Online Gambling: Legal or Illegal in Ontario?
Many regular casino-goers view the booming online casino industry with skepticism. This is because online gambling laws fall into a so-called grey area, and while whether you can gamble is clear depending on the province you live in, finding a legitimate place to play casino games online is increasingly difficult.
The reason for this is simple: there are tons of scammers and unlicensed vendors that are more than happy to accept deposits and disappear the moment players start earning cash. Moreover, even the best online casinos may allow you to open an account but depending on where you’re living your payout will be denied.
This alleged grey area is muddled and confusing due to the complexity and freshness of Canada’s online gambling laws. In Ontario, the Ontario Lottery and Gambling commission launched their own site as recently as January 2015. Considering the governments enthusiasm about filling their coffers with online casino revenues, laws restricting players are incredibly relaxed. While players cannot be prosecuted for playing on an unlicensed casino’s platform, they do run the risk of losing all funds on their accounts.
If you weren’t already concerned about online casinos, then you most likely are now. The unfortunate truth about the internet is that while a site may seem profession well designed, this does not in any way guarantee its legitimacy. Moreover, it is impossible for governments to enforce legal repercussions on casinos that are neither registered or based within their area of jurisdiction.
There are scammers all over the web and in every sector (you may be familiar with the Nigerian prince who emailed you a fantastic deal some years ago) and the best way to avoid getting conned is to find the licensed operators that can and will accept Canadian players. You can find an extensive guide of all online casino operators that accept Canadian players on CasinoSmash. You can also search an online casinos name and the keyword “complaints” to find out if other players have experienced problems in the past.
If you are still uneasy then rest assured you can always find your favorite games at Casino du Lac-Leamy just a short drive from O-town, or any of these casinos in the Ottawa area.