Canadian Gambling Laws

Gambling in Canada over the recent years has continued to gain relaxed and favourable legislation, to expand the industry and provide revenue in the form of tax to the country. Understanding the gambling laws of Canada can be confusing and complicated, but they are easy to understand if you pay attention to understanding how the gambling laws work in Canada. The Canadian gambling laws affect all casinos operating in the country, including GGBet Casino and sports betting activities.

What are the Gambling Laws of Canada?

The gambling laws of Canada are the laws that guide the operational activities of legally registered gambling houses in Canada. The gambling laws of Canada frowns at and punish people who operate gambling houses of any kind without having them registered. Some gambling laws in Canada are enacted and enforced by the federal government. Several other gambling legislation were made and enforced by the provincial governments. Depending on the gambling types, the relevant laws to it may vary from province to province. The criminal code regulates some other types of gambling.

The Canadian federal government took a serious stance on gambling regulations in the 20th century, making the first significant legislation on the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act, which made provisions that prohibited bookmaking and pool-selling, which are forms of betting. This legislation, the Criminal Code (1985), prohibited illegal gambling. It also prohibited bookmaking, pool-selling, and betting on horse races.

In addition to the Criminal Code Law, several other pieces of legislation deal with specific types of gambling. The federal statute dealing with lotteries prohibits anyone other than a provincial government from holding lotteries on its territory. There are also statutes dealing with casinos, charitable gaming, and bingo. Both federal and provincial law enforcement agencies in Canada enforce the gambling laws of Canada. The federal law enforcement agencies are responsible for enforcing the criminal code that prohibits illegal gaming and the special acts that deal with specific types of gaming. The provincial law enforcement agencies are responsible for enforcing the gambling regulations and operations of the legal gambling houses and lotteries.

In the year 2013, online casino gambling, sports betting and lotteries became legal in Canada through an act of legislation by the federal house on the federal government bill. This legalisation opened up the gambling industry in Canada and increased the revenue generation of the sector to billions of dollars. The online gaming legislation also reduced the tight restrictions on gambling in the country, and since then, more provincial governments have continued to make less strict legislation on gambling. 

Looking at the gambling laws in Canada would be according to the different provinces in Canada; this is because the provinces make their gambling laws. The gambling laws in Canada vary from province to province. Some provinces allow certain types of gambling, while others do not allow gambling of any kind, especially online gambling. The Canadian gaming commission regulates the gambling industry in the country at the federal level. We would consider the Canadian gambling laws according to provinces where they are used since the provinces enact the laws and enforce them.

Canada has ten provinces, with each of the provinces having its peculiar gambling laws, and we will be examining the gambling laws in each of the provinces. The Canadian provinces include:

1. Ontario
2. Quebec
3. Nova Scotia
4. New Brunswick
5. Manitoba
6. British Columbia
7. Prince Edward Island
8. Newfoundland and Labrador
9. Saskatchewan
10. Alberta

Ontario Gambling Laws

The province of Ontario in Canada is very friendly with its gambling laws; hence several types of gambling activities are legal in the province. More than 25 land-based casinos are operating legally in Ontario, which is also the largest province in the country. Online gambling is legal in Ontario, with playing options at PlayOLG and betting on the Proline service. Betting on horses is legal in Ontario, with Quarter Horse, Standardbred, and thoroughbred racing available from Ottawa to Fort Erie.

Gambling on Slot machines is legal in Ontario, with the province having the highest number of slot machines for gambling in the country compared to other regions. Sports betting is legal in Ontario, where players may play at the online services via the internet or at the land-based lottery centres. Lotteries and charitable gaming are legal in the province of Ontario.

Quebec Gambling Laws

The province of Quebec offers legal gambling on several gaming activities and has been doing so since 1970 when it became legal to offer games of chance. The number of legal gambling events available in the Quebec province of Canada has continued to grow over the years. Quebec residents can expressly access casinos outside of the province and Canada or Espacejeux, a gaming site run by the government. Gambling on Bingo & Charitable Gaming, Video Lottery Terminals, Sports Betting, Online Gambling, Lottery, Horse Racing, and casinos are legal in the province of Quebec.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has a respectable gaming scene with bet offerings available on several types of gambling activities that are legal in the province of Nova Scotia. Gambling in the Province of Nova Scotia on these: Video Lottery Terminals, Online gaming, Sports Betting, Horse Racing, Lottery & Charitable Gaming, and casinos are all legal.

New Brunswick Gambling Laws

The province has several legal and regulated gambling activities, but there are limited numbers of betting houses for casino and sports betting. Gambling on these activities Video Lottery Terminals, casinos, Online gambling, Horse Racing, Charitable Gaming, sports betting, and lottery are all legal in the province.

Manitoba Gambling Laws

Gambling is legal in the Manitoba province of Canada, with gambling activities regulated by the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba. Gambling in the province of Manitoba on Online Gambling, casinos, lottery, Horse Racing, Charitable Gaming, sports betting, and video lottery terminals are all legal.

British Columbia Gambling Laws

Gambling is a legal activity in their province of Canada, with the minimum age for buying a lottery ticket put at 19 years old. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation regulates gambling activities in the BC province and has offered gaming to the residents for over 30 years. These gambling activities are all legal in the BC province of Canada; they are Lottery, Horse Racing, Casino, Sports betting, Online gambling, and Charitable Gaming.

As we have seen, gambling laws are enacted by the provincial governments in Canada in conjunction with the federal government that enforces the criminal code infractions to the illegal gambling centre operators.

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