# Are online casinos legal in Canada? The rules in every province

> Yes, but only where a province runs or licenses them. Ontario (since April 2022) and Alberta (since July 2026) license private online casinos, and every province also runs, or shares, its own site: OLG.ca, PlayAlberta, PlayNow in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Loto-Québec, and Atlantic Lottery. You must be 19 (18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec) and physically in the province; offshore casinos aren't licensed anywhere in Canada.

- URL: https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/are-online-casinos-legal/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/are-online-casinos-legal/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-22 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
- Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/

## Key takeaways

- The Criminal Code lets each province conduct and manage gambling, so there's no national licence: legality depends on your province.
- Ontario licenses private casinos through the AGCO and iGaming Ontario: 49 operators ran 84 sites on September 1, 2026.
- Alberta opened its private market on July 13, 2026, through the AGLC and the Alberta iGaming Corporation, with 51 registered sites on October 22, 2026.
- Elsewhere, the provincial site is the only legal one: PlayNow (BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Loto-Québec, and Atlantic Lottery.
- The minimum age is 19, or 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and you must be physically in the province every time you play.

## Why it depends on your province

Section 207 of the Criminal Code lets the government of a province "conduct and manage a lottery scheme in that province", which covers casino games. There's no federal casino licence: each province decides whether to run online gambling itself, license private operators, or both. Two rules apply everywhere:

1. **You must be physically in the province** where a site is regulated, every time you play. Regulated sites check your location.
2. **You must be of age:** 19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

## Province by province

| Province | Legal online casinos | Who runs or regulates them | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 49 private operators with 84 sites (September 1, 2026), plus OLG.ca | AGCO registers operators; iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the market; OLG runs OLG.ca | 19 |
| Alberta | Private operators on the Alberta iGaming Corporation's list (51 sites, October 22, 2026), plus PlayAlberta | AGLC registers and regulates; the Alberta iGaming Corporation conducts and manages | 18 |
| British Columbia | PlayNow only | BCLC, regulated by the Independent Gambling Control Office | 19 |
| Manitoba | PlayNow only | Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, regulated by the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | PlayNow only | Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, exclusive online operator to September 2029 | 19 |
| Quebec | Loto-Québec only | Loto-Québec, for Quebec residents | 18 |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador | Atlantic Lottery only (no live casino in New Brunswick) | Atlantic Lottery Corporation | 19 |

### Ontario

Ontario opened its private market on April 4, 2022. Operators register with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which sets the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, which conducts and manages the market. Every legal private site is on [iGaming Ontario's directory](https://igamingontario.ca/en/player/regulated-igaming-market). OLG.ca is run separately by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, under the same AGCO standards. Ontario also has BetGuard, a central self-exclusion that covers every regulated site, OLG.ca included.

### Alberta

Alberta opened its private market on July 13, 2026, under the iGaming Alberta Act. Operators must be registered with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and have a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation, which approved 22 sites at launch and listed 51 on October 22, 2026. Look for its logo, or check its [registered sites list](https://www.abigaming.ca/operators/registered-igaming-sites/). PlayAlberta, run for AGLC, continues as the government's own site.

### British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan

PlayNow is the only legal online casino in all three. BCLC says it's "the only legal online casino in British Columbia", and BC's regulator says PlayNow holds the province's sole licence. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority run PlayNow in their provinces with BCLC as service provider; in August 2026, Saskatchewan extended SIGA's online exclusivity to September 2029. See our [PlayNow review](https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/playnow-review/).

### Quebec and the Atlantic provinces

Loto-Québec runs Quebec's only legal online casino, for Quebec residents. Atlantic Lottery runs online casino games for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, for players 19 and over; its live casino isn't available in New Brunswick.

## What about offshore casinos?

Many sites that advertise to Canadians hold licences from Kahnawake, Malta, Curaçao or elsewhere. None of those is a provincial licence, so they aren't regulated where you live. Provinces are pushing back: in May 2025, at the request of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries for the Canadian Lottery Coalition, Manitoba's Court of King's Bench permanently barred Bodog from operating or advertising in Manitoba. The judge found that its taking bets there violates the Criminal Code and that it marketed itself to Manitobans as a legal, safe casino when it wasn't. Offshore sites also have no obligation to offer Canadian responsible gambling tools, and if one won't pay you, there's no Canadian regulator to escalate to.

