On this page, we will tell you more about Online Casino Canada – legislation and industry details. Gambling is a big business everywhere, as well as in Canada.
In fact, it is the single largest component of the entertainment industry in the country, according to the Canadian Gambling Association. And of course, it is contributing a significant amount to the economy of the nation. More than 135,000 people are employed in the industry with salaries of over 2bn dollars and 10bn in capital.
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Canada’s Gambling Industry
The industry is made up of slots, horse racing, casino games, and lotteries. Still, online gambling in Canada is considered a gray area, although there have never been prosecutions against Canadians and millions of them play casino every day.
Most of the existing laws revolve around topics like taxation and distribution of funds as well as the question of the legality of offshore operators, providing services to Canadian citizens.
Although the legal part of the gambling sector in Canada still has its questions and discussions, Canadians can continue to enjoy slots and casino games online without worrying that they are breaking the law.
Below we will discuss more the online gambling in Canada, and we will share with you, our top recommended online casinos in Canada.
Gambling Legislation in Canada
Before the 1960’s the attitude towards gambling in Canada was traditionally anti, but after that, the government granted provinces the right to decide if they are going to allow it in the region or not. As a result, in some regions, they started to run lotteries and make casinos. Each province determined its gambling rules, with the exception of horse race bets, which are still regulated by the Canadian Parimutuel Agency.
British Columbia was one of the provinces which began offering sports betting and online lottery tickets as far as 2004, added poker in 2009 and bingo and casino games in 2010. Over time more provinces started to open up towards gambling, but in general, players are restricted to play on local sites.
The question remains if offshore operators are allowed to take bets from Canadians or not. What is not permitted for sure is to run a betting house inside Canada and take bets from Canadians, but if an offshore casino does that it is questionable whether this activity is legal or not.
The law is not tested yet, and there are gray areas, but there is more to it which has much wider political connotations. A major part of the offshore casino servers are hosted on the Kahnawake Native Reserve close to Montreal, Canada. The Gambling Commission in Kahnawake is one of the largest gambling hosts in the world and is under the Kahnawake First Nation jurisdiction.
As you can read in our blog as well, to bring a case against an offshore operator, the authorities must first go through a serious political and legal battle with the First Nation Sovereignty, which is something they would not decide to do so easily.
Playing in Canada
Canadian players have a lot of choice in the online casino world because most sites welcome Canadians. Most of the large online casinos hosted offshore, so there are things you should look out for, except the usual checks. We all know how important it is to find a casino with a good reputation earned over the years.
Before playing on a given site and depositing money, every player must first check the site review, read customer opinions online, check the license of the provider and the terms and conditions. What is also essential, especially for offshore operators, are the accepted payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals.
Many big websites accept MasterCard, Visa, Paypal and other e-wallets. If you have a preferred payment method, better check if the site you intend to join accepts them. It can be quite time-consuming and difficult to make bank wires or international payments through these sites.
Another thing to look for is the language in which the sites offer their customer support. For Canadians, it would be great if there is both English and French.
We cannot say which is the top online casino in Canada, but there are great options for Canadian players. Many of these are specially designed with Canadian players in mind, which try to provide fair, safe and trustworthy places to places to enjoy online casino games and slots.
Illegal Online Casino Sites in Canada
Unfortunately, the existing illegal betting sites are quite a lot, and they are as easily accessible as reputable casinos. Many offer amazing bonuses and promotions to attract players, but the risk is huge. The safety of your money and personal details cannot be guaranteed if you give them to an illegal site, this risk is not worth taking.
However, the bigger issue in Canada at the moment is illegal sports betting. Why? The figures are talking, that according to reports 150 million dollars had been placed in illegal bets over the Super Bowl weekend in Canada, compared to 3 million wagered through legal lottery operations. This is happening because of an old law in the country, which allows bettors to place their wagers in a minimum of three sports results at a time, with single bets on sporting events outlawed. The laws of 1960′ need to be updated by the Senate to allow single bets in the lawful and safe way.
Canada’s Top Slot Games
The fans of slots are the ones who do not need to worry about anything. There are plenty of spots where they can enjoy their favourite slots from the biggest names in the industry like IGT, Playtech, and Net Entertainment, and all this can be done legally and safely.
We hope this page has been helpful. There is not one single best online casino in Canada we can name, but there are places worth checking. Although there also are many illegal online casinos Canada, there are great places online where you can enjoy gambling in most of its forms without worrying. We hope you will pick the best online casino in Canada and enjoy some great fun.
Various Legislations for Different Countries
If you currently reside outside of the United Kingdom, or intend to do so in the near future, we advise you to check out our pages below.
