Development of Regulations for Online Gambling in Canada

Online gambling laws can vary greatly from one country to the next. In some countries, the laws can vary depending on what state/territory/region you’re in. Canada is one of many countries where online gambling is technically legal. However, the law isn’t always black and white, especially when it comes to regulating online gambling. In this article, we’ll look at the legality of online gambling in Canada and how the laws have been developing.

Gambling Online in Canada

As of late 2021, there’s nothing in Canada's laws that keeps people from spending money gambling at websites. If you’re in Canada, whether you’re a citizen of the country or not, you’re free to spend as much money gambling online as you like, and you can’t be penalized for doing so. No Canadian citizen has ever been prosecuted for gambling online with real money.

However, there’s a bit more to the law to understand. Any gambling site looking to accept players from Canada has to either be based in another country or if it’s based in Canada, it has to be properly licensed. There are several Canadian regulatory authorities that hand out licenses to companies looking to operate casinos in the country. Some of these are listed below:

• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation;

• New Brunswick Gaming Control;

• Loto Quebec;

• BCLC (British Columbia Lottery Corporation).

Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories. Each of these is able to make up its own laws to do with gambling. As such, the laws can vary slightly depending on what part of Canada you're in. Generally speaking though, the rules are quite liberal and gambling is something that isn’t too harmful or problematic. For the most part, it’s allowed and there are plenty of facilities throughout the country where you can play casino games, bet on sports, buy lottery tickets and more.

If you’re in Canada and you happen to come across an online casino that's based in the country but isn’t licensed, you won’t get in trouble for spending money there. If there’s going to be any prosecution, it would be the operators of the casino that would be prosecuted; they would be punished for running a casino without a license.

Having said that, there are many such casinos operating in Canada. Though you won't be penalized for playing there, it’s best to stick with casinos based in other countries and casinos that are based in Canada and properly licensed. Sites that stick to the rules are much less likely to be shut down than those that operate illegally.

New Developments in Canada’s Online Gambling Regulations

If you want to gamble online in Canada, you can either visit a site licensed by the Canadian government or visit a site based in another country. Many Canadians prefer to spend their money at non-Canadian sites, simply because the choice of games and other betting opportunities is much greater.

The Canadian government has been looking at introducing some changes to the country’s gambling industry. In summer 2021, an important bill was passed that could have quite a significant effect on the industry for years to come. The Private Members Bill C-218 includes the following:

• The legalization of single-event sports betting for sites licensed in Canada; previously you could only place parlay bets, which are bets on two or more events where each selection has to win its event for the punter to get paid;

• Private operators will be able to apply for Canadian gambling licenses; both online casinos and sportsbooks, though it’s up to each individual province and territory to decide how exactly this will be implemented

The bill allows punters to place bets on just one single sporting event at a time, instead of having to combine multiple events into a single bet. This should pave the way for the country’s sports betting industry to enjoy significant growth over the coming years, with people now being able to place more bets.

The bill also allows the expansion of Canada’s regulated online gambling industry. The country is essentially opening up and enabling operators to move in. Though it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution - each provincial government can take their own approach - it’s expected to enable the government to make more money.

With the bill in effect, the Canadian government can start to generate revenue from sports betting through taxation. If someone spends money betting at an online sportsbook based in another country, the government can’t generate any tax revenue from it. If more and more sportsbooks decide to become regulated by Canada, the country will stand to make a steady amount of money.

Basically, this is set to revolutionize the Canadian gambling industry. It should shake things up but for the better, not for the worse. Canadians will have access to more betting opportunities and the government will be able to make more money.

The Future of Online Gambling Regulations in Canada

It’s probably going to be a while before any other significant bills are passed. For now, Canada’s gambling industry is experiencing a period of change and growth. In the future, it’s likely that any changes will continue to be progressive and liberal. Compared with other countries around the world, Canada has had quite a relaxed approach to gambling over the last few decades. It’s not been in favour of criminalizing gambling because it's believed that the country’s criminal system should focus on more serious acts instead.

In short, when you’re in Canada you can benefit from a framework that not only enables you to gamble but offers you a good amount of protection. When you gamble online in Canada, you're in safe hands.

Playing at Canadian Online Casinos

If you want to sign up for an online casino in Canada, you have lots of choices. As mentioned earlier, Canadians can legally access casinos based elsewhere - the good news is that lots of these casinos accept people living in Canada.

Before signing up for an online casino, do some research to find the right one for you. There are many different criteria you may wish to consider, including:

Criteria	What to look for
Games	How many games there are, what providers they come from and what types of games are available
Bonuses	What bonuses and other rewards the casino offers; whether the welcome bonus for new players is worthwhile or not
Loyalty	Whether there’s a loyalty scheme and/or VIP club or not; what loyalty rewards are available and how they can be claimed
Payment Methods	What payment methods you can use to fund your account and withdraw winnings; what the wait times for withdrawals are
Customer Support	How reliable the customer support system is and what options for getting in touch there are
Licensing	Whether the casino is licensed and which regulatory authority it’s licensed by
Safety and Security	What steps the casino takes to ensure that players and their personal details are protected
Mobile Compatibility	How good the mobile casino site is and whether or not there's an app you can download
Site Design	What the design of the site is like and how user friendly it is

The points mentioned above are some of the main ones you may wish to bear in mind when deciding on a casino to sign up to. A good way to find some great casinos is to read some reviews. These give you summaries of what casinos have to offer and opinions on whether the casino is worth signing up to or not. By reading reviews, you can get an idea of what casinos are best for you, and which ones are the best to avoid.

Many casinos offer a no deposit bonus Canada. This is where you receive a free bonus just for signing up - there’s no deposit required, hence the name. With this, you can get a free preview of what the casino’s like without having to make any sort of financial commitment to the casino. If you like the casino, you can make a deposit whenever you like; if not, you can check out a different casino instead and you won’t have lost any money.

Summary

A significant change to Canada’s gambling industry is enabling Canadians to benefit from more gambling opportunities, while at the same time enabling the government to make more money from gambling carried out in the country. The new Private Members Bill C-218 looks like it’s going to make gambling better for both punters and the government. There’ll be fewer restrictions and the market will be opened up to allow operators to move in and accept Canadian players. The bill should have a positive effect on the country’s gambling industry, and it may well pave the way for similar bills to be passed in the coming years.