## How to check a site in two minutes

1. **Find your province** in the table above.
2. **In Ontario or Alberta**, look the exact web address up on iGaming Ontario's directory or the Alberta iGaming Corporation's list. A lookalike address isn't the same site.
3. **Anywhere else**, the only legal site is your provincial one.

Our [Canadian casino licence check](https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/licence-check/) does this for you, and our [ranking of the best online casinos in Canada](https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/) compares the regulated options.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are offshore online casinos legal in Canada?

No province licenses them, so they aren't legal options anywhere in Canada, and courts have acted against them: in May 2025, Manitoba's Court of King's Bench permanently barred Bodog from operating or advertising in the province. If an offshore casino doesn't pay, there's no Canadian regulator to complain to.

### Can I play at an Ontario casino if I live in another province?

Only while you're physically in Ontario, and only if the casino lets you register. Ontario's regulated sites check your location whenever you play, and the same goes for Alberta's.

### What does a Kahnawake, Malta or Curaçao licence mean in Canada?

None of them is a provincial licence. Under the Criminal Code, only a province can conduct and manage gambling or license it within its borders, so a casino licensed elsewhere isn't regulated where you live, whatever its footer says.

### Is PlayAlberta still running now that Alberta has private casinos?

Yes. PlayAlberta, the government's site run for AGLC, continues alongside the private operators registered since July 13, 2026. It's open to adults 18+ in Alberta, with deposits from $5.

### How do I check whether a casino is legal in my province?

Use our [Canadian casino licence check](https://safebet.ai/ca/online-casinos/licence-check/), or look the site up yourself on iGaming Ontario's directory or the Alberta iGaming Corporation's list. In other provinces, only the provincial site is legal.

## Sources

1. [Criminal Code, section 207](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-207.html) — Justice Laws Website, current to 2026-09-30
2. [Regulated igaming market (operator and site directory)](https://igamingontario.ca/en/player/regulated-igaming-market) — iGaming Ontario, listing accurate as of 2026-09-01; accessed 2026-10-22
3. [Roles of the AGCO and iGaming Ontario](https://www.agco.ca/en/lottery-and-gaming/roles-agco-and-igaming-ontario) — Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, accessed 2026-10-22
4. [iGaming in Alberta](https://aglc.ca/igaming) — Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, accessed 2026-10-22
5. [Registered iGaming sites](https://www.abigaming.ca/operators/registered-igaming-sites/) — Alberta iGaming Corporation, accessed 2026-10-22
6. [Alberta's regulated iGaming market officially launches](https://www.abigaming.ca/news/) — Alberta iGaming Corporation, 2026-07-13
7. [Gambling and fundraising in B.C.](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/gambling-fundraising) — Government of British Columbia, modified 2026-04-13
8. [PlayNow online casino (British Columbia)](https://www.playnow.com/casino/) — BCLC, accessed 2026-10-22
9. [Government and FSIN extend SIGA's online exclusivity](https://siga.ca/government-and-federation-of-sovereign-indigenous-nations-extend-saskatchewan-indian-gaming-authoritys-online-exclusivity-and-announce-gaming-centre-pilot/) — Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, 2026-08-31
10. [PlayNow help (Manitoba)](https://www.playnow.com/mb/about-playnow/help.html) — Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, accessed 2026-10-22
11. [Bodog blocked from operating in Manitoba](https://www.mbll.ca/content/bodog-blocked-operating-manitoba) — Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, accessed 2026-10-22
12. [Loto-Québec (App Store listing)](https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/loto-qu%C3%A9bec/id527329752) — Apple App Store (Canada), accessed 2026-10-22
13. [Atlantic Lottery Mobile (App Store listing)](https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/atlantic-lottery-mobile/id565937860) — Apple App Store (Canada), accessed 2026-10-22
14. [General FAQ](https://playalberta.ca/help/general-faq) — PlayAlberta (AGLC), accessed 2026-10-22