CANADA'S NO. 1 GUIDE TO CASINOS

It is not illegal for Canadian players to make use of online casinos.

That said, online gambling regulations in Canada are somewhat complex. Different provinces have the freedom to create and enforce their own laws on the matter. 

It is illegal for offshore companies to operate online casino sites within the country. However, most manage to get around this but basing their servers on the Kahnawake reserve which is found within Canadian territory. 

In fact, most of these providers are licensed and regulated by Canada’s very own Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All in all, the situation remains a bit of grey area and many provinces have been pushing for clearer, national legislation to eliminate confusion.

Sports betting is a different situation. At present, both land-based and online sports betting remain illegal.

Playing poker online is legal in Canada.

As explained in the above question, one can find numerous online sites offering popular table games like poker within Canada. While none of the sites are hosted within Canada, other than those hosted on First Nation servers, there have not been any laws passed to prohibit Canadian players from gambling on such sites.

Therefore, as a player, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to playing poker online.

Online casinos which are legitimate and regulated usually have the right licenses and software certificates on full display. As explained up above, there are a number of reputable licenses that online casinos must have to prove their papers are in order.

Some of the most important licenses for Canadian casinos are:

• Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
• United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission

With one of these licenses, it means that the corresponding legal body regulates and checks the online casino to make sure everything is as it should be. This is to protect you, the player.

Aside from this, there are other bodies – like eCOGRA – that regulate the various online casino games available at the casino. eCOGRA makes sure that all the game mechanics are fair in terms of odds towards the player.

Most online casino operations are recognized companies in the eyes of the government under which they proceed. They are held accountable like any other company when dealing with money and consumers. So they’re definitely legit when it comes to that!

Long story short, you don’t have to be worried about getting scammed by a casino. Only rogue casinos know that, and no respectable site would promote them. Playcasinos.ca only lists legit casinos. Your only task is to decide which one is the most appealing to you.

Legitimate online casinos all pay out when a player achieves a win using real money on their website. Always make sure you are playing at a licensed casino from a reliable jurisdiction so that you have the full support of the law if you feel that a casino has treated you unfairly or failed to hold up their end of the bargain.

Also keep in mind that wins can only be claimed if you’ve placed a real money wager. So if you’ve managed to score a jackpot win but you’re only playing in demo mode – in other words, not playing with real money – there will be no payout for you.

Aside from online casinos, Canada is also ripe with some really popular land casinos. Please keep in mind that you have to be at least 19 years of age to enter.

Here are a few of the most well-known establishments:

• Casino Niagara – Ontario
• Casino de Montréal – Québec
• Casino Rama – Ontario
• River Cree Resort and Casino – Alberta
• River Rock Casino Resort – British Columbia
• Hard Rock Casino – British Columbia

You can read up on these brick and mortar casinos in our Top 10 Canadian Land Casinos page.