The Legislation Of Online Casinos In Canada
Canada can be referred to as a land filled with milk and honey. However, this is only for travellers and gamblers across the world as the North American country possesses beautiful scenes that will make the heart of the average tourist palpitate, and across the country are luxurious land-based casinos where gamblers can easily indulge in their gambling activities. Amongst tourists, Canada is one of the most amazing countries to visit at least once in a lifetime. For gamblers, the country is considered a safe haven for them.
Being the second-largest country in the world means Canada also has its proper regulation and legislation to avoid making things go haywire in the long run. To keep the gambling industry in check while ensuring the safety of its residents, Canada imposed several robust laws in making sure it is controlled.
The gambling laws in Canada are straightforward but also confusing at the same time. In the country, online gambling (sports betting or casino gaming) is legal only if the provider is licensed within the borders of the country. However, using offshore online sportsbooks and casinos is also allowed as there are no strict restrictions or regulations being imposed on them. Aside from the federal laws, each province in Canada has its own online gambling regulations and they differ from each other. Online players from any province have to practice responsible gambling and read the reviews of online casinos in Canada before opting to play them. Below are the regulations in each province.
Ontario
Ontario is arguably the most popular Canadian province as it is one of the most populated provinces in Canada with several luxurious casinos. In a poll carried out by CasinoScout.ca in 2011, over 80% of adults within the Ontario borders gambled at least once a year. This province has an official online gambling site called Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) where the residents can carry out all kinds of gambling from buying lottery tickets to betting on sports and playing casino games. The legal gambling age in Ontario is 19.
Alberta
Alberta is known to have the highest population in Canada and it is no stranger to sports and gambling as it is surrounded by the 28 licensed casinos within its borders. As long as you’re past the age of 17, you can gamble at the land-based casinos as well as the official online gambling site: Play Alberta. While the province participates in the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, it doesn’t allow the sales of online lotteries. However, its residents can play online casino games at Play Alberta. Studies showed that over 4% of the province’s budget is generated from gambling revenue.
British Columbia
The official online gambling site in British Columbia is Play Now, and it has been active since 2004. Owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, this site houses several gambling options from sports betting to offering various casino games like poker, bingo and even lottery. The legal gambling age in the province is 19, and it has over 34 casino establishments within its borders.
Quebec
The legal gambling age in Quebec is 18 and its residents are allowed to play at any online casino platform they wish to. However, there are rumours that the Quebec government is planning to block all online gaming platforms that are not licensed from Loto-Quebec, which is also the official online gambling site of the province. All gambling games including bingo are regulated and licensed by this corporation in the Quebec province.
Nova Scotia
The legal gambling age of this province is 19, and although it has an official online gambling site – Atlantic Lottery -, its resident are allowed to indulge in online gambling activities at any online casinos within or outside its borders.
Conclusion
These are only a few of the provinces known in Canada, there are also territories with a little population like Nunavut and Yukon. The gambling laws there differ from one province to another, so if you find yourself in a Canadian province, you should first check out and understand the gambling laws being regulated by the province before opting to play casino games.