Canada has no national online casino licence. The Criminal Code allows gambling that a province conducts and manages or licenses, so every province decides for itself how online casinos work for its residents. Ontario has allowed registered private operators since 4 April 2022, Alberta opened its own regulated market on 13 July 2026, and the other provinces offer online casino games through a provincially run or authorised site. Many Canadians also play at casinos licensed abroad, which sit outside all of these systems.
This guide sets out who regulates what, the legal age in each province and territory, and what each kind of licence means for you. It is general information, not legal advice, and rules change, so check anything important with your provincial regulator. Real-money play is 19+, or 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.
Legal age and regulated online play by province
| Province or territory | Legal age | Regulated online casino |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 19+ | Private operators registered with the AGCO under an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, plus the provincial site |
| Alberta | 18+ | Since 13 July 2026: operators registered with AGLC and contracted to the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), plus Play Alberta |
| British Columbia | 19+ | Provincial lottery corporation site |
| Saskatchewan | 19+ | Provincially authorised site run by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority |
| Manitoba | 18+ | Provincial lottery corporation site |
| Quebec | 18+ | Loto-Quebec |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador | 19+ | The Atlantic provinces' shared lottery corporation site |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | Check local rules | Set by each territory |
Casinos licensed abroad accept players in many provinces outside Ontario and Alberta, but no Canadian province licenses or supervises them.
Why the province decides
Because gambling is a provincial matter, a few practical rules follow:
- No site is "licensed in Canada" in general. It is registered in one province, run by one, or licensed somewhere else entirely.
- A registration stops at the provincial border. An Ontario registration covers play in Ontario; it says nothing about Nova Scotia or Saskatchewan.
- Where you are matters, not just where you live. Provincial sites check that you are physically in the province before you play.
- International sites answer to their own regulator. No Canadian regulator supervises them or hears complaints about them.
So the first question about any casino is not its bonus but its licence: who issued it, and does that regulator cover where you are?
Ontario: AGCO and iGaming Ontario
Private online casinos may serve Ontario when they are registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and have an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. You must be 19 or older and physically in Ontario to play, and the provincial lottery corporation's own site runs alongside the private operators.
- Check the directory. iGaming Ontario publishes the list of regulated sites.
- Complaints go to the operator first and then to the AGCO.
- Self-exclusion through BetGuard covers every registered site at once.
- Bonuses may not be advertised broadly in Ontario; registered operators show them on their own sites or to players who have agreed to receive offers.
Our partner offer is not registered in Ontario and is not available to Ontario residents. Our Ontario guide explains the market in more detail.
Alberta: AGLC and the Alberta iGaming Corporation
Since 13 July 2026, private operators may serve Alberta when they are registered with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and have an agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC). Play Alberta, the provincial site, continues alongside them, and the legal age is 18.
Before you sign up as an Alberta resident, check that the casino appears on AGLC's published list of registered operators. Registered sites connect to AGLC's centralized self-exclusion program, so one registration excludes you from all of them. A site that offers to serve Alberta but is not on that list is outside the provincial system.
The other provinces and the territories
Outside Ontario and Alberta, the regulated option is the province's own online casino:
- British Columbia: PlayNow, operated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and available only to players located in BC.
- Quebec: Loto-Québec's online casino.
- Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces: the site run or authorised by the province, shared across the four Atlantic provinces.
- The territories: check with your territorial government for what is authorised.
These sites have provincial player protections built in, but narrower game ranges and fewer promotions than many international casinos.
Casinos licensed abroad
Many residents of the provinces without an open market also play at international casinos. These hold licences from regulators outside the provincial systems, for example the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which issues interactive gaming permits from Kahnawà:ke near Montreal, or regulators in Malta, Curacao and elsewhere. Many accept Canadian dollars and Interac, and they usually offer bigger lobbies and more promotions.
| Provincial site | International casino | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed by | Your province | A regulator outside the provincial system |
| Complaints | Provincial route | The licensing body, if it takes player complaints |
| Self-exclusion | Provincial program | That casino only |
| Games and promotions | Narrower | Usually wider, with wagering terms |
If you choose an international site, check its licence on the regulator's own website, read the withdrawal terms before you deposit, and set limits in your account. Ontario and Alberta residents should use the sites registered in their province.
One brand, several sites
Many well-known brands run an Ontario site, an Alberta site and an international site, often through different companies. The name and logo match; the operator, licence, bonuses and support may not. Our reviews treat each site as its own set of facts, and the "Where you can play" strip at the top of every review shows which site serves Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and the rest of Canada, under which licence, at what minimum age.
Travelling, location checks and VPNs
Provincial sites follow where you are. An Ontario account will not let you play while you are in Manitoba, and the same applies in reverse. Expect location checks when you log in, especially on a phone. Do not try to get around them with a VPN: it breaks the terms of registered sites and many international ones, and a casino that finds out can close the account and withhold the balance.
Identity checks and tax
Every legitimate casino verifies who you are before paying out. Expect to provide a government photo ID, proof of address, and sometimes proof that you own the payment method you used. Sending them when you open the account saves time on your first withdrawal.
For recreational players, gambling winnings in Canada are generally treated as windfalls rather than taxable income. Gambling carried on as a business can be treated differently, so ask a tax professional if you think that may apply to you.
Before you play: a checklist
- Know your legal age: 19, or 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.
- In Ontario, use sites in iGaming Ontario's directory; in Alberta, check AGLC's list.
- Elsewhere, choose between the provincial site and an international one, knowing the difference in protection.
- Check the licence on the regulator's own website.
- Read the withdrawal terms and the bonus terms before you deposit.
- Set deposit and time limits before your first session. Free help lines are on our responsible gambling page.