The Legal Landscape of Online Gambling in Canada

Online gambling legalization in Canada is a matter of provincial concern. This has been the case since 2021 when the Federal Government gave provinces the leeway to regulate single-event betting.

Before 2021, provinces had local online casino laws. However, they couldn’t permit single-event betting. What’s more, most of them monopolized online gambling.

In this guide, we'll break down the state of online gambling in every major Canadian province. We'll also highlight Federal gambling laws that affect iGaming in the country. Let's get started:

The Criminal Code of Canada

The Canadian Criminal Code defines the Federal Government's role in the gambling industry. It defines online gambling, legal games of chance, settings, advertising frameworks, and exceptions. 

The Federal Government, through parliament and selected experts, sets the criminal code. For example, authorities permitted parlay betting in Canada in 1985 but blocked single-event betting. In 2021, parliament legalized single-wager betting.

The Criminal Code also clarifies criminal offenses related to online gambling. For example, the code criminalizes starting an online casino in Canada without a license. 

While the Criminal Code helps investors, players and lawyers understand the country’s gambling laws; regulation is done at the provincial level. Each region decides whether to authorize sports betting and casino games. Provinces also set the minimum gambling age, licensing requirements, and player-protection protocols.

Where is Online Gambling Legal in Canada?

These provinces and territories all permit online gambling:

Alberta

Legal sports betting arrived in Alberta in September 2021. The provinces run the industry through PlayAlberta.ca, a website under the authority of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC). In the retail sector, bettors can select bets in person through Sport Select. 

In this age of top-notch offshore online casinos in Canada, authorities in Alberta have been working on a bill to expand betting providers. The province aims to welcome two more sportsbooks.

Overseas-based casinos are highly popular in Canada. They offer generous bonuses, a wider variety of games, and fast payouts. Federal Laws don't prohibit Canadians from using these casinos, hence their popularity.

British Columbia

British Columbia was one of the first provinces to legalize games of chance in Canada. It introduced online lotto games and sports betting in 2004. By 2010, casino fans in B.C. could play both poker and slot machines online. 

Single-game betting arrived in B.C. in November 2021. The province was already prepared for the new law. British Columbia is home to several casinos permitted to offer in-person betting. PlayNow.com handles online betting.

Although Play Now is one of Canada’s biggest sportsbooks, it faces a lot of competition from foreign operators. 

Manitoba

Manitoba legalized online casino games more than a decade ago. Similar to many provinces in the country, it has always run gambling through a provincial website. 

Manitoba provides single-event betting and casino games through PlayNow.com. The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation regulates mobile gambling in the province.

 Its CEO has previously mentioned the corporation is considering legalizing more casinos and sportsbooks. Meanwhile, the only alternative Manitobans have in 2024 is to use offshore gambling operators. The best overseas casinos are based in Malta.

New Brunswick

In New Brunswick, online gambling falls under the authority of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC). The ALC offers every popular gambling title, from online slots and bingo to sports betting and lotteries.

For clarity, the ALC regulates online gambling. Pro-Line is the website responsible for offering casino games and sports betting. If you want to expand your options, you can bet at offshore casinos based in Malta. Or, you can drive across provincial lines to play in Ontario.

Ontario is home to the best online sportsbooks and casinos in Canada. We’ll explain why in a few.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Atlantic Corporation regulates online gambling in almost all Maritime Provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador included. It also works with Pro-Line in these provinces to provide convenient mobile gambling. 

If you're not a big fan of Pro-Line, the best option is to use an offshore gambling site. Many top-rated overseas-based casinos have servers in the Kahnawake Gaming Reserve. This allows them to provide on-the-go gaming smoothly even if they don't have offices locally.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is yet another province in partnership with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and Pro-Line. Although Pro-Line only provides mobile betting and casino games, you can bet in person through a local ALC retailer.

Nova Scotia is home to two land-based casinos. But neither Halifax Casino nor Sydney Casino offers sports betting. They’re limited to casino games of chance. In the usual style, you can bet online through a foreign sportsbook in Nova Scotia. Just ensure you pick a trustworthy operator.

Ontario

Ontario has the most progressive online gambling laws in Canada. After partnering with Pro-Line in 2021 to offer single-event betting, Ontario commercialized the entire gambling industry in 2022.

Since April 2022, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario have licensed over 60 gambling websites. We're talking about the best gambling brands in North America and Europe: Score Bet, DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, Betway, and LeoVegas Casino.

If you live in Ontario, there’s probably no reason to use an offshore casino. Many top-rated European and American brands have already acquired licenses to operate in the province. 

Quebec

Quebec offers online gambling through Mise-o-jeu+. This website also provides retail sports betting at selected locations. Unlike some province-owned sportsbooks, Mise-o-jeu offers live sports betting. 

If you like to play casino games like slots and roulette, you need to find Espace Jeux. It is the only permitted online casino in Quebec. 

Saskatchewan

In 2021, the Western Canada Lottery Corporation redesigned Sport Select to introduce single-even betting. Sport Select deals with mobile bets while the WCLC offers in-person betting. 

Saskatchewan is home to nine casinos, most of which are owned by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). The casinos provide mostly slots and table games from well-known software providers. However, SIGA has a partnership with PlayNow.com, which allows the betting app to offer its services in the province.

Prince Edward Island

Online gambling is under the control of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. That means Pro-Line is the official sportsbook/casino in PEI. If you want a better experience, you can join an offshore casino.