Online Gaming in Canada

Several provinces offer online gaming to their citizens. British Columbia was the first to enter the online gaming market when it launched its online casino, PlayNow.com, in 2010.

Canada has adopted a relaxed stance toward offshore online casinos, and most provinces have chosen not to block them or try to prosecute them. Instead, they allow Canadians to bet with those sites, hoping the provincial offerings will be both competitive and safer.

Québec, however, announced plans in March 2015 to propose new legislation that would compel internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to a list of unlicensed sites. The legislation passed in May 2016, but has since been tied up in a series of legal challenges. In August 2018, the Québec Superior Court ruled the legislation unconstitutional; the Québec government has since filed an appeal. The Québec Court of Appeal definitively affirmed the unconstitutionality of the ISP blocking scheme in 2021, confirming that exclusive federal jurisdiction over telecommunications extends to online communications and that the province cannot compel ISPs to block gambling sites.

On March 25, 2021, a Canadian Parliament committee unanimously passed an amended bill to legalize single-game sports betting, with an amendment allowing horse racing to continue offering parimutuel bets and prohibiting fixed-odds wagering on horse racing. On 22 June 2021, the Senate of Canada passed Bill C-218 without any amendments, 57-20, with five abstentions, and the new law legalized single-event sports betting in Canada once it received Royal Assent.

On April 4, 2022, Ontario became the first province in Canada to license and regulate third-party online gambling sites In provinces where online casino gaming is not legalized and regulated, residents may still access offshore online casinos; however, these offshore operators are not licensed by Canadian authorities and operate in a legal gray area. Ontario remains by far the largest and most competitive regulated market.

Provincial online gaming markets continue to expand. iGaming Ontario became a fully independent Crown agency on May 12, 2025, separating from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) under the iGaming Ontario Act, 2024; iGO now reports directly to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and manages commercial agreements with operators, while the AGCO retains regulatory and licensing authority. In November 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled 4–1 that the province has authority to offer "international liquidity" in online gaming — permitting shared player pools with jurisdictions beyond Canada. Alberta's competitive market launches July 13, 2026 with 28 operators registered.

First Nations regulators, led by Kahnawake, maintain a significant global presence licensing online operators; the KGC issued multiple regulatory amendments in late 2025 and early 2026 covering interactive gaming, electronic gaming devices, and poker rooms.

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