Best Canadian Online Casinos

Canadian Online Casinos

Real money gambling has long been an activity Canadians took a keen interest in. However, just like in the majority of countries worldwide, online gambling legislation is a delicate matter. There is no clear cut answer whether online gambling is legal in Canada. Still, there are some details you need to be aware of before you open an account at a casino accepting Canadian players.

Online Gambling in Canada

Canadian gambling laws used to be really stern, but a Criminal Code update gave each Canadian province the right to decide whether to allow gambling activities on its territory or not. As a result, each province enforced its own laws and established its own state lottery. Basically, Canadians are allowed to purchase lottery tickets online, but depending on the province they reside in, they may or may not be allowed to play casino games online.

To cut a long story short, if the authorities of the province you live in have approved online gambling, then, you have nothing to worry about. The tricky part is what happens if you play at overseas casinos that haven’t got regulators’ nod?

On one hand, opening an account at an overseas casino is illegal. On the other hand, there are many international operators accepting Canadian players and neither players nor operators are prosecuted. There is no Canadian law that prohibits online gambling. There is not a law that allows online gambling either.

The biggest disadvantage of playing at an overseas casino is the lack of regulation and protection. If we assume that a certain casino is licensed by the UKGC and a UK resident complains about rigged games, confiscated bonuses, or forfeited winnings, they can count on the UKGC authorities to investigate the matter and protect their interests. Likewise, if you are a Canadian and you play at a casino that is not licensed by a Canadian regulator, you cannot count on such protection in an event of a dispute. Still, that should not be a dealbreaker as long as you play at respected online casinos that have stood the test of time. Make sure you always play at a casino licensed by a trusted European regulator – UKGC or MGA, ideally both.

Canadian gambling market infographic

Canadian Gambling Commission

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is based on the Indian reserve of Kahnawake. The latter is on the territory of Canada, so technically, this is the Canadian regulator. However, the Kahnawake is a sovereign nation, which means, it may not be fully compliant with the Canadian legislation.

Payment Methods for Canadian Players

The most common payment methods among Canadian players are Clickand Buy and Click2Pay, although the majority of international operators enable Canadians to deposit via Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Entropay, Neteller, iDebit.