Canada has experienced a large and steady growth in the online gambling industry in recent years. More and more players are deciding to open an account in an online casino to be part of this virtual world of entertainment.
Some time ago, the Canadian government did not allow online gambling sites to operate within the country, however, nowadays it is possible to place online bets at online gambling sites in Canada as well as in sites outside the country.
However, it can often be a little confusing, especially for those players who are new to online gambling, to understand the rules about where and when you can play. This is because online gambling in Canada is subject to provincial laws; meaning that each province sets its own rules to regulate gambling.
That is why in this article we will provide you with all the information you need to understand how online gambling is regulated in Canada.
Is it legal to gamble online in Canada?
In short, yes, it is legal to gamble online in Canada. However, it is only legal if the site is administered by the provincial government. Let's remember that each province makes its own laws in this area.
In addition, although there are several casinos online in Canada, many provinces have not yet defined laws on the use of online casinos operating offshore.
Some provinces state that Canadians can place bets at offshore online gambling sites as long as these operators do not advertise their services and do not operate within the country. However, there are other provinces that prohibit residents from gambling at an offshore gambling site.
The legal age for gambling also varies from province to province. In some provinces, in order to play in online casinos, you must be over 19 years old; while in others you must be 18 years old, as in most countries in the world.
The evolution of Canadian gambling laws
While Canada's laws regarding online gambling may still be complicated, they are an improvement over the laws that existed previously.
At the end of the 19th century, it had been established that practically all gambling was illegal. Over time, exceptions were made for certain games such as raffles conducted for religious or charitable reasons. Some games of chance were also permitted at agricultural exhibitions or fairs, and a betting system was incorporated for wagering on horse races. However, gambling laws remained extremely strict.
The situation changed in the second half of the 20th century. In 1969, provincial governments were allowed to run specific lotteries for charitable purposes. Later, in 1985, it was determined that each province would control lotteries and other types of games that appeared on devices such as computers or slot machines.
When online gambling appeared, with the advent of the internet, legislation prohibited residents from being able to gamble online; until 2009, when the government allowed each province to establish its own laws regarding this matter.
Gambling population in Canada
A very curious fact related to online gambling by Canadians is that more women than men gamble online via mobile phones.
In spite of this, it is still the men who occupy the majority of the total percentage of online gamblers, with a very wide difference; representing 80% of the total number of gamblers, while women only represent 20%.
The majority of this population are young people in college or at the beginning of their careers. For many it is very tempting to win money through gambling because the government does not tax returns from this activity; and some players have won huge prices, up to $7 million in some cases.
What are the best online casinos in Canada?
To make sure you play in the best sites it is important to take into account several aspects, being security always the priority.
That is why always before registering in any site, it is necessary to make sure that it is safe and that it uses the latest technology in cybersecurity to guarantee that customers can play safely.
It is also necessary to make sure that the site is reliable and that it offers a wide variety of payment methods. It should also make payments in a quick and easy way. Finally, you should always check the reputation of a site before playing on it.
To be on the safe side, we will highlight below the best sites available in Canada according to our criteria. These are the online casinos we recommend: North Casino, Hell Spin and Izzi.