Live sports betting now available at these authorized websites.
The wait is finally over. Locally authorized single-game and live betting on sports is not just a dream anymore. It’s not a piece of legislation moving through Parliament. It’s real, and its here, and its available right now at most provincial iGaming websites.
We’ll tell you which Canadian online sportsbooks are offering the newly regulated form of sports betting, and which types of wagers they’re offering. We’ll also offer some alternative options for those of you residing in a province or territory where legal live betting and single-game wagers are not (yet) available.
Single & Live Sports Betting in Canada
Let’s cut right to the chase. The following is an alphabetical chart that details which provinces and territories offer which types of online sports betting, if any. Note that live betting and single-game betting are Canada’s newly authorized ways to bet on sports. Parlay wagers refer to the old, multi-pick style of betting that’s been around for decades.
Continue below the chart to learn more about the individual sports gambling opportunities in each location.
Please note that the information in the above chart is current as of writing (Aug 31, 2021). Some locations were not able to launch an expanded sports betting platform on opening day (August 27, 2021). Alberta, for example, has made clear its intentions to launch single-game and live betting options in the fall.
Alberta
All gambling activities are regulated by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), which operates the online gambling portal, PlayAlberta.ca. The website is not yet equipped with any form of sports betting. However, the regulators stated in early August that a full sports betting regiment would come to the website sometime this fall.
British Columbia
The British Columbia Gaming Corp (BCLC) is responsible for all gaming in the province. BCLC operates the online gambling portal, PlayNow.com. Through this website, sports fans can participate in all major forms of sports betting, including single-game bets, live bets and classic parlays. The website is also available to legal-age residents of Manitoba.
Manitoba
The Manitoba Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA) signed an agreement with BCLC years ago to share use of its website, PlayNow.com. The shared player contract gives Manitobans access to the same single-game, live, and parlay betting options as BC residents.
New Brunswick
Part of Atlantic Canada, all gaming in New Brunswick is regulated by the Atlantic Lottery Corp (ALC). Through its website, ALC.ca, sports bettors can access everything from parlays, props, and futures, to single-game and fantasy betting. However, there is no live betting available at this time.
This information also applies to the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
None. While the Northwest Territories offers retail lottery and Sports Select wagering through the Western Canada Lottery Corp (WCLC), there is no option to bet online. According to the WCLC, its Sports Select platform will soon include single-game betting, but again, it appears it’s going to be retail (in-person) only.
The exact same information applies to the territories of Nunavut and Yukon.
Nova Scotia
None. Although Nova Scotia is a part of Atlantic Canada, the province does not authorize access to the region’s ALC.ca online gambling portal. All sports betting must be done in person through a retail outlet.
All gambling activities are regulated by the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp (OLG), which offers internet gambling options through its website, PlayOLG.ca. Last week, the Crown Corporation launched what it calls “Pro-Line+”, a new version of the original parlay-only Pro-Line platform that now offers single-game betting, as well as live betting.
Loto-Quebec, regulator of all gaming activities in the province, dove head-first into the expansion of sports betting laws with the launch of in-store, online and mobile “mise-o-jeu”. You can participate in classic parlays, singles and live wagering, with a convenient mise-o-jeu mobile app for betting on the go. If you prefer to place your bets in person, you can fill out a slip on your mobile device, generating a barcode that you can scan in-store.
Saskatchewan
None. Saskatchewan has yet to prescribe to the online gambling industry. All gaming activities, including sports betting, must be conducted in person at a casino or authorized ticket retail location.
Betting on Sports Outside Canada’s Regulatory Border
While other sportsbooks like theScore Bet and PointsBet are working diligently to get licensed and operational here in Canada, none have done so yet. If your home province or territory does not offer the type of online sports betting you’re looking for, you still have options.
Online gambling with offshore, internationally regulated websites is not illegal. They just aren’t regulated by any Canadian authority. So long as you’re access highly reputable, responsibly regulated sportsbooks, you have nothing to worry about.
The key to enjoying a safe and secure experience in single and live sports betting with overseas websites is to do your homework. First and foremost, identify the regulatory authority. The most reputable are the European jurisdictions of Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Malta and the UK. Anything licensed in Central America (Costa Rica, Curacao, Panama, etc.) may be circumspect.
Reputation also goes a very long way. Look for a website that has been up and running for at least a few years. Check out watchdog websites like Casinomeister to confirm there are no ongoing reports of customer abuse or payment issues. All it takes is a few minutes of your time to ensure you’re signing up and depositing with a reliable sportsbook.
