Is Gambling Legal in Canada?

English pioneers arriving to Canada during the 15th century found that local tribes were doing quite a bit of gambling and subsequently started implementing prohibitive measures. In 1892, the Canadian Criminal Code further reinforced the prohibition, but since then gambling laws and regulations slowly began developing in a more liberal manner. The Criminal Code was changed in 1969, allowing provinces to use lotteries in order to raise money for charity and other worthwhile causes; the very first such lottery was organized in 1974 to raise funds for the Montreal Olympics. The first commercial casino was opened in 1989 in Winnipeg, and four years later another one was established in Montreal.

These days more than 100 casinos operate across the country, and every province is free to organize lotteries and deal with gambling in their own way – which is why in Canada, your specific location determines which type of gambling activity is legal and which is not. Legal age equally differs, and while you generally need to be at least 19 in order to enter a Canadian casino, 18-year olds will be allowed to gamble in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Gambling is regulated by Articles 204, 206, 207 of the Criminal Code – which legalizes commercial casino operations, racetracks, bingo halls, slot machines, Video Lottery Terminals and ticket lotteries.

Though online gambling still falls into gray area, Canadian authorities are far more lenient compared to their southern neighbor, the USA. The law doesn’t prohibit online betting but does require that the service is offered by provincial governments or operators licensed by them. However, provinces generally choose not to block offshore online casinos which accept Canadian players nor to prosecute them.

Additionally, the Kahnawake Tribe both licenses and hosts gaming sites for a number of operators. In short, residents of Canada wishing to gamble online can do so care-free at a number of international websites willing to welcome them, the most popular and trustworthy being Guts Casino, Casumo and Sir Jackpot.