Canada Online Gambling

Latest on gambling, lottery, sports betting and casinos in Canada

There is long list of legal gambling options in every province and territory in Canada.

Online gambling, in particular, is popular and more accessible than ever in Ontario.

PlayCanada has the latest legal gambling news from every province and territory in the nation — with a specific focus on online and retail casinos.

Check back often for the latest news and updates on legal online gaming in Canada.

Best Canada Online Gambling Sites 2023

Rank
Casinos
Features
Info
Play
1
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2
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3
OPERATOR
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4
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Largest North American Casino-Entertainment Co.
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5
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6
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3,500+ Slots & Table Games
8
WORLD'S Largest
online casino
Now In Ontario
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11
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WITH LIVE DEALER
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Online Casinos

Provincial lotteries are responsible for legal, regulated online casino sites in Canada. However, Ontario opened its market in April 2022, allowing privately owned online casinos to do business in the province. That means Ontario players have access to more than 60 legal online casinos 🤯, including BetRivers, DraftKings, BetMGM, PlayOJO, Caesars, SlotsMagic and Party Casino.  

Online Sports Betting

Ontario is lucky to have the most legal sports betting options in the country after it licensed private online sportsbooks in April 2022. There are now over 30 online sportsbooks serving over 15 million people. In Ontario, you can wager using the best sports betting apps in Canada, including bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet and Bwin.

Online Poker

In Canada, online poker is legal by default, as there’s no direct law against it. Once again, Ontario has the most online options for its poker players, including BetMGM, PartyPoker and PokerStars. Each operator offers online poker tournaments and cash games. Otherwise, Espace Jeux’s OK Poker operates in Quebec, while PlayNow.com runs poker in BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Together, the quad offers the only lottery-run poker sites in the country.

Horse Racing

There are racetracks in just about every province, but like with sportsbooks, Ontario has the most. It has 15 tracks — 12 for standardbreds, 2 for thoroughbreds and 1 for quarter horse races— that provide live horse racing year-round. Racetracks use a pari-mutuel betting format whereby winners split the total handle (proportion to their bets) after the betting provider takes its cut. You can also bet on simulcast races across Canada and the US at racetracks and OTB parlours.

Betting on horse racing is available at HorsePlayer Interactive and DarkHorse Bets, provided by the Woodbine Entertainment Group and on the bet365 Ontario sports betting platform.

Charitable Gambling

Provincial governments may allow nonprofit or religious groups to run charity gambling events. Allowable events include casino nights, bingo, raffles, lotteries, pull-tab games and even poker tournaments. The money raised must go to a good cause. Many bingo halls partner with nonprofits to obtain charitable gambling approval and run bingo games up to seven days a week.

Online Lottery

The lottery exists in every province and territory. In areas with smaller populations, provinces have come together regionally. Groups include the Atlantic Lottery and Western Canada Lottery Corporations. The biggest national draws are Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49. Provincial lotteries also run online gambling and sports betting. You can also pick up lottery tickets online.

Canada Gambling FAQ

Provinces individually set the legal gambling age. In most, if you want to gamble in physical casinos or poker rooms, you must be 19. However, in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba, it’s 18. Additionally, some provinces allow people 18+ to buy lottery tickets, despite restricting other forms of gambling to those 19 and above.

Yes, online gambling is legal in Canada, and provincial lottery corporations are in control. OLG.ca and Proline Plus (Ontario), PlayNow.com (BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan), PlayAlberta.ca (Alberta), EspaceJeux.com and Mise-o-jeu+ (Quebec) and ALC.ca (Atlantic Canada) are among the provincially run online casino and sports betting sites. In big news, a significant expansion of Ontario’s online gambling on April 4 introduced a whack of private online casinos and sportsbook operators to the province.

Not unless you’re a professional gambler. The definition covers pro poker players and sports bettors, treating their profits as business income. Otherwise, gambling winnings are tax-free for everyone, including lottery wins, slot jackpots, and sports bets.

The federal government left the regulation of privately run online casinos and online sportsbooks up to each province. So far, only Ontario has opened its market to private operators, although Alberta recently announced it would welcome two outside sportsbooks later this year. So far, other provinces have yet to see the potential for increased tax revenue from a competitive online gambling market in their own regions.

