Gambling Laws in Canada: How iGaming Is Regulated

Gambling in Canada is legal, but only because the Criminal Code hands control to the provinces. There is no single national gambling licence and no federal casino regulator. Instead, a short list of criminal prohibitions bans most betting and gaming outright, and then carves out one large exception: a province may run — or authorise — gambling inside its own borders. This guide explains how that framework works, who regulates what, when single-event sports betting and online casinos became legal, and how Ontario’s open iGaming market (and now Alberta’s) fits the model.

Is gambling legal in Canada?

Gambling is legal in Canada when a province conducts, manages or licenses it; almost everything else is a criminal offence. Gambling law is set federally in the Criminal Code of Canada, but the day-to-day power to offer games sits with the provinces and territories. That split is the single most important thing to understand about the Canadian system.

What the Criminal Code prohibits

Sections 201 to 206 of the Criminal Code make most gaming and betting illegal. In broad terms they ban keeping a common gaming or betting house, running a lottery or game of chance, and profiting from these activities without authority. Keeping a common gaming or betting house under section 201, for example, is an indictable offence that can carry up to two years’ imprisonment. On their own, these sections would outlaw casinos, lotteries and sportsbooks entirely.

The provincial “conduct and manage” exception

Section 207 is the exception that makes legal gambling possible. It allows a provincial government to “conduct and manage” a lottery scheme in its own province, either alone or with another province, under that province’s own laws. “Lottery scheme” is read broadly and covers lotteries, casino games, slot machines and online gaming — not just ticket draws. This is why every legal casino, lottery and regulated betting site in Canada ultimately traces back to a provincial authority rather than a federal one.

Charities, fairs and horse racing

A few narrower exceptions sit alongside the provincial power. Section 207 also lets registered charities and religious organisations run lottery schemes under a provincial licence when the proceeds go to a charitable or religious purpose, and it covers licensed fairs and exhibitions. Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing is handled separately: it is overseen federally by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency, a branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, rather than by the provinces.

How each province runs gambling

Each province delivers legal gambling through a government-owned lottery or gaming corporation, and often a separate regulator. Because the Criminal Code requires the province to “conduct and manage” the activity, provinces created Crown corporations to do exactly that. These bodies operate lotteries, casinos and, increasingly, online platforms.

• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) — lotteries, commercial and charity casinos and slots in Ontario.
• Loto-Québec — created in 1969; runs Quebec’s casinos, video lottery terminals and the Espacejeux online platform.
• British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) — British Columbia’s lotteries, casinos and the government PlayNow site.
• Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) — jointly operated by New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) — acts for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, plus the three territories, on shared lottery products.

National draws such as Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max and Daily Grand are coordinated by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which is jointly owned by the regional lottery bodies. Regulators — such as the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) or the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) — sit separately from the operators and enforce the rules. The table below summarises the main authorities and minimum ages.

Is online gambling legal in Canada?

Online gambling is legal in Canada when it is offered by, or on behalf of, a provincial authority. The same section 207 rule applies online as offline: a province can run an internet gaming site itself, or (in Ontario and now Alberta) licence private operators to run sites on the province’s behalf. Every province and most territories offer at least a government-run casino or sports site.

The offshore “grey market”

Many internationally licensed sites accept Canadian players even though no Canadian province conducts or manages them. These are often called “grey market” sites because they operate from outside the country under foreign licences. Canadian law targets operators rather than individual players, so players who use such sites are not the focus of prosecution; however, these sites sit outside provincial consumer protections, dispute resolution and self-exclusion systems. One of the stated goals of Ontario’s regulated market was to move players from offshore sites onto provincially overseen ones.

Provincial online models

Two models exist. Most provinces run a single government website — BCLC’s PlayNow (also used in Manitoba and Saskatchewan), Loto-Québec’s Espacejeux, ALC’s site in Atlantic Canada and OLG’s own site in Ontario. Ontario and Alberta went further and opened “open” markets in which many registered private operators compete under provincial oversight.

How Ontario’s iGaming market works

Ontario launched Canada’s first open, regulated internet gaming market on 4 April 2022, letting private operators offer casino games, poker and sports betting under provincial control. It remains the template other provinces study. The model separates regulation from commercial operation across two bodies.

What the AGCO and iGaming Ontario each do

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the regulator: it registers operators and gaming suppliers, sets the standards and enforces them. iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary of the AGCO, is the body that “conducts and manages” the market for the province and signs a commercial operating agreement with each operator. An operator must do both — be registered by the AGCO and hold an agreement with iGO — before it can legally offer games to Ontarians. Operators pay the province a share of gaming revenue (reported at around 20%).

