The basic rule
The Criminal Code prohibits gambling except where a province “conducts and manages” it, or licenses it. Online casinos are therefore legal in Canada, but only on sites your province runs or authorizes.
Most provinces chose to run a single site through their lottery corporation. Ontario went a different way in April 2022 and opened a regulated market to private operators, overseen by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Summary table
| Province or territory | Legal online casino | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | iGaming Ontario operators and OLG.ca | 19 |
| British Columbia | PlayNow (BCLC) | 19 |
| Alberta | PlayAlberta (AGLC) | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | PlayNow Saskatchewan | 19 |
| Manitoba | PlayNow Manitoba | 18 |
| Quebec | Loto-Québec | 18 |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador | Atlantic Lottery (ALC) | 19 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | No territorial online casino | 19 |
Province cards
Ontario
19+Open, regulated market since April 2022. Dozens of private operators plus OLG.ca.
British Columbia
19+PlayNow, run by BCLC, offers casino, poker, lottery and sports betting.
Alberta
18+PlayAlberta is the provincial site. Alberta is preparing to open its market to private operators.
Saskatchewan
19+A Saskatchewan version of PlayNow, in partnership with BCLC.
Manitoba
18+PlayNow Manitoba, run with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
Quebec
18+Loto-Québec is the only authorized operator, with casino, live dealer, poker and sports betting.
Atlantic Canada
19+Atlantic Lottery runs online games for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Territories
19+No territorial online casino. Lotteries are sold through the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Location, not address
Legal sites check where you are when you play. A Manitoban visiting Toronto can play on a registered Ontario site during the trip, but not once back in Winnipeg. An Ontarian on holiday in BC cannot use their Ontario account there.
A site that lets you play from anywhere is not checking your location, which means no Canadian province regulates it.
What's changing
Alberta passed legislation to open a regulated market for private operators, modelled on Ontario. Other provinces are watching Ontario's results. We update this guide when a change takes effect.