Online casinosby province, 2026

Is online gambling legal in Canada?

Yes. Canada's Criminal Code prohibits gambling except where a province or territory "conducts and manages" it. That gives each province control over gambling within its borders, including online casinos. There is no single national online casino licence, so the answer to "is it legal?" always depends on where you live.

Three models exist in Canada today:

1. Regulated private markets: Ontario and Alberta register private operators, which compete with the government site under provincial rules.
2. Government-only markets: British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the four Atlantic provinces run their own online casino and do not license private ones.
3. No local site: Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no online casino of their own.

In the second and third groups, offshore casinos licensed abroad accept Canadian players. Players are not prosecuted for using them, but those sites are regulated by their foreign licence, not by the province.

Online casino rules in every province and territory

Call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada for free, confidential support at any time.

Ontario and Alberta: regulated private markets

In Ontario and Alberta, private online casinos must register with the provincial regulator (the AGCO in Ontario, AGLC in Alberta) and sign an agreement with the body that manages the market (iGaming Ontario, the Alberta iGaming Corporation). Registered sites must:

• verify every player's identity and age at sign-up,
• confirm you are physically in the province before you play,
• use certified games and protect player funds,
• offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion,
• follow advertising rules, including the ban on publicly advertised bonuses.

Unregistered offshore casinos must block players in these provinces. That is why our Ontario and Alberta pages list registered sites only and show "Shown after sign-up" instead of bonus amounts.

Government sites and offshore casinos elsewhere

In the other provinces, the provincial lottery corporation runs the only licensed online casino:

• PlayNow.com: BCLC's site, also used by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
• PlayNow SK: Saskatchewan's site, run by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority on BCLC's platform.
• Loto-Québec: Quebec's online casino, in French and English.
• ALC.ca: Atlantic Lottery's site for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and PEI.

Offshore casinos also accept players in these provinces, offering larger game libraries and bonuses. They are licensed by regulators such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission or Curaçao, and that licence determines where you can complain. Our online casinos Canada ranking scores licence strength for exactly this reason.

Legal gambling age by province

The legal age is 19 in most of Canada and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Online casinos check your date of birth at sign-up and your ID before paying out; an underage account is closed and its winnings voided. See our gambling age by province guide.

Bonuses: why they depend on your province

Ontario and Alberta ban public advertising of casino bonuses, so registered sites show offers only after you sign up. Players in the other provinces and territories see offshore casinos' public offers, including welcome bonuses, free spins and cashback. Compare them on our casino bonuses page, and favour low wagering or no wagering offers.

What happens when you travel or move between provinces?

• Registered Ontario and Alberta sites only work while you are physically in that province. Travel elsewhere and real-money play is blocked until you return.
• Government sites generally require you to live in, or be located in, their province.
• Offshore casinos usually accept players from several provinces, but check that your new province is on the casino's accepted list.
• If you move permanently, withdraw your balance, close accounts that no longer apply to you, and open one at a site that is legal where you now live.

How to choose an online casino in your province

1. Find your province in the table above and open its page.
2. In Ontario or Alberta, choose a registered site; compare payout speed, games and payment methods.
3. Elsewhere, decide between your government site and an offshore casino with a strong licence.
4. Check payments: Interac is the easiest method in every province.
5. Read the withdrawal terms: payout time, minimums and limits.
6. Set a deposit limit before your first deposit.

Are gambling winnings taxed in any province?

No. Recreational gambling winnings are not taxed anywhere in Canada, whether you play at a registered site, a government site or an offshore casino. Professional gamblers who play as a business are the rare exception. See are gambling winnings taxed in Canada.

Which provinces might regulate next?

As of 19 October 2026, only Ontario and Alberta license private online casinos. Other provinces have not announced private licensing models, though Alberta's 2026 launch has made the Ontario-style model more common. If another province opens a regulated market, its page here will switch to registered sites only, as Alberta's did in 2026.

Government site or offshore casino: which is better?

There is no single best choice. Government and registered sites give you the strongest local protection; offshore casinos give you more games and promotions but rely on a foreign licence. If you choose offshore, pick a casino with a licence you can verify and fair withdrawal terms.

How we choose casinos for each province

Every province page uses the same scoring model, adjusted to what is legal there:

• Ontario and Alberta pages list only registered sites, checked against the iGaming Ontario and AGLC registries, and rank them on payout speed, games, payments and extras.
• Other province pages list the offshore casinos that accept players there, ranked on licence strength, bonus wagering, payout terms, games and payments, alongside the government site.

The full method is on our how we score page.

Which online casinos are legal in Canada?

It depends on your province:

• In Ontario: PlayOLG and casinos registered with iGaming Ontario.
• In Alberta: Play Alberta and casinos registered with AGLC.
• In British Columbia and Manitoba: PlayNow.com.
• In Saskatchewan: PlayNow SK.
• In Quebec: Loto-Québec.
• In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and PEI: ALC.ca.
• In the territories: no local online casino.

Outside Ontario and Alberta, offshore casinos with foreign licences also accept players and are widely used, but they are not regulated by the province. Our online casinos Canada ranking scores those licences.

Related guides

See is online gambling legal in Canada, gambling age by province and casino licences explained. Free help in every province is listed in responsible gambling.

Province guide glossary

• Conduct and manage: the Criminal Code power that lets provinces run or license gambling.
• Regulated market: a province that registers private online casinos (Ontario, Alberta).
• Government site: the provincial lottery corporation's online casino.
• Offshore casino: an online casino licensed outside Canada.
• Geolocation: the location check registered sites use to confirm your province.