We won’t lie – the laws related to online gambling in Canada are a mess. On a federal level, there is nothing that really prohibits it, but allows each province to come up with its own rules related to online gambling.
What we can tell you is that the law (Canadian Criminal Code) only allows companies to operate from within Canada if they have been licensed by a province. It also doesn’t make it illegal for Canadians to gamble at sites located outside of Canada, and companies can accept bets while located outside of Canada. Although, there is some indication that this could be made illegal in the future.
On this page, we’ll look at how the rules are different in each province, so by the time you settle down in your gaming room complete with all the latest accessories, or wherever you do your gaming, you won’t have any nasty surprise when logging on.
Alberta
You can gamble in Alberta if you are over the age of 18, and there are many physical gambling options. If you wish to play online, however, then you need to use the Play Alberta website, which is run by the government. Alternatively, you can gamble at offshore companies, but you have fewer protections when doing so.
British Columbia
You have to be at least 19 to gamble in British Columbia. The rules in British Columbia are a bit more relaxed in comparison to Alberta, with online casinos being licensed by the local government. This means that you don’t have to stick to a single website.
Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
You must be 19 to gamble in all of these provinces, other than Quebec where the minimum age is 18. Each province has multiple physical casinos, plus ways to license online casinos. With these stringent regulations in place, residents of these provinces benefit from some of the most robust gambling laws in Canada, safeguarding their interests and promoting responsible gaming practices.
Ontario, in particular, distinguishes itself with its comprehensive regulatory framework and strict oversight of licensed providers, ensuring a secure and fair gaming environment for its residents.
You can check out the reviews of top-notch legal and licensed casino sites by visiting Gamble Ontario.
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador
You must be 19 to gamble in these places. There is no official licensing for online casinos in these areas, and there are no rules that prohibit somebody playing at an online casino out of these markets.
Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories
While these places have physical casinos, there are no laws related to online gambling. This means that if you are an online gambler in either of these provinces, chances are that you’ll need to gamble at one of the grey market sites instead (i.e. a platform located out of one of these territories). However do bear in mind that they may not always allow Canadian players due to the uncertain nature of it.
The Best Online Casinos in Canada
Since finding top online casinos in Canada is tough, particularly with the laws varying from area to area, we figured we would wrap up by giving you a list of the best online casinos in Canada. These are the ones known to work with Canadian residents.
Remember – Canadian gambling laws will vary depending on where you are. These online casinos are licensed in Ontario but, as near as we can tell, most Canadian residents should be able to play at them. You’ll also benefit from the fact that these are officially licensed Canadian websites.
FireVegas Casino
Right at the top of our list, we have to put FireVegas Casino. This top-rated casino boasts slot machines, a live casino, and a whole lot more. It has one of the largest selections of online casino games that we’ve seen in Canada, and this just keeps us coming back for more. On top of this, it accepts all major withdrawal and deposit methods, including Interac, which makes gambling there as a Canadian so much easier.
Casino Days
With over 2,000 games ready for you to dive into, Casino Days provides tons and tons of fun. One of the most exciting parts of Casino Days is the live casino they boast. They always have tons of games to choose from, and they’re open for most of the night. As with all the top Canadian casinos on this page, Casino Days offers a load of different withdrawal and deposit options. It also comes highly reviewed by other gamblers in Canada.
SpinAway Casino
With just 1,000 games, SpinAway Casino is one of the smaller ones on this list. However, don’t let that put you off. SpinAway Casino is one of the few platforms that focuses on the newer online casino games, and they regularly work with the casino game developers to ensure that they are always the first platform to offer the best games. So, if you’re looking for something fresh and exciting, then SpinAway Casino may just well be the very first place that you should be checking out.
BetVictor Casino
As a global casino brand, BetVictor is probably the largest platform on this list. This means that you can easily trust them. They have a great customer support team, and they work hard to ensure that their platform is kept up to date. This is also one of the few places in Canada where you can play the Megaways Slot. We love the fact that their deposits and withdrawals are fast. However, the real highlight of BetVictor Casino is the live casino. There is so much to do here, and there are more live casino games available than on any other platform in the country.
Fever Slots
If you’re more of a mobile gambler, then you might want to check out Fever Slots. There are 700 different slot machines available here, all designed to work well on mobile devices. Fever Slots always works hard to ensure they have great games available too, and we often stumble across ones that we can’t find anywhere else. The only downside is that their site has fewer options for withdrawals and deposits than some of the other platforms in Canada, but the main ones are still covered.
As you can see, in Canada the legality of online casinos varies by province, creating a complex landscape where some regions have specific licensing processes and others operate in a legal grey area.