A Question for the Modern Ages: Is Gambling Legal in Canada?
A simple question such as this deserves an equally simple answer. In
today’s modern age, there are many different types of gambling. It
would be easy to convolute the problem with legal jargon and
complicated interpretations of the law, but I promise you, I won’t
do that.
As an avid enthusiast of online gambling, I’ve spent more than
enough time researching the Canadian Criminal Code to
understand its meaning. Fortunately for you, as a career journalist
in the field, I’d like to think I can translate it in a manner that
is as easy as possible to understand.
Q&A: Is Gambling Legal in Canada?
The short answer is, “Yes!”, gambling
is legal here in Canada. However, that is a vague question. There are
many different types of gambling. I have no idea whether you’re
referring to casino gambling, poker games, bingo, sports betting,
horse racing, lotteries, raffles, etc.
Most of these are legal in some capacity, with restrictions. In the following sections, we’ll discuss each type of gambling, and just how legal it is.
Note that all of these laws extend into the online gambling realm, at least to some extent. To be thorough, I’ll give you a brief summary of online gambling laws to start.
Legality of Online Gambling in Canada
Online gambling is legal in Canada. Internet gambling sites come in
two varieties – Provincialand
International. Either way, both are
legal.
Provincial online casinos are only available in B.C., Manitoba,
Ontario and Quebec, and only accept player’s who reside within
their respective borders. International online casinos are located
offshore, regulated by their own jurisdictions.
So long as an offshore operator does not have a physical presence in
Canada (offices or servers on Canadian soil), they are not illegal.
Casino Gambling Laws
Casino games are legal in Canada, so long as they are conducted in a
licensed gaming facility, or with a provincial charity-gaming permit.
There are more than 100 commercial casinos in the country, from
Quebec’s Casino de Montreal, to British Columbia’s Hard
Rock Vancouver. We also have tribal casinos, like the Bear
Claw Casino in Carlyle, Saskatchewan.
Charities are able to host “casino night” events, where table
games like roulette and blackjack can be legally held, so long as the
right permits are obtained from their provincial government.
As for online casino gambling, there are hundreds of legal, reputably
licensed operators in Europe that accept Canadian players.
Poker Gambling
Poker-based card games are also legal in Canada. A commercial casino,
poker room or charity may host poker games, and collect a “rake”
(profit) for doing so, as long as they have the correct license or
permit. Home poker games are legal, as well, but no rake (profit) can
be taken by the host / home owner.
Online poker is also legal, either through provincially or
internationally regulated websites.
Bingo Halls / Charity Bingo
Bingo games are among the most popular forms of game-based fund
raising in the country. Again, with proper permits, bingo games are
perfectly legal. Some Canadian casinos, especially the tribal
variety, are famous for hosting organized bingo games.
Online bingo – same as casino and poker – can be done at
provincial or international gambling sites.
Sports Betting in Canada
Canadian sports betting laws in 2020 are a topic of great import. As
the law stands now, only provincially-run, parlay-style betting is
permitted. It is conducted much like a provincial lottery. In fact,
some provinces actually call it the Sports Lottery; others call it
Pro-Line. In parlay wagering, bettors must select a number of correct
picks from various sporting events, and they must all be correct to
win anything. The payout is high, but the odds are higher.
It is for this reason that so many Canadian sports bettors are
turning to offshore, online sportsbook operators – remember, these
are not illegal in Canada – to place single-event bets. There’s a
strong push in the federal government to pass a single-event sports
betting law, but until that happens – of ever it does – most
sports wagering dollars are flowing offshore.
Horse Race Betting
Horse racing is the oldest form of organized, legal betting in
Canada. There are tracks all over the map, from B.C. to Nova Scotia.
You can place bets at these tracks, at offsite betting locations
across the country, or via online racebooks.
Lotteries & Raffles
The second oldest form of legal gambling are the national and
provincial lottery games. The first drawings were held in 1973 to
help raise money to pay for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. It
was a huge success, raising $230 million from 1973-76. Lotteries have
been helping to fund government budgets ever since.
Online lotteries are legal in Canada, too. Most of our provinces sell
online lottery tickets to drawings, as well as the scratch off
variety. Tickets for international lotteries can be purchased from
offshore websites.
Raffles are most often held as charitable events; legal with
appropriate permits.
Conclusion & Brief Word on Internet Gambling
By now, you should have more than enough information to answer the
question; Is gambling legal in Canada? However, before I wrap this
up, I have to issue a brief warning about gambling over the internet.