How big the Ontario market is

Ontario’s regulated market has grown quickly. Across calendar 2025, iGaming Ontario reported roughly CAD 98 billion wagered and about CAD 4 billion in gaming revenue, with around 1.27 million active player accounts and close to 50 operators live. Casino games (slots and table games) make up the large majority of wagers, with sports betting a smaller share. These figures cover only provincially regulated sites, not offshore activity.

The international liquidity question

A live legal question is whether Ontario players can be pooled with players abroad. In Reference re iGaming Ontario, 2025 ONCA 770 (November 2025), the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled 4–1 that Ontario could allow its players to join international peer-to-peer games and betting pools (such as online poker) while still “conducting and managing” the scheme for its own residents. The decision turned on the meaning of the phrase “in that province” in section 207. Commentary suggests the matter may still be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, so the point is not fully settled.

When did single-event sports betting become legal?

Single-event sports betting became legal across Canada on 27 August 2021. Before that, the Criminal Code allowed only parlay-style bets, where a player had to combine several outcomes on one ticket. Bill C-218, a private member’s bill, amended the Code to let provinces and their licensees offer bets on a single game or event. Each province then decided how to offer it — through its government platform, its retail lottery outlets, or (in Ontario and Alberta) through licensed operators. Betting on horse racing stayed under the separate pari-mutuel rules.

Alberta’s new open market

Alberta became the second province with an open, competitive iGaming market when it launched on 13 July 2026. The iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) received royal assent on 12 May 2025 and created the Alberta iGaming Corporation to conduct and manage the market, with the AGLC acting as regulator — a structure closely modelled on Ontario’s AGCO/iGO split. Around two dozen operator sites went live on day one alongside the long-standing government platform, Play Alberta. Other provinces are watching both markets as they consider their own online frameworks.

Common misconceptions about Canadian gambling law

Several widely repeated beliefs about Canadian gambling law are inaccurate. Clearing them up helps explain how the system actually works.

• “There is a national gambling licence.” There is not. Authorisation always comes from a province or territory; a licence in one province does not apply in another.
• “All online casinos that accept Canadians are legal here.” Only sites run or licensed by a provincial authority are provincially regulated. Offshore sites operate under foreign licences and sit outside Canadian oversight.
• “Playing on an offshore site is a crime.” The prohibitions in the Code are aimed at operators, not individual players, but offshore play carries no provincial consumer protection.
• “The gambling age is 18 everywhere.” It is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec but 19 in most other provinces, including Ontario.
• “Regulated sites change your odds of winning.” Regulation governs fairness, licensing and player protection, not the built-in house edge of casino games, which always favours the operator over time.

A note on responsible gambling

Legal and regulated are not the same as risk-free: every casino game is designed so the house wins over the long run. Provincial platforms include tools such as deposit and time limits and self-exclusion programs, and provincial help lines are available for anyone affected by gambling. For a plain-language overview of those tools and where to get support in Canada, see our guide to responsible gambling in Canada. If gambling is causing harm for you or someone you know, free, confidential help is available — in Ontario, ConnexOntario can be reached at 1-866-531-2600. This article is general information, not legal advice; for the rules on a specific activity, check your provincial regulator. You can read more about how we research and source our guides on our about page.

Vanliga frågor (FAQ)

Is online gambling legal in Canada?

Yes, when it is offered by or on behalf of a provincial authority. Every province runs or licenses at least one online gambling platform. Sites that are not conducted, managed or licensed by a province operate from offshore under foreign licences and sit outside Canadian regulation.

Is it illegal to play on an offshore casino site from Canada?

The Criminal Code prohibitions target operators rather than individual players, so players are not the focus of prosecution. The practical downside is that offshore sites are not covered by provincial consumer protections, dispute resolution or self-exclusion programs.

What is iGaming Ontario?

iGaming Ontario (iGO) is a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario that “conducts and manages” Ontario’s regulated online gambling market. Private operators must be registered by the AGCO and sign an operating agreement with iGO before they can offer games to Ontarians.

When did single-event sports betting become legal in Canada?

On 27 August 2021, after Bill C-218 amended the Criminal Code. Before that date only parlay bets combining several outcomes were allowed. Each province decides how single-event betting is offered within its borders.

What is the legal gambling age in Canada?

It depends on the province. The minimum age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and 19 in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces. Some provinces allow lottery-ticket purchases at a slightly younger age than casino play.