This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current position with your provincial regulator.
The federal framework
Gambling in Canada is governed by the Criminal Code, which makes most gambling illegal unless it falls under an exception. The key exception, section 207, allows provincial governments to “conduct and manage” lottery schemes, a term that covers casinos, slots and online games. Since a 1985 federal-provincial agreement, the provinces have had exclusive authority over these games. The result is a patchwork: each province decides whether online casinos exist, who runs them and who may play. For a broader overview, see the Wikipedia article on gambling in Canada.
Ontario: an open, licensed market
On April 4, 2022, Ontario became the first province to open its online market to private operators. Companies that want to offer casino games or sports betting to Ontarians must register with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the AGCO. Dozens of brands now operate legally under this model, alongside the government's own OLG.ca.
Registered operators must follow Ontario's standards on advertising, identity verification, responsible gambling tools and game testing. Ontario-facing sites are usually separate from a brand's “rest of Canada” site, with their own terms.
Province-by-province table
| Province / territory | Online model | Government platform | Legal age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Open market (AGCO / iGaming Ontario) | OLG.ca | 19 |
| British Columbia | Provincial monopoly | PlayNow (BCLC) | 19 |
| Alberta | Provincial platform; open-market legislation passed 2025 | PlayAlberta (AGLC) | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | Provincial platform | PlayNow SK | 19 |
| Manitoba | Provincial platform | PlayNow (via BCLC partnership) | 18 |
| Québec | Provincial monopoly | Loto-Québec | 18 |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland & Labrador | Regional platform | ALC (Atlantic Lottery) | 19 |
| Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Limited online options | Western Canada Lottery Corp. products | 19 |
What about offshore casinos?
Outside Ontario, many Canadians also play at casinos licensed in other jurisdictions, such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (based in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Québec), the Malta Gaming Authority or the Curaçao Gaming Authority. Canadian law focuses on who operates gambling, not on individual players, and there is no record of recreational players being prosecuted for playing at such sites.
That does not make every offshore site equal. Licensing standards, complaint procedures and player protections vary widely, and a foreign licence gives you fewer local options if something goes wrong. In Ontario specifically, only operators registered with iGaming Ontario may legally market to residents.
Single-event sports betting
Until 2021, Canadians could only bet on sports through parlays of several games. Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, received royal assent in June 2021 and took effect that August, allowing provinces to offer bets on single games. Every provincial platform, and Ontario's private operators, now offer single-event wagering.
How to check a casino's licence
- Scroll to the footer of the casino site and note the licence number and the name of the operating company.
- Look the licence up on the regulator's own website, not through a link on the casino site.
- In Ontario, check the operator list published by iGaming Ontario.
- Confirm the operating company named in the terms matches the licence holder.
- Read how complaints are handled and whether there is an independent dispute service.
Whatever the regulator, the basics of safe play do not change: set limits before you start, never chase losses, and use the support services on our responsible gambling page if gambling stops being fun.