If you do not live in a province where online gambling is locally
regulated – or if you choose to gamble at internationally regulated
websites – please do so with caution. Not all offshore operators
are reputable. Stick to websites that are licensed in major European
iGaming jurisdictions, like Isle of Man, Malta or The UK. They are
held to the strictest standards, and are considered the absolute
safest, most secure operators in the world.
Top live dealers casino websites for Canadians in 2020.
We’re kicking
off the New Year with a fresh list of top-tier live casino operations
welcoming Canadian players. Live dealer games are preferred for their
realistic experience, closely mimicking that of a land-based casino –
as close as you can possibly get on a computer or mobile device.
There are real live dealers, operating real table games, with
multiple real players joining in the action.
Here in Canada,
we are limited in the number of online casinos we can play at. Some
provinces are privy to locally-regulated gambling websites, but only
two of them have live casino games. There are many more highly
reputable and strictly regulated international offerings, but only so
many have a good live dealer presentation.
Top Live Dealers Casino Sites for Canadians
Normally, a “top” list of anything has 3, 5, 10, or maybe 20 of the best whatever you’re listing. I’m going out of the box with this list and giving you the “Top 4”. Yes, four of Canada’s best live casinos in 2020. Why four? Because I couldn’t possibly cut this list down to three, and there really isn’t a fifth worthy of inclusion.
I’m also not
giving the operators a number ranking. I don’t feel that any one is
better than another. They all have differentiating qualities that
earned them a spot on this list. For instance, the first two, PlayNow
and PlayOLG, are both home-grown operations. Then
again, they’re ring-fenced to their local provinces, limiting who
can access them. The second two, LeoVegas and Royal
Vegas, are open to all Canadians, but present very different
live gaming options. With that being said, let’s get right to it…
PlayNow Live Casino – BC and Manitoba Only
PlayNow is a
great iGaming operation built, maintained and regulated by the
provincial government of British Columbia. Through a player sharing
contract with the BCLC, Manitoba residents are also able to partake
in PlayNow’s internet gambling activities. For residents of these
jurisdictions, the degree of security and player protections can’t
be beat.
The PlayNow Live
Casino is powered by the industry’s #1 Live Casino brand, Evolution
Gaming, and includes live blackjack, infinite blackjack,
baccarat, eSqueeze baccarat, roulette, auto roulette and ultimate
Texas holdem. That’s not a bad assortment, but it doesn’t include
any of Evolution’s immensely popular game show-style productions.
EspaceJeux Live Casino – Quebec Only
Similarly,
Espacejeux is the online gambling operation of Loto-Quebec – home
grown and locally regulated by that provincial government. As such,
security and safety are unquestionable, but only residents of Quebec
can sign up an account and place wagers. That’s good for Quebecois,
as is the implementation of Evolution Gaming’s world class live
dealer software. On the negative side, the only live games are
standard blackjack and roulette, baccarat, and Control Squeeze
baccarat.
LeoVegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
LeoVegas is an
internationally operated casino brand, regulated in multiple
jurisdictions. LeoVegas is licensed in its home country of Sweden,
and also holds gaming licenses from Denmark and Malta. It is powered
by more software brands than I’d care to count; somewhere in the
neighborhood of 50. Several of those software studios offer live
casino games. As such, this website presents, by far, the largest
live gaming menu of any competitor.
There are – and
bear in mind, some of these numbers will appear as duplicates due to
multi-categorization – 48 live roulette games, 31 live blackjack
games, 18 types of “card games”, 16 private Chambre Séparée
(high roller) tables, 16 “VIP” tables, 11 live baccarat
tables, 7 live “game show” style options, and 5 live poker
variants; 23 of which are ‘Fast Play’ titles.
Royal Vegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
There are some
who would argue that “less is more”. By this, I mean having so
many options – as many as LeoVegas presents – can make it harder
to actually pick one. It’s not just a theory, but a scientific
fact. Studies have shown that being offered chocolate, vanilla or
strawberry ice cream makes it easy to pick one, whereas 30+ flavors
can actually cause stress, anxiety, and an accelerated heart rate.
Why such difficulty? People tend to fear that they won’t (or
didn’t) choose the best option, and it leaves a bad taste in their
mouth – pardon the pun.
If you prescribe
to this ideal, then I present to you Royal Vegas Canada. Licensed in
Malta, this operator only employs one live casino supplier, but it’s
the world’s best – also proven by statistical data – Evolution
Gaming.
