Casinos and Gambling in Canada 2025

Gambling is legal across Canada but is regulated locally by the governments of the 10 provinces and 3 territories. There is only one province, Newfoundland & Labrador that has banned land based casinos, however online gambling at casinos located outside of Canada is completely legal Nationwide. The governments of some of the provinces and territories run their own online and land based casinos and it is said that over 85% of Canadians have gambled at least once over the course of a year. Learn more about the Canadian gambling industry and find legal online casinos in this review.

Legal Online Casinos in Canada

Best Canadian Slots Online

Canadians prefer to play online slots that have been created by game developers Microgaming and PlayTech. They include tv and film based slots Game of Thrones, Tomb Raider, Iron Man II and Gladiator as well as Jackpot slot Mega Moolah. Slots with a monster theme, Immortal Romance and Lost Vegas are also popular as well as slot sequels Thunderstruck II, Break da Bank Again and Avalon II.

However, there are more new software companies that are emerging in the market and their games are also becoming popular. This also pushes existing game developers to release new slots that take advantage of enhanced graphic, different themes, gameplay options and bonus features to help meet players expectations. This is great news for players as it gives them plenty of opportunities to find slots that are both fun to play and rewarding.

Online Casino Games in Canada

It is hard to pinpoint one particular casino game that is the most popular in Canada, however, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Poker and Craps are the online casino games that are played the most. The extra opportunity to be able to play these games and interact with a Live dealer is something that Canadians also enjoy and Live Casino games are increasing in popularity.

Due to the strong French influence in Canada, French Roulette is more popular than the American and European versions of the game. The lower house edge and larger number of bets are especially attractive to online players. The different types of Poker such as, 3 card draw, Cyberstud, Hold ´em and Video Poker also draw a large number of Canadian players. Slightly less popular are online versions of Bingo, Keno, Sic Bo, Pai Gow and Scratch cards.

Although it is illegal for a company to operate an online casino from within Canada´s borders, it is not illegal for residents to play at online casinos that are based in other countries. The provincial governments of Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario run their own online casinos. However, the Government of Quebec are planning to block online gambling sites that are not licensed by Loto-Quebec. There are over 1,000 online casinos that are based in other countries that accept players from Canada.

Casinos in Canada

There are over 100 casinos in Canada. The majority of them are found in Alberta and Ontario, such as the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and Caesars in Windsor. British Columbia is home to the Lake City Casino, the River Rock Casino Resort and St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino. In Quebec the Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix is also a part of a historic riverside hotel. The First Nations tribes across Canada run a number of casinos that are open to the public, including the Casino Rama in Orillia. Due to its location there are no casinos in the province of Prince Edward Island and in Newfoundland & Labrador casinos are banned.

Gambling Laws in Canada

It was in 1969 when the Canadian Criminal Code (sections 201 to 206) was altered to allow the provinces and territories to hold lotteries to help fund worthwhile causes. In fact some of these funds were used to help finance the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Most forms of gambling that had previously been outlawed were made available to Canadians in 1970 and in 1985 the provinces and territories were given the right to regulate and control gambling activities including slots, table games and lotteries.

Over the years additional changes to the Criminal Code mean that the territory and province governments are able to license and regulate online gambling within their borders. Online gambling in Canada is not illegal but this can change so it is important that you understand the gambling laws that are govern your location.