Canada is widely known as one of the best countries to live in if you want to gamble. The Canadian gambling laws are liberal and open to interpretation enough that you can expect to be able to play at seemingly any online casino you fancy. How is this possible, and what does the Canadian gambling law mean where you reside? Allow Canada Online Casinos to tell you…
Is It Legal to Play at Internet Casinos in Canada?
Officially, no. Canada’s Criminal Code states that Canadian businesses are not permitted to offer gambling services to players from outside of their own jurisdiction. In short, it means that players living in one region in Canada, are not officially allowed to play at a casino in another. However, this law is predominantly for land-based betting, and not really online gambling.
Regions Which Allow Land-Based Gambling
Each region, territory and province effectively runs the rule over its own gambling laws, within the framework of the Canadian Criminal Code. Most, though not all, of Canada’s dominions will permit land-based gambling, provided it is done in a state-sponsored venue, and there are limited opportunities to gamble on sports, too. Moreover, lottery games in Canada are fair game, and all forms of bingo games are okay provided they are for charitable purposes.
These types of services are only available in your region and not open to players in another. Where does this leave online betting, though?
- Alberta
- British Colombia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Playing and Betting Online
Playing Casino games online
Officially, the law says that Canadian businesses cannot offer gambling services to players outside of the province, region or territory where it is based. However, this law technically does not apply to those online betting sites which are based outside of Canada altogether. Known as offshore casinos, and foreign betting sites, these international domains are not Canadian businesses, and are, therefore, not in breach of the Canadian Criminal Code.
It is these offshore betting sites which Canadians turn to when they want to bet online. This might sound sketchy, but these gambling sites and online casinos are operating entirely within the framework of the Canadian Criminal Code and are, therefore, fully legal.
Online Betting Opportunities
It isn’t just online casinos that you can choose from, either. Legal betting sites in Canada also span a number of other options. It is not uncommon to be able to sign up and play at any of the following sites as a Canadian resident…
- Online sports, virtual sports betting and live, in-play sports betting sites
- Online, mobile and live dealer casino sites
- Cryptocurrency betting sites, including sportsbooks and casinos
- Online poker rooms
- Online bingo rooms and lottery betting websites
- e-Sports betting sites and betting exchanges
Can Offshore Casinos Be Trusted?
As these websites are not based in Canada, it is understandable if you are wondering whether these casinos can be trusted. Fortunately, there are plenty of different criteria that we at CanadaOnlineCasinos.com use to make a judgement on that.
For starters, all the best online casinos in Canada will be licensed. Moreover, they will be licensed out of a reputable jurisdiction. They will also be certified, which means that they have been vetted to ensure that fair play gaming is taking place. You will have a reasonable chance of success, and the games are not rigged.
On top of that, fair Canadian online casinos will also offer responsible gaming policies. These are things such as time limits on your betting activities, deposit and wagering caps, and the right to take exclusion periods. Problem gambling systems are also in place, such as giving players the right to refer themselves to a helpline for support and assistance.
Licensed online casinos will also support SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption, and run KYC processes to ensure that all your data is kept safe and secure and that everyone is who they claim to be. Canadian online casinos can’t just do these actions once, either. They must continually adhere to the industry standards in regards to fair play, security and safety to maintain their license.
Canada and Gambling Taxes on Winnings
Taxes and info
The Canadian Criminal Code has made it abundantly clear that online gamblers (well, virtually all forms of gamblers) do not have to pay any tax on anything they win when betting. Of course, there are always going to be exceptions to this rule, such as professional gamblers and e-sports stars. However, for the average Joe (and we assume that this means you), you will never have to pay any income tax, whatever you win. This is a particularly handy bit of legislation when you weigh in the fact that Canadians can compete to win vast sums of money, sometimes millions of dollars on the internet’s top slots.
Read More About Canadian Gambling Laws
Of course, it would be a lot to ask for anybody to read through endless pages of legislation, just to get a good idea of what they are and are not allowed to do when betting online. It is of paramount importance that you understand what Canada’s gambling laws are, but we wouldn’t expect you to do the hard work and graft yourself. This is where CanadaOnlineCasinos come into play. This is our job, and we like to think that we have done an exceptional job of keeping you informed.
One of the things you can do at Canada Online Casinos is to check out the laws for every speck of land in the country. We have every region, territory or province’s laws covered. Our team has examined the Canadian Criminal Code front-to-back and also perused the individual laws which govern each area. We know exactly what you can and cannot do, and we have made it our mission to inform you.
Don’t hesitate to peruse our section on Canadian gambling laws. Each gambling article has been written in plain, simple English, so you don’t have to spend hours trying to understand the ins and outs of Canadian gambling legislation. After checking that out, feel free to peruse our casino reviews to find a safe, secure and most importantly, legal Canadian online casino to play at today.