Evolution has won
the eGR Live Casino Supplier of the Year Award for the last 10
years straight. It’s almost as if they’ve figured out the perfect
formula for live dealers casino games, and they’ve kept it as
confidential as Mr. Krab’s secret formula for the “Krabby Patty”.
Royal Vegas
accepts players from all over Canada. It’s also one of the few
international sites that is approved to process payments via Interact
eTransfer. Live casino games include blackjack, roulette,
double ball roulette, baccarat, casino holdem, 3 card poker,
Caribbean stud poker, private tables, game show tables, and their
signature “Party” tables.
The tireless search for secure online casino sites in Canada.
It’s amazing
how far the online casino industry has come since the turn of the
century. Where there were once far more rogue operators than
dependable ones, the internet now caters to a majority of
professional, responsible, distinguished members of the iGaming
community. There are still some rogues out there, sure, but with
regulations getting tighter every yer, the ratio has gotten so much
safer for players.
Here in Canada,
the laws aren’t so strict as they are in other major countries. The
UK, for instance, has the widest range of regulation, delivering
licenses and guidelines to operators both inside and outside the
country. In Australia, online casinos are 100% prohibited. The US is
a mish-mash, where some states allow
In areas with
full legal regulation, security is not an issue. If the operator you
choose to deposit with is licensed and regulated in the same locality
in which you live, there is no question as to its integrity. If such
an operator goes rogue, it has an entire jurisdiction worth of
authorities to answer to. But when the operator is located outside of
that jurisdiction, it takes more than their word to convince this
seasoned iGamer that there’s nothing fishy going on.
2 Ways To Detect a Secure Online Casino
In Canada, there
are no express laws permitting or banning online casinos – at
least, not the offshore variety. By federal law, each province is
capable of regulating and operating its own government-run gambling
website, and a few of them do. Therefore most Canadians have access
to two types of iGaming – the locally regulated and internationally
regulated variety.
#1 Local Online Casinos
As I’ve said
already, provincially regulated casinos are going to come with
unquestionable security and fairness. After all, the local
authorities in charge of enforcing security and fairness must answer
directly to the ones that demand it. By default, they’re going to
protect your personal and account information to the greatest of
their ability.
#2 International Online Casinos
An international
casino operator is one that’s located outside of Canada. You’ll
hear a lot of government talk that these websites are “not
regulated”, when in fact, most of them are. They just aren’t
regulated in Canada. This does not make the online casino
untrustworthy, although it does raise questions that must be answered
to determine reputability.
In years past,
you’d have to look into an operation’s history, longevity,
ownership, customer satisfaction ratings and so much more. Now, what
it boils down to is what international jurisdiction the online casino
is regulated by, making it easier than ever to determine trust and
security. Some are far more reputable than others.
I’ve recently
written a complete guide on this subject, and I highly recommend
giving it a read:
The best choice
really depends on what you aim to get out of your internet gambling
experience. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec each offer
a wonderful online casino experience for their respective citizens.
In BC, Manitoba and Quebec, you’ll also find online poker and bingo
games available. All of these locations, combined with the Atlantic
provinces, offer online lotteries and pro-line sports lotteries, as
well.
If you live in
the appropriate area and are looking for a simple iGaming experience
that falls within these perimeters, Canada’s home-grown online
casinos will suit you just fine. If, however, you’re looking for
more out of your iGaming experience, you may wish to venture into the
offshore realm of secure online casino gaming.
Internationally
regulated casinos are known to provide far better promotions and a
much wider range of casino games to choose from. Slots fans, in
particular, will find the offshore variety have way better payout
odds than any Canadian casino, on land or online, can offer. Sports
bettors will also discover better odds overseas, where single-event
wagers are perfectly legal.
Judging a Safe Online Casino by its
Cover: Why licensing jurisdiction is everything.
When you were
growing up, did your parents or mentors every teach you don’t
judge a book by its cover? I’m sure you understand the
meaning of this age-old idiom. And in many ways, it is excellent
advice. You should never judge or negatively label anything or anyone
without giving it a chance; finding out for yourself if it’s worthy
of appreciation. That’s all well and good for most things in life,
but not online gambling.
Joining a
disreputable casino site can be a devastating experience. It can
result in anything from identity theft to financial ruin; both of
which have long-lasting consequences. If you’re lucky, the rogue
operator takes your first deposit and disappeared into the great blue
yonder. If not, you could end up investing time and again into games
that are fraudulently designed to rip you off – much more so than
the legitimate, low-edge casino games we choose to play.
