Are Online Casinos Legal in Canada?
Yes. Playing at an online casino is legal in Canada, but which sites count as regulated depends on where you live. Pick your province to see who regulates it, what is available and the minimum age.
- Ontario 19+
- Alberta 18+
- British Columbia 19+
- Quebec 18+
- Manitoba 18+
- Saskatchewan 19+
- Atlantic Canada 19+
- Territories No site
- Who licenses what? Licensing guide →
Ages shown are for online casino games. Lottery and charitable bingo can start at 18; see each province below.
- Open market
- Crown platform
- No online casino
Province-by-province status
Under the Criminal Code only a provincial government can conduct and manage online gambling, so each province either runs its own Crown platform or licenses private operators under provincial oversight. Two provinces run open markets with dozens of licensed operators, the other eight offer a single government site, and the territories have no online casino platform. The legal age is 18 in three provinces and 19 everywhere else, so check your own province rather than assuming a single national number.
- 84 Ontario sites, 49 operators
- 51 Alberta sites, approved list
- 8 provinces with one Crown site
Ontario
- Regulator AGCO
- Market iGaming Ontario
- Since 4 April 2022
- Lottery and charitable bingo 18+
Ontario has run North America’s first open, privately operated online gambling market since 4 April 2022. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) registers operators, and iGaming Ontario holds the commercial agreements with them. As of 1 September 2026, iGaming Ontario’s public directory listed 49 operators running 84 gaming sites. Players must be 19 or older.
Alberta
- Regulator AGLC
- Market Alberta iGaming Corporation
- Since 13 July 2026
Alberta became the second open-market province on 13 July 2026 under the iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48, Royal Assent May 2025). Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) registers operators, and the Alberta iGaming Corporation conducts and manages the commercial market. 22 operator sites went live on day one, and on 27 October 2026 the Alberta iGaming Corporation’s directory of approved sites listed 51 sites, up from 34 on 30 September. Operators that served Alberta before launch had until 13 October 2026 to register with AGLC or leave the province. PlayAlberta, AGLC’s own platform, continues alongside the private sites. Players must be 18 or older.
British Columbia
- Platform PlayNow.com
- Run by BCLC
- Regulator IGCO
British Columbia offers online casino and sports betting through PlayNow.com, run by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). Since 13 April 2026 the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO), created by the province’s new Gaming Control Act to replace the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, has regulated BCLC. Players must be 19 or older.
Quebec
- Platform lotoquebec.com
- Run by Loto-Québec
- Since 1 December 2010
Quebec players use Loto-Québec’s online casino, launched as Espacejeux on 1 December 2010 and now offered through lotoquebec.com. It is the province’s only authorized platform, and players must be 18 or older. The Parti Québécois won a minority government on 5 October 2026, and the Liberal opposition promised to license private operators, but no bill has been tabled (our election report).
Manitoba
- Platform PlayNow.com
- Run by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
- Since January 2013
Manitoba has offered PlayNow.com since January 2013 under an agreement between Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and BCLC, with the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba as regulator. Players must be 18 or older.
Saskatchewan
- Platform PlayNow.com
- Run by SIGA
- Since 3 November 2022
Saskatchewan has offered PlayNow.com since 3 November 2022. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) operates it under an agreement with SaskGaming, and BCLC supplies the platform. Players must be 19 or older.
Atlantic Canada
- Platform Atlantic Lottery
- Provinces NS, NB, PEI, NL
- Newest PEI, by July 2026
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador jointly own the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. Its online casino games reached New Brunswick in 2020, Nova Scotia in 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador in June 2023 and Prince Edward Island by July 2026. Our Atlantic Canada guide covers the four provinces together. Players must be 19 or older.
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
- Online casino None
- Lottery Western Canada Lottery Corporation
The three territories have no online casino platform. Lottery products there come from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, which lists Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as associate members. Sources differ on the gambling age there: Legal Line, a Canadian legal-information service, gives 19 for all three territories, while the Northwest Territories sets 18 for lottery products by regulation. We could not confirm an official age for Yukon or Nunavut, and our Canada iGaming tracker will add one when a territory publishes it.
The legal framework in one minute
Two levels of government share responsibility for gambling in Canada. This is general information, not legal advice.
- 1
The Criminal Code sets the ground rules
Gambling is a federal criminal matter. Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes it lawful for the government of a province to conduct and manage a “lottery scheme” in that province. The term is defined broadly and covers casino games, slot machines, lotteries and online gaming.
- 2
Provinces do the “conduct and manage” work
Because the Criminal Code hands the authority to the provinces, each one decides how gambling is offered inside its borders. Most run a single Crown platform. Ontario and Alberta instead license private operators through a provincial agency that stays in control of the market, which is why the legal picture changes when you cross a provincial line.
- 3
Who licenses what
Our licensing and regulation guide explains each provincial regulator and Crown corporation, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and the Malta, Curaçao, Isle of Man and Gibraltar licences Canadians see on offshore sites, with steps for checking a licence yourself. For live operator counts by province, see the Canada iGaming tracker.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, set up by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, licenses online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake near Montreal, on the basis of asserted Mohawk jurisdiction rather than a provincial mandate. Two court decisions shape its position today. Our licensing and regulation guide covers its history and how to check a Kahnawake licence.
Ontario, 13 May 2024
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the Mohawk Council’s challenge to the iGaming Ontario model (2024 ONSC 2726), finding that iGaming Ontario remains the “operating mind” of the market. The Council did not appeal.
Quebec, February 2026
The Quebec Court of Appeal confirmed that Quebec’s courts can judicially review the Commission’s decisions. The Magic Palace dispute itself continues in the Superior Court, and our news report explains the ruling.
Offshore casinos and the grey market
Many people in Canada play at casino sites licensed abroad rather than on a provincial platform. Here is a neutral description of where that sits.
Offshore sites are operated and licensed outside Canada, most often under the Malta Gaming Authority or the Curaçao Gaming Authority, and are not authorized under any province’s conduct-and-manage framework. They accept Canadian players even though no Canadian authority oversees them.
The Criminal Code’s gambling offences are aimed mainly at those who run unauthorized gambling. Prosecutions of individual recreational players are rare, which is why this space is often called a “grey market”. This is a description of enforcement reality, not encouragement.
Because offshore sites answer to a foreign regulator, a Canadian player with a dispute over a withheld payout or a closed account has no provincial body to turn to. The consumer protections built into provincial platforms and the Ontario and Alberta markets do not apply.
Frequently asked questions
Free, confidential help
Every regulated platform offers deposit limits and self-exclusion, and our responsible gambling guide covers those tools in detail.
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Ontario · ConnexOntarioFree, confidential, 24/7.
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Alberta · Addiction HelplineFree, confidential, 24/7, listed by Alberta Health Services. You can also call 211.
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British Columbia · Gambling Support BCFree, 24/7 support.
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Quebec · Jeu: aide et référenceFree and confidential, also at aidejeu.ca.
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Manitoba · Problem Gambling HelplineFree and confidential.
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Saskatchewan · Problem Gambling HelplineFree and confidential.
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Nova Scotia · Gambling Support NetworkNew Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador each have their own line, listed in our Atlantic Canada guide.
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Canada-wide · CAMHInformation and treatment resources at camh.ca.
Players must be 18 or older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 or older in every other province. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly and within your means.