Canada is one of the most liberal countries when it comes to gambling laws. A huge percentage of the country's citizens love to indulge in various wagering activities, the most popular being casino gaming, sports betting, and bingo.
Fortunately for Canadians, the state does not hold them back from partaking in their favorite games of chance. The citizens of the country are free to gamble at land-based gaming venues as well as licensed online sites of their choice.
Read on to learn more about the country's gambling laws and how the activity is regulated by the government. You will also discover the top real money gaming sites for Canadians in our comprehensive list of the best online casinos CA.
Early records show that gambling existed in Canada long before the nation was established in 1867. However, the situation changed in 1892 when the Federal government outlawed all wagering activities through the Criminal Code.
In 1900, the government amended the law to permit bingo and raffles to raise funds for charities, and in 1910, betting on horse racing was declared legal. The Code was again amended in 1969 to permit the Federal and Provincial governments to operate lottery schemes as a way of raising funds for designated projects.
Quebec was the first Province to grab this opportunity by launching Loto-Quebec in December 1969. Manitoba joined the lotteries bandwagon in 1970 but the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation did not become a crown corporation until 1993. The Ontario Lotteries Corporation (OLC) was launched in 1975.
The dark days for gambling enthusiasts in the country came to an end in 1985 when the Federal government allowed the individual Provinces and Territories to legalize, license, and regulate various wagering activities within their jurisdiction. The first government-owned commercial casino in the country opened in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1989.
Since then, more than 200 gambling parlors have opened in different cities across the country, and they are well regulated by the Provincial governments in their jurisdictions. The legal gambling age in a majority of the Provinces and Territories is 19 years, but casinos in Manitoba, Quebec, and Alberta have a lower age requirement of 18 years.
The subject of internet wagering in Canada is widely considered a grey area. This is because there is no specific legislation that explicitly outlaws or legitimizes the activity.
The current gambling laws in the country prohibit licensed operators from offering online casino services to the residents, but the rule does not apply to businesses based outside the nation. This simply means that Canadians can access and wager at international or offshore websites without legal consequences.
Interestingly, the Provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec have regulated internet wagering industries with government-operated gambling websites. Residents of Manitoba also have access to a locally-regulated gaming site, thanks to an internet wagering agreement between the Province and the government of BC.
Canada is home to one of the world's largest gambling population, and this makes the country a favorite target market of many international operators.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of real money gaming websites that accept players from CA. The majority of these platforms have exclusive bonuses for Canadians, and they even allow players to bank and wager using the CAD.
However, selecting a website that offers the best in terms of security, fairness, banking, bonuses, and customer support is a tedious process that requires a lot of expertise. To save you the time and effort, we have compiled a list of the top online casinos in CA, and it is completely free to use. Feel free to use our comprehensive guide to the leading virtual casinos in the country if you're looking for the best experience.
Casino gaming is by far the most popular form of gambling for punters in CA, both on-site and online. Luckily for the players, the top websites in the country are well stocked with a plethora of high-quality games that you can play for free or with real money wagers from your desktop, laptop, or mobile device. The variety of games offered includes slots, virtual poker, and digital table games like Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat. These are all powered by reputable providers like Microgaming, RTG, Playtech, NetEnt, and Play N' Go. Players can also enjoy jackpot games, lotto, bingo, and live casino games online.
As you already know, gambling sites require that you fund your account if you wish to play their games for real money. For Canadians, depositing funds to your account couldn't be any easier since the platforms provide a huge variety of convenient payment methods and the CAD is widely accepted by the operators. The available options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Maestro, Instadebit, iDebit, PayPal, Interac, E-check, Citadel Banking, UseMyFunds, Bank Wire, and cryptocurrencies.
