Is Online Gambling Legal in Canada? Laws by Province

Yes, Canadians can legally gamble online. What’s on offer depends on your province. Under the Criminal Code, only the provinces can run or license gambling. Each province decides what is available online.

Ontario and Alberta now license private online casinos and sportsbooks. The other provinces sell online gambling only through their own lottery corporation’s website. Many Canadians also play at international sites licensed outside Canada. That is a grey area, which we explain below.

This guide explains the rules in plain terms and was last updated in November 2026. It is not legal advice.

How Canadian gambling law works

Gambling is covered by the federal Criminal Code. It bans most betting and gaming, with exceptions. The key exception is section 207, which lets each province “conduct and manage” lottery schemes, including games played on a computer. Canada changed the Code in 1969 to allow provincial lotteries, and in 1985 gave them sole control of computer, video and slot-machine gaming.

In practice, this means:

• The provinces are in charge. Each one runs its own lottery and gaming corporation and decides what can be offered online.
• Running an unlicensed gambling business in Canada is illegal. The law targets the operators, not the players.
• The Code doesn’t say anything specific about players using foreign websites. We’re not aware of any Canadian player being charged for playing at an international site.

Gambling laws by province

Here are the legal online options in each province, who regulates them and the minimum age. Provinces with an open market are highlighted in green.

Ontario: the first open market

Ontario opened its online market to private operators on 4 April 2022. Private casinos and sportsbooks can now operate legally, as long as they register with the AGCO and sign an agreement with iGaming Ontario. Ontario has its own rules for these operators:

• Advertising bonuses to the public is not allowed.
• Since 2024, athletes generally can’t appear in betting ads.
• Players can only play against other Ontario players at shared tables, such as poker.

In November 2025, Ontario’s Court of Appeal ruled that Ontario players could share poker and other tables with players abroad. Other provinces’ lottery corporations appealed. The Supreme Court of Canada heard the case in October 2026 and hasn’t ruled yet.

If you live in Ontario, use only sites registered with iGaming Ontario. Each registered site shows the iGaming Ontario logo, and you can check the full list on the iGaming Ontario website. The casinos we list for Ontario visitors are all registered, and we don’t show bonus offers there. See our guide to Ontario online casinos for the licensed sites we’ve reviewed.

Alberta: open since July 2026

Alberta passed the iGaming Alberta Act in 2025, and its regulated market opened on 13 July 2026. The AGLC is the regulator, while the new Alberta iGaming Corporation signs agreements with private operators. PlayAlberta, the government’s own site, still operates alongside them. Read more in our guide to Alberta online casinos.

Quebec and the other provinces

Elsewhere, the provincial lottery corporation is the only legal online operator. Quebec has debated opening its market, and the issue came up in the October 2026 provincial election, but for now Loto-Québec still has a monopoly. For the details, see our guide to online gambling laws in Quebec.

Is it legal to play at international casino sites?

This is the grey area. Outside Ontario and Alberta, many Canadians play at casinos licensed abroad, for example in Malta, the Isle of Man or Curaçao, or by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. These sites are not licensed by any province. No law clearly makes it a crime for a player to use them, and players aren’t prosecuted for it. Even so, provinces such as B.C. and Quebec warn their residents against these sites.

The bigger risk is practical, not legal. If an international site refuses to pay out or closes your account, no Canadian regulator can step in. You’d have to rely on the licensing body abroad. That’s why it matters to choose sites with a strong licence, a clear record on payouts and fair terms. We explain how we check this in how we review casinos.

Some Canadian banks block payments to gambling sites, or treat credit card deposits as cash advances. See which banks allow gambling transactions and our guide to casino deposit methods for Canada.

Kahnawake and First Nations gaming

The Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke, near Montreal, set up the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in 1996. It has licensed online casinos and poker rooms ever since. Kahnawake says it has the right to regulate gaming on its territory. Canadian courts have never settled whether its licences are valid under the Criminal Code.

Kahnawake-licensed sites are not registered in Ontario unless they also have iGaming Ontario approval. First Nations also run land-based gaming in several provinces. In Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority runs casinos and the province’s PlayNow site.

Sports betting is legal

Until 2021, Canadians could legally bet on sports only with parlays: several games on one ticket. The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (Bill C-218) took effect on 27 August 2021 and made single-game bets legal. As with casinos, sports betting is run or licensed by the provinces. In Ontario and Alberta you can use private sportsbooks, and elsewhere only the provincial lottery site.

Parliament is also looking at betting ads. Bill S-211 would create a national framework for sports betting advertising. It passed the Senate, and in 2026 it went to a House of Commons committee.

Do you pay tax on gambling winnings?

For most people, no. The Canada Revenue Agency treats winnings from recreational gambling as windfalls, not income, so you don’t report them. This applies to casino games, lotteries and sports betting.

• Professional gamblers are the exception. If gambling is run like a business, with skill, a system and an expectation of profit, the CRA may treat it as business income. That bar is high, and few players meet it.
• Earnings on your winnings are taxable. Interest or investment income from a big win is taxed in the usual way.
• Wins in the United States are different. US casinos can withhold tax on some Canadian players’ winnings. Under the Canada-US tax treaty you may be able to claim part of it back by offsetting your losses. Ask a tax professional.

How to play safely

• Check the licence. In Ontario, look for iGaming Ontario registration, and in Alberta for an AGLC licence. Elsewhere, choose your province’s own site or a casino with a reputable licence abroad.
• Check that Canadians are accepted. Read the terms for restricted countries and provinces.
• Read the payout rules before you deposit: limits, ID checks and withdrawal times.
• Set limits. Use deposit and time limits, and our responsible gambling resources, if gambling stops being fun.

For a look at where the market may be heading, see the analysis of emerging Canadian gambling markets on our sister site Key to Casinos.

FAQs

Is online gambling legal in Canada?

Yes. Online gambling is legal when a province runs it or licenses it. Every province offers legal online gambling through its lottery corporation. Ontario and Alberta also license private casinos and sportsbooks.

Can I get in trouble for playing at an offshore casino?

Players aren’t prosecuted for this. The Criminal Code targets people who run unlicensed gambling, not the players. The real risk is that a Canadian regulator can’t help you if an offshore site doesn’t pay.

What is the legal gambling age in Canada?

It is 19 in most provinces and territories, and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

Which provinces allow private online casinos?

Ontario (since April 2022) and Alberta (since July 2026). Elsewhere, the provincial lottery corporation is the only legal operator.

Are gambling winnings taxed in Canada?

Not for recreational players. The CRA treats them as windfalls. Professional gamblers may owe tax, and any interest you earn on winnings is taxable.

Is sports betting legal in Canada?

Yes. Single-game betting has been legal since 27 August 2021, through provincially run or licensed sportsbooks.