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Is Playing Online Casino Games Legal in Canada? A Detailed Answer

Online casinos are gradually becoming more popular in Canada than land-based companies. People now enjoy playing poker, and playing other online casino games. However, playing online gambling games is under governmental restrictions in some countries.
In this article, we will talk about the essential laws guiding casino online Canada that you should know. So if you ever find yourself in any part of Canada, you will know what to do regarding online casino games.
Development of Online Casino in Canada
Canada is a country with a long history of gambling. In the 1990s, the internet’s use to gamble or participate in casino games started. As technological advances were made, online platforms became more popular over the years.
Presently, gambling in Canada is rampant and is one of the country’s most popular activities for entertainment. It is even responsible for some of the revenue in some parts of the country.
Gambling Laws in Canada
Gambling laws guide activities in various land-based gambling houses to maintain law and order. These laws do also apply even when played on the internet.
The Criminal Code of Canada states that “operating an online casino or gambling website within any part of Canada is illegal, especially without a license.” However, there is no restriction to playing on sites offshore. This is why no one has been reportedly arrested or sued for playing in an online casino in Canada.
There are no universal laws, most rules are specific to a country, and Canada is one of such countries with laws guiding gambling activities.
Each province has its specific laws. They also have bodies and organizations in charge of licensing. Based on this, they can decide to legalize or restrict any kind of online gambling activity. Gambling laws in Canada vary from province to province, as described below.
Ontario
There are over 25 land-based gambling houses here, including ones owned by private individuals and those owned by the government in this province. Ontario has no restriction on online casinos as you can choose to play at any of your choices. The gambling laws in Ontario even allow players to wager on their favorite games in person or via the internet.
Manitoba
Over a thousand unlicensed casinos are accessible in this province from operators based in foreign countries. However, PlayNow Manitoba is the only online platform you can operate from within the borders of the provincial government.
Alberta
This province has a very long history of gambling. It is no surprise that the legal age for gambling is 18, and about 4% of their budget comes from gambling revenue. This is why all residents of Alberta are free to play at any online gambling platform without restriction.
Quebec
The Loto-Quebec organization is responsible for regulating laws on gambling online in this province. The residents are allowed to play online gambling games as long as the online site is approved and licensed and they are above 18 years.
Saskatchewan
This province has about eight gaming authorities and a gaming corporation runs by its casino. However, online casinos are not permitted to be based within the region, but offshore sites are made easily accessible.
Nova Scotia
There are only two land-based gambling houses in this small province. Although Nova Scotia has no gaming sites, its residents can play at any online platform of their choice without any legal restriction.
British Columbia
This province has only one legal gambling site – PlayNow – owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. The corporation has governed all the gaming activities within the province over the years.
Prince Edward Island
There is one legal casino in this province that is open to anyone over 19 years. Residents are allowed to play on any online gaming site that permits them.
Newfoundland and Labrador
This is the only province in Canada that bans land-based gambling houses. However, its residents can play online casinos on over a thousand accessible offshore sites.
New Brunswick
There is only one casino located in this province with a population of almost a million. Its residents can choose to play at any offshore casino, especially because there are no government restrictions or regulations.
Final Thoughts
Playing at online gaming platform is gradually becoming mainstream over the years, thanks to the internet and technological development. Kevin N. Cochran, our expert in iGaming, has made it clear that you are not putting yourself in legal trouble if you play at an online casino in Canada. You can visit any reputable online casino of your choice to play for fun or earn extra money. Always remember to play responsibly!
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The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.
In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:
- the draft dragged on for hours;
- there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
- frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.
As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.
A small problem
There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.
For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.
Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.
More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.
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60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.
Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.
Canada: a forever love of gambling
Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.
It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.
The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.
Alberta: following Ontario’s lead
The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.
The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.
Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.
What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?
Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.
Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.
The US
Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.
Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.
The UK
In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.
Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.
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