You bet! Brick-and-mortar casinos in Canada range from luxury gambling resorts in Montreal, Niagara Falls and Vancouver to small First Nations casinos set in natural surroundings. The luxury casino resorts can rival even Las Vegas casinos in size, gambling options and amenities.

Yes. Canada removed its ban on single-game wagering in 2021. Each provincial lottery corporation has since added full-scale sports betting to the previously parlay-only sports products. Additionally, Ontario opened its market to privately run online sportsbooks on April 4, welcoming operators like DraftKings, BetMGM, and PointsBet sportsbooks to the mix.

Online gambling is legal all across the country, as long as you are gambling with a regulated site. In most of the country, that means only playing on provincially run online gambling sites. However, on April 4, Ontario became the first province to open its market to private online casinos and sportsbooks. Additionally, Alberta will partially open its market later this year. Whether other regions decide to join the online fun remains unknown.

Provincial lottery sites offer various online casino games, from online slots based on in-person favourites to online table games and live dealer versions of favourite casino games like blackjack and roulette. You may also find popular video poker, keno games and instant lottery options.

Resources

Here’s our simple six-step guide to gambling online safely in Canada:

  1. Find the provincial lottery and gambling corporation or other provincial gambling authority copyright mark, seal of approval or legal info on the online casino or sportsbook website you’re looking to use to make sure it is legitimate.
  2. Download and install the online casino or sportsbook app, or just stick with the website.
  3. Sign up for an account with a valid email address, phone number and SIN information through the site’s or app’s secure registration portal.
  4. Enter any necessary bonus codes to be eligible for the bonus that particular online casino or sportsbook is offering to new users.
  5. Make a deposit using Interac, PayPal, online banking or whatever available deposit method is best for you through the secure banking portal.
  6. Browse through the available games or sports bets until you find something you like. Then click on it to play the game or place a bet.

There is a mix of federal and provincial laws that pertain to gambling in Canada. Canada’s Criminal Code has sections covering sports betting and online gambling. However, the forms that both those take — plus live casinos, poker rooms, lotteries and charitable gaming — are all up to individual provinces. The bottom line is that Canadian law allows you to gamble in Canada, but only with legal or provincially run establishments. It’s against the law to run a casino or gambling establishment without approval anywhere in Canada, or enter an unlicensed casino or gambling establishment, otherwise known as an illegal gambling house.

Ultimately, everything including live and online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms, bingo halls, lotteries and charitable gambling operations fall under the purview of the provinces. Provinces have departments that oversee gambling and have established Crown Corporations to operate casinos and online gambling websites. Some provinces allow private operators for casinos — using their Crown Corporations to oversee gambling activities. Plus, First Nation casinos operate throughout Canada, as well. Finally, Ontario opened its online gambling market to privately run online casinos and sportsbooks, many of which are launched legally on April 4.

Here’s a quick look at each province’s online gambling operation:

  • Quebec: launched in 2010 and now includes slots, table games and poker. Single-game sports betting is also available via its Mise-o-jeu+ online sportsbook.
  • Ontario: has had nearly unlimited legal opinions since the province opened the market to private operators in April. In addition to OLG’s full-service online casino with slots, table games and online sportsbook via Proline+, players can access over 50 sites with more on the way.
  • Atlantic Canada: has an online casino in New Brunswick and an online sportsbook in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. That means no online gambling in Nova Scotia just yet.
  • British Columbia and Manitoba: launched in 2004 and is now a full-service online casino with slots, table games, poker and an online sportsbook.
  • Alberta: just launched an online casino in 2020 and added sports betting in 2021. Slots, casino games, single-game sports betting, and instant lottery games are all there.
  • Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority launched BCLC’s PlayNow on November 3, 2022.

Video lottery terminals, known as VLTs, are video gambling consoles that offer slot and keno-style games. You can find VLTs in every Canadian province except British Columbia. Many offer multiple games in a single cabinet and employ a random number generator to determine the outcome of each. The games offer a fixed percentage return that is mandated by regulators and can’t be adjusted for individual consoles. Many feature popular slot titles and provincial jackpot games.

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