The Yukon is easily the smallest of the three territories in Canada. It is also the furthest west. Naturally, with a population of just over 35,000, there is not a particularly large gambling audience in the region. That said, Whitehorse is the largest settlement of any of the three territories, and the only city in the Yukon. There is where most gambling takes place. The big question is: is it legal and above board to gamble in the Yukon? If so, what can you bet on? On this casino page, we will try to answer that question, as well as provide you with a series of recommended betting sites and casinos. With that in mind, let’s begin…
Is Gambling Legal in the Yukon?
Despite its size, it is legal to gamble in the Yukon, at least to some degree. It may not be a gambling hub in Canada, but there are still opportunities for you to bet. As mentioned, those opportunities are increased if you live in the vicinity of Whitehorse.
Here is what you need to know about the types of gambling activities which are available in the Yukon.
Casino Games: Brick-and-mortar casinos are not authorised in the Yukon. You are not going to be able to visit a long-term establishment and place bets. You can, however, opt to play at what are known as “three-day casinos”. These are establishments which are legally allowed to offer casino games to players, but for no more than three days in a row. These events are only legal because non-profit organisations must run them.
Lottery Games: Lottery games are legal in the Yukon. The Western Canada Lottery Association licenses and regulates these games, which have jackpots worth many millions of dollars. This is one form of gambling in the Yukon which is not questioned.
Sports Betting: Sports betting is only permitted in the Yukon through Sport Select, a bespoke service. This allows residents of the Yukon to bet on the NHL and CFL, but few other options. Horse racing is also permitted. The array of bets at your disposal is limited, and you are going to have to bet on at least two events to be able to play.
Charitable Games: This term spans pretty much everything else. Bingo and raffle games fall under this category, as do casino games (as mentioned above), and other forms of gambling. Charitable games must still be licensed, and any operators must first be approved by the Registrar of Lotteries.
What About Online Gambling?
If land-based casino betting is not legal in the Yukon, you can bet that online casino gambling won’t be either. Notably, the Yukon does not have any specific laws in place that make online gambling illegal. Rather, it is the Canadian Criminal Code which does this. Does that mean that you can’t play any sort of online casino games if you live in the Yukon? Not at all. Let’s look at the bigger picture…
Licensed Betting Sites
As mentioned, there are no licensed betting sites in the Yukon. This means that there are no licensed sportsbooks, poker rooms, online casinos or bingo rooms. Instead, residents of Yukon are going to have to head over to offshore betting sites if they wish to wager.
You might think that there would be one or two hiccups associated with this, but that isn’t the case. As mentioned, this is not illegal, so feel free to give them a shot. You will want to ensure that you play at a licensed and safe one, though. Before you get started, we should discuss these international sites in a little more detail.
Offshore Betting Sites
There are many different types of offshore betting sites that players in the Yukon can get involved with. None of them is licensed and regulated out of the Yukon, of course, but that hasn’t stopped the territory’s tiny population from having a crack at them. Here are just a few of the online betting sites you can expect to see which accept players in the Yukon:
- Online casinos
- Bingo rooms
- Poker rooms
- Racebooks
- Online sportsbooks
- International lottery ticket sites, and more
Officially, the Yukon does not want you to play at foreign betting sites. However, they do not really have any punishments in place if you do decide to do just that. In fact, there are no laws for either legalising online betting or making it illegal. Ultimately, it is the Canadian Criminal Code which determines things here. That code makes it clear that you cannot gamble at any Canadian casino which is not licensed in your province or territory. However, the code does not mention offshore casinos, so this little loophole comes in handy if you wish to bet online.
Should I Play at Internet Betting Sites in the Yukon?
There is no good reason why you wouldn’t want to play at internet betting sites in the Yukon. There is no current gambling law which prevents you from doing so, and there are no punishments in place if you should decide to give it a go. With that in mind, feel free to bet at international websites as you see fit.
However, you should not just settle for the first site you see. On the contrary, it is worth checking out a variety of them to find the best ones. You can do that on this page. If you do your homework, you will find online casinos and sportsbooks which allow you to deposit with the Canadian dollar, that accept Canada-friendly payment methods, and have exactly the types of games you wish to play available to you.
You could go about doing this research for yourself, and there is every chance that you will end up at a reputable casino. However, it is far simpler to use our page to find a top place to play. Our casinos are recommended because they have been checked and vetted, they are licensed and regulated, and they offer everything a player hoping to play with the very best would want to see in a Yukon-friendly online casino.
