Tower Quest, Wild Gambler, Wizard Shop, Zombies.
- Player from certain countries are not allowed use bonuses due to regular bonus abuse, check the casino's website for the ever changing up to date list.
Sports betting in Canada
Online sports betting in Canada: only legal in the following provinces: British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, visiting foreign online sportsbooks is technically illegal, but punters are not prosecuted, Kahnawake licensed online bookmakers are legally accessible in every province
Online sports betting is legal in the provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta. However, the only form of betting allowed are parlay bets, linking together two or more wagers, where all wagers must win for a payout. A bill enabling single-event betting was proposed years ago (Bill C290), but was voted down in 2016.
In the other provinces online sports betting is illegal. The only exception are Kahnawake-based domestic online sports betting sites. Wagering on such sites is not illegal for Canadian citizens.
The online sportsbooks below are licensed in Kahnawake or are partnered with Kahnawake licensed companies and accept bettors from Canada.
The following online sportsbooks accept bettors from Canada:
GT Bets Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 150% up to $500 on your first deposit (then 100%, up to $250 bonus on your second deposit)
- 10% weekly rebate, 15% cashback on horse racing betting
- Free spins for returning players
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
| Earnings ($10) | Sign Up Bonus Playthrough | Reload Bonus (Varies by %) Playthrough | |
| Sports | 5 points for every $10 wagered | 12x | 6x-10x |
| (Baseball) | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Horses | 7.5 points for every $10 wagered | 8x | 4x-6.7x |
| Slots | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Table | 1 point for every $10 wagered | 60x | 30x-50x |
| Video Poker | 1.5 points for every $10 wagered | 40x | 20x-33x |
Wagering limitation:
- Please be advised - the use of bonus funds to place wagers on the following games is not allowed: Baccarat (including Live), Craps, and European Roulette (including Live).
- For bonuses, sports moneyline wagers with odds of -300 (1.33) or less, will not qualify for rollover point earnings. So for example, betting NBA - NY Knicks (-350) will not earn rollover points towards a bonus.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Betsson Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to €100
- 101 free spins on your first deposit
- €5,000 every week for one lucky active returning player (no wagering limitation, no playthrough requirement)
US players can not register. Betsson has over 1500 games, the most games of any casino. You can read the review of Betsson casino here.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: No playthrough requirement for the extra weekly money. In case of the welcome bonus: • 100%: Slots • 10%: All Roulette (except Live), Caribbean Stud & Casino Stud Poker Games • 10%: All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow, Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games • 5%: All BlackJack (except Live BlackJack), Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games
Wagering limitation:
- The bonus cannot be wagered on the following games: 1429 Uncharted Seas, Aliens, Big Bang, Blood Suckers, Castle builder, Castle Builder 2, Champion of the Track, Dead or Alive, Devil´s Delight, Eggomatic, Epic Gems, Eye of the Kraken, Kings of Chicago, Pearls of India, Robin Hood, Scrooge, Sea Hunter, Super Monopoly Money, The Wish Master, Tower Quest, Wild Gambler, Wizard Shop, Zombies.
- Player from certain countries are not allowed use bonuses due to regular bonus abuse, check the casino's website for the ever changing up to date list.
Lottery in Canada
Online lottery in Canada: only legal in the following provinces: British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, visiting foreign online lotteries is technically illegal, but players are not prosecuted, Kahnawake licensed online lotteries are legally accessible in every province
Lottery is legal in every province of Canada, and the big lottery companies e.g.: West Canadian Lottery Company (WCLC), Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) are present in almost every town, either with a retailer or with VLTs (video lottery terminals). However, online lotteries are legal and available in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta only.
It is illegal for online lottery operators not licensed within Canada to offer their services to Canadians. None of the provinces issue licences to private operators. The only exception is the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which operates on the Mohawk First Nations reserve near Montreal, Quebec. Lottery sites licensed by them can freely accept Canadian players from any province (and these lottery operators have agreements and contracts with the big lotteries, and are able to offer their games through their websites, which means that even the big US Powerball is playable online on some of these websites, this way Canadians can circumvent the state-owned lottery monopolies legally).
The following websites let people from Canada purchase lottery tickets online (has online US Powerball):
Bitcoin gambling in Canada
Bitcoin gambling in Canada: not specifically regulated
Bitcoin gambling is under provincial jurisdiction, like most other forms of gambling. To date, none of the gambling legislations in any of the provinces mention cryptocurrency gambling. It’s assumed to be illegal, because none of the Canadian state-owned or private gambling operations accept bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum or any other cryptocurrency. But it was never made illegal officially.
Bitcoin itself is legal in Canada, and regulated. Bill C-31 of June 19, 2014 include Bitcoin and all virtual currencies in the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act of 2000. As a result, all Canadian bitcoin exchanges are required to register.*
However, some of the gambling websites licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission accept bitcoin and other digital currency. You can see these websites below.
The bitcoin casinos below accept players from Canada.
*Source: Canada’s Bitcoin Regulations Hit Financial and Gambling Sectors (Bitcoin Gambling Guide)
The following online casino websites accept bitcoin, litecoin and ethereum, and accept players from Canada:
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
GT Bets Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 150% up to $500 on your first deposit (then 100%, up to $250 bonus on your second deposit)
- 10% weekly rebate, 15% cashback on horse racing betting
- Free spins for returning players
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
| Earnings ($10) | Sign Up Bonus Playthrough | Reload Bonus (Varies by %) Playthrough | |
| Sports | 5 points for every $10 wagered | 12x | 6x-10x |
| (Baseball) | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Horses | 7.5 points for every $10 wagered | 8x | 4x-6.7x |
| Slots | 2 points for every $10 wagered | 30x | 15x-25x |
| Table | 1 point for every $10 wagered | 60x | 30x-50x |
| Video Poker | 1.5 points for every $10 wagered | 40x | 20x-33x |
Wagering limitation:
- Please be advised - the use of bonus funds to place wagers on the following games is not allowed: Baccarat (including Live), Craps, and European Roulette (including Live).
- For bonuses, sports moneyline wagers with odds of -300 (1.33) or less, will not qualify for rollover point earnings. So for example, betting NBA - NY Knicks (-350) will not earn rollover points towards a bonus.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
If you have questions or any feedback don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Please let me know in the comments section if you think we might have gotten something wrong or if you have additional information, clarification about the legal status of online gambling in Canada.
This page is part of Simon’s List – Legal Status of Online Gambling – a definitive guide to the legal status of all forms of online gambling activities in every country around the world.
Last updated: 2021-01-26
Gamble responsibly,
SimonTheSorcerer
I’m a resident of Canada but play online in he UK. Why do I need to disclose my source of income? been requested to do so!
It’s a UK thing (click here to read more about UK gambling laws). Sadly, UK casinos are required by law to ask about that sometimes, it’s because of anti-money laundering laws. Nobody likes it, but sadly, they ask people randomly, usually high rollers, especially if you are not a resident of the UK.