Online gambling in Manitoba

How online gambling works in Manitoba

Under Canada’s Criminal Code, a province may conduct and manage gambling itself. Manitoba does that through MBLL, and MBLL has chosen to rent a proven platform rather than build one.

• PlayNow.com, run by MBLL on BCLC’s platform

  Manitoba Lotteries announced the partnership with BCLC in April 2012, and the Manitoba edition of PlayNow.com went live in 2013 with 23 slot games, poker and sports betting. Today it carries lottery tickets, hundreds of slots, blackjack and other table games, live dealer tables, poker, bingo and single-event sports betting. MBLL holds conduct-and-manage authority; BCLC runs the platform day to day as service provider. MBLL reported that PlayNow returned more than C$148.8 million in net profit to the province in its first ten years.

• The regulator: the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba

  PlayNow does not need an operating licence, because the Criminal Code lets the province conduct gambling directly. It is instead regulated by the LGCA, which sets the standards the site and its games must meet and runs public-education campaigns on the risks of unregulated sites. MBLL also follows Advertising Standards Canada codes and its own social-responsibility policies for PlayNow marketing.

• Legal age: 18

  Manitoba’s gambling age is 18, in line with Alberta and Quebec and a year below British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan. PlayNow confirms age and Manitoba residency when the account is opened.

• Voluntary Self-Exclusion and GameSense

  An in-person enrolment in MBLL’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion programme covers the Casinos of Winnipeg (Club Regent and McPhillips Station), the Shark Club Gaming Centre and PlayNow.com. A PlayNow-only exclusion can be set inside your account and does not cover the venues: a player logs in, opens My Account and selects Self-Exclusion, which cancels the account and pays out the balance. There is no option to exclude from the venues only. Terms run from six months to three years. Manitoba adopted BCLC’s GameSense programme with PlayNow, so the same in-account deposit, time and break limits apply.

What is and is not licensed in Manitoba

Offshore sites and Manitoba residents

Manitobans see the same national gambling advertising as everyone else.

• Accessible, but not provincially licensed

  Casinos licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority or Curaçao, and brands registered in Ontario, will usually accept a Manitoba address. None of them is authorised in Manitoba.

• No local recourse

  A complaint about PlayNow goes to MBLL and, if needed, to the LGCA. A complaint about an offshore site goes to whichever body licensed it, if any, in that body’s jurisdiction. According to MBLL, Justice Harris accepted evidence that the operator had no obligation in this country to implement responsible gambling features, pay taxes, or comply with anti-money laundering requirements.

• The Canadian Lottery Coalition

  MBLL brought the application on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition: MBLL, BCLC, Loto-Québec, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. It was the coalition’s first court action against an offshore operator.

Paying in and cashing out

Manitoba uses the PlayNow cashier that BCLC built, so the options match the other PlayNow provinces.

• At PlayNow

  A Manitoba account takes Interac e-Transfer, Visa Debit and the major credit cards, PayPal and online bill payment. Winnings are paid by electronic funds transfer to a bank account, and the first withdrawal needs your occupation on file under federal anti-money-laundering rules. Our British Columbia page sets out the cashier rules.

• At offshore sites

  Offshore sites that accept Manitobans usually offer iDebit and paysafecard next to Interac, because many Canadian card issuers decline gambling payments. Money paid in there is outside MBLL’s self-exclusion and the LGCA’s oversight, and the operator alone sets its withdrawal limits and identity checks. Our payment methods guide compares each option.

Frequently asked questions

• Is online gambling legal in Manitoba?

  Yes, on PlayNow.com, which the province conducts and manages through MBLL. No other site is authorised. Our guide to whether online gambling is legal in Canada explains why.

• Who actually runs PlayNow in Manitoba?

  MBLL is the operator and holds the legal authority. BCLC provides the technology and runs the platform under a service-provider contract, the same arrangement it has with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority.

• Will Manitoba license private operators?

  Nothing has been announced, and the 2025 injunction shows the province enforcing its monopoly rather than opening it. We log every change on the Canada iGaming tracker.

• Can I self-exclude from PlayNow without excluding from the casinos?

  Yes. A PlayNow-only exclusion can be set inside your account and does not cover the venues. An in-person enrolment covers Club Regent, McPhillips Station, the Shark Club and PlayNow.com together; there is no venues-only option.

Free, confidential help

Players in Manitoba must be 18 or older. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly and within your means.