Online Casinos and Canadian Government: What the Law Says About Online Gambling

Before you put your entrepreneurial cap on and open your own online casino, its best to learn what the law has to say about these matters. Even though online gambling and online casinos have become very popular, there are loads of countries where running such platforms are illegal.

In this post, we take a brief look at what the law in Canada says about opening and operating an online casino.

Casino Licences

Yes, gambling and land-based casinos are quite legal in Canada. Online casinos on the other hand, not so much. It is illegal for an online casino to be based within the country’s borders. In other words, the government will not grand an online casino license if you live and operate from Canada.

Operating in Canada is Illegal

As we’ve mentioned, it is still considered as an illegal act to open up shop within the borders of Canada. This, of course, does not mean that you won’t be able to play at an online casino, as a lot of the bigger online casinos’ welcome Canadian punters.

Canadian Players Welcome

Yes, Canadian players are able to sign up and join online casinos that run legally from other parts of the world. You will, however, have to do your homework and ensure that you won’t experience any issues with payments and withdrawals, as this is the main complaint among Canadian punters.

Provinces and the Kahnawake Mohawk Nation

One important thing to mention is the fact that while Canadian law states that online casinos are illegal, there is a bit of a loophole. Government has left it up to provinces to make the final call on the legality of online casinos.

Depending on the state of politics, laws surrounding the running of online casinos in the country may still change. Until then, we’d recommend you steer clear and opt to play.