Canadian Online Gambling Laws
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Is Online Gambling Legal In Canada?
A few years ago, online gambling remained illegal in Canada, except it was done with a company licensed by the government. However, Canadian online casino players still enjoy their favorite games through offshore casinos. Canadian laws do not allow casinos and sportsbooks to set up their servers.
However, Canadians participate in casino operations by leveraging internationally licensed sites. That’s possible because there’s no restriction on access to these sites as long as they don’t have servers in the country.
The Canadian government once controlled gambling through a criminal code, but things changed in 1985 when it allowed provinces to create their regulations. Although each province and territory has its own licensing body, the Canadian Gaming Commission controls the entire ecosystem.
Canada Online Gambling Laws
Canadian online gambling laws have evolved over the past few decades. Before 1969, gambling in Canada was utterly prohibited. However, a new turn occurred in 1969 when the Canadian government introduced a law recognizing lotteries as a legal form of gambling. The aim of setting up this law is to help generate funds for charitable projects.
Then in 1970, the provinces were granted authority to oversee and regulate betting activities within their jurisdictions. They were empowered to ensure compliance with the laws in Canada.
As years pass, Canadian gambling laws have undergone various adjustments and amendments. Then online casinos in the country came to the limelight in 1990; they were recognized but illegal. There was no severe regulatory input from the government in the ’90s.
Fast forward to recent years, the industry has experienced tremendous growth. Their offerings include a wide range of games. Players now have access to an impressive selection of slots, card games, sports betting, and lotteries, all readily available at their fingertips.
Following the expansion of Canadian online casinos, the gaming addiction problem was also among Canadian players. However, the country has now established satisfactory laws, offering gamblers numerous options, whether through offshore casinos or local licensed websites.
Fortunately, Canadian gambling laws are continuously improving. Ontario, in particular, has become the first province to legalize the market, indicating a promising future for the industry in this country.
Online Gambling Regulations by Province
The online gambling laws in Canada are unique and peculiar to each province. Now let’s take a look at the online betting regulations by province.
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
The Importance of Gambling Licensing
Licensing is a strategic provision by the Canadian government to ensure that providers deliver their services within the limits of the law. With proper licensing, your safety as an online casino player is guaranteed. This is one of the measures to ensure that casinos in Canada don’t trick innocent people. The licensing is specific to each province, and all website companies must abide by the online casino rules in Canada laid down by the local government of the province where their service is located. With the proper license, it becomes difficult for Canadian online casinos to perform illegal service provisions.
Who Issues Gambling Licenses in Canada?
It is the responsibility of the Canadian government to issue licenses. However, this is not a monotonous role, as each province has the power to establish its regulations. Here, it is not surprising to find variations in land-based and new online gambling laws across the country.
All the provinces have their own regulatory body that collaborates with providers and grants them the responsibility of issuing licenses. These bodies include:
- Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
- Québec Gambling Commission and Kahnawake Gaming Commission
- Manitoba Liquor and Gaming Authority
- British Columbia – The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB)
- Alcohol and Gaming Authority of Nova Scotia
- Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA)
- Prince Edward Island Gambling
- New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation
Each sets the rules and laws for their province and serves as the provider responsible for licensing operators.
New Gambling Laws in Canada?
In November 2020, Bill C-13 was introduced by the Canadian government, which was a game changer. The bill was designed to amend the criminal code placed on gambling as sports betting in the country. The bill was successfully passed in Feb 2021, and since then, it has become legal to gamble on licensed sites.
This was a legislative intervention that showed the increased federal involvement in regulating the activities. The future of online gambling in Canada may seem unclear, but the laws will keep evolving. The expectation for further development is high. One potential change to expect is that the federal government will adopt a more proactive approach to regulating online casinos. However, it is also plausible that each province will continue to hold online casinos independently.
There is also a proposal for establishing a national regulatory framework to aid the establishment of comprehensive guidelines for betting activities. This should also be a viable means to provide further centralized authority to enforce online casino regulations.
Finishing Thoughts
This article thoroughly addresses everything you need to know about Canadian online gambling laws. Indeed, online casino regulation in Canada is diverse and unique, as each province has the authority to set rules. The provinces also have regulatory bodies that set regulations as licensed websites. Online gambling in Canada is legal only when done under strict compliance with the laws in Canada as stated explicitly by each province.
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