Online Gambling in Canada by Province

There is no single “Canadian” online gambling law. The Criminal Code bans gambling by default and lets each province run it — so the legal age, the official sites and what is allowed depend on where you live. This guide explains the rules in every province and territory, in plain language, with links to the official sources.

By Otto von Stierlitz · Independent guide — not a government site.

Choose Your Province

Online Gambling Rules by Province

Province	Age	Provincial online site	Online casino	Private operators
BC	19	PlayNow.com	Yes — PlayNow	No
Quebec	18	lotoquebec.com (formerly Espacejeux)	Yes — Loto-Québec	No
Manitoba	18	PlayNow.com/mb	Yes — PlayNow	No
Saskatchewan	19	PlayNow.com/sk	Yes — PlayNow (since 2022)	No
Nova Scotia	19	alc.ca	Yes — Atlantic Lottery (since July 2022)	No
New Brunswick	19	alc.ca	Yes — Atlantic Lottery (since 2020)	No
Newfoundland & Labrador	19	alc.ca	Yes — Atlantic Lottery (since June 2023)	No
PEI	19	alc.ca	Yes — Atlantic Lottery (new in 2026)	No
Territories	18–19 (see page)	—	No	No
Ontario	19	olg.ca	Yes — OLG and licensed private operators	Yes
Alberta	18	playalberta.ca	Yes — Play Alberta and registered private operators	Yes

Is Online Gambling Legal in Canada?

Gambling is an offence under Part VII of the Criminal Code unless an exception applies. The main exception, section 207(1)(a), lets the government of a province “conduct and manage” lottery schemes — and casino games played on a computer or online may only be offered that way. In practice this means:

Every province runs its own online gambling through a Crown lottery corporation: PlayNow in BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Loto-Québec in Quebec, Atlantic Lottery in the four Atlantic provinces.
Ontario and Alberta also license private operators. A provincial agency (iGaming Ontario, the Alberta iGaming Corporation) “conducts and manages” the market and signs agreements with the companies. An Ontario court confirmed in 2024 that this model complies with the Criminal Code.
Single-game sports betting has been legal since August 27, 2021, when Bill C-218 took effect.
The territories have no online casino or sportsbook at all — only lottery.

What About Offshore Casinos?

Outside Ontario and Alberta, international casino sites — many licensed in Malta, Curaçao or by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission — accept Canadian players without a provincial licence. Their legal position is grey:

They are not authorized by your province. Provincial lottery corporations call them illegal, and in 2025 Manitoba won a court order that forced Bodog to stop serving the province.
Players are not prosecuted in practice; the law targets operators, and we found no public case against an individual player.
You have no provincial consumer protection: if a site withholds a withdrawal, your provincial regulator cannot help.
Quebec once tried to force internet providers to block these sites (Bill 74). The courts struck the law down, and the Supreme Court refused to hear the case in 2022, so no site blocking exists in Canada.

If you choose an international site, pick one with a real licence, Interac support and a clear withdrawal policy, and never play there if you live in Ontario or Alberta. Our payment methods guide explains which ways to deposit and withdraw still work.

What Changed in 2025–2026

July 13, 2026 — Alberta opened a regulated private market, Canada’s second after Ontario. More
April 13, 2026 — British Columbia replaced its gambling regulator with the Independent Gambling Control Office. The market stays closed. More
2026 — Prince Edward Island opened Atlantic Lottery’s online casino to residents, the last Atlantic province to do so. More
October 5, 2026 — Quebec elected a Parti Québécois minority government; both the PQ and the Liberals have favoured licensing private online operators. No bill yet. More
October 2026 — New Brunswick tabled a bill on live online casino games and says it is “exploring options” for private operators. More
May 26, 2025 — Manitoba won a permanent injunction against Bodog. More
2027 (expected) — BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces move to one shared PROLINE sportsbook powered by Kambi.

Taxes on Gambling Winnings

Recreational players in Canada do not pay tax on gambling or lottery winnings — the Canada Revenue Agency lists them among amounts that are not taxed. The exception is gambling run as a business, which courts accept only rarely, even for high-volume poker players. Interest or investment income you earn on your winnings is taxable as usual.

Provinces With Only a Provincial Site

In 8 provinces and the territories, the provincial site is the only authorized online option: BC, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, PEI, Territories. In Ontario and Alberta you can also choose from licensed private operators — and we never show offshore casino offers to visitors from those provinces.

Online Gambling in Canada: FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Canada?

Yes, when it is run or authorized by a province. Under section 207 of the Criminal Code only a provincial government may “conduct and manage” online casino games, so every province offers its own site (such as PlayNow, Loto-Québec or Atlantic Lottery), and Ontario and Alberta also license private operators. Sites without a provincial licence are not authorized to operate in your province.

Is it illegal for me to play at an offshore casino?

The law is aimed at operators, not players. We found no public record of Canadians being prosecuted for playing at offshore sites. But those sites are not licensed by your province, so if something goes wrong — a withheld withdrawal, a closed account — you have no provincial regulator to complain to.

What is the legal gambling age in Canada?

19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. See our gambling age by province guide.

Are gambling winnings taxed in Canada?

Not for recreational players: the Canada Revenue Agency does not tax lottery and gambling winnings. The exception is gambling as a business — professional gamblers — which courts rarely accept. Interest you earn on winnings is taxable.

Which provinces allow private online casinos?

Only Ontario (since April 4, 2022) and Alberta (since July 13, 2026) license private operators. Everywhere else, the provincial lottery corporation is the only authorized online casino.

Is Sport Select the same everywhere?

No. Sport Select is sold in the West, Pro-Line in Atlantic Canada and BC, PROLINE+ in Ontario and Mise-o-jeu in Quebec. See our Sport Select and Pro-Line guide.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03. Rules change — the official pages below always win.

Last updated: 2026-11-03