Any educated
gambler knows very well that every single casino game is built to
favor the house. Only knowing we have a chance to win makes it fun.
It provides an entertaining experience that’s worthy of our spare
cash. Take away that reasonable chance, and what you’re left with is
disappointment, despair, and downright illegal activity.
Judging a Safe Online Casino by its Cover
In years past,
evaluating the legitimacy of an online casino was a tedious task.
There were multiple features you had to look for, sifting through a
website’s many pages and terms of service, reading the fine print…
Who wants to do that?
While this method
was extremely effective for those who took the time to do it right,
most people didn’t. Instead, they went to one of thousands of the
world wide web’s online gambling review websites and trusted the
information they found there. But iGaming affiliates are comparable
to the online casino industry. Some sites are safe, and some are not.
Some affiliate
reviews sites are great. They’re honest, diligent in their reviews,
and updated regularly with helpful information. Others are biased,
lacking any integrity, saying anything and everything they can to get
players to click their links. And why wouldn’t some do this? Let’s
not forget, just like the casinos, affiliates are looking to make
money. So if you can’t trust every casino, you can’t trust every
review, either.
The good news is,
thanks to the increasing rate of iGaming regulation in some parts of
the world, no one has to go through all that trouble anymore. In
fact, the whole process can be narrowed down to the evaluation of one
single item.
Jurisdiction of License and Regulation
If you want to
know if an online casino is safe, go to its website, scroll down to
the bottom of the page, and look for the licensing info. The
jurisdiction in which an operator is licensed and regulated is more
telling than Kim Kardashian playing poker in mirrored sunglasses…
yeah, she really did that.
There are good
jurisdictions and bad ones. Any province of Canada (B.C., Ontario or
Quebec) is good. Each hosts its own self-regulated iGaming website,
but you must live in that province to access its home-grown gambling
operation. Any US state that regulates iGaming is also good, but the
same stipulation exists. Outside of these, you’re looking for any
country in Europe.
If you come across
a country name you don’t know, look it up on Google or Wikipedia to
find out where it is. There are several small island nations off the
coast of Europe that North Americans may not be familiar with, and
several of them make good business out of licensing iGaming
operations. So if you’re not sure, look it up! It only takes a couple
of seconds.
Safe Licensing Jurisdictions
The UK is
top of the line. UKGC sets the standard for bet practices, player
protection, anti-fraud and anti-money laundering, the works. Malta
and Isle of Man are right up there, too. Gibraltar, Alderney,
Estonia, Cypress, Latvia – pretty much
anywhere in Europe. France, Italy and Spain are
also top-notch, but they are ring-fenced like Canada, so you
can only access those sites if your physically located within their
respective borders.
The same goes for
any direct regulation by a US state. Acceptance of American
players means nothing. If a US-facing operator isn’t regulated in the
US, it can’t possibly be licensed and regulated by a responsible
authority. Which brings us to…
Lax Regulatory Jurisdictions
Anything that
doesn’t qualify under the description above is not a jurisdiction
that you can put 100% trust in. Costa Rica, Curacao,
Panama – places like these love to dole out licenses and
collect fees for them, but they take no responsibility for the
legitimacy of the companies they license. They offer little, if
anything, in the way of a legal framework.
Costa Rica, for
example, has only one rule – do not accept players from within
Costa Rica. Anything else goes. Operators can appear one day,
disappear the next, taking all player account balances with them. So
long as they don’t violate that one rule, Costa Rica’s government
won’t do a thing about it. There are absolutely no player protections
in place; no one to turn to if the worst happens.
Similar licenses
are sold in Panama. Curacao isn’t as bad, but it’s not much better,
either. The fact that Curacao licensees can accept American players
is very telling. Look at it this way. If it’s illegal for people in
New York to gambling online, and a Curacao licensed site is accepting
New Yorkers, it’s pretty clear the regulations aren’t all that tight.
Double Check the Credentials
Once you’ve
scrolled to the bottom of the online casino’s homepage and determined
where it is licensed, you can go one step further to make sure the
license is genuine. The safest online casinos will provide a logo for
the licensing jurisdiction, and link it back to their licensing info
on the regulatory body’s website. Clicking this logo should prove the
license is valid and active.
If there is no clickable link or logo, you can take a moment to look up the regulatory authority’s website. For instance, if it’s in Malta, search for “Malta Gaming Regulator”, or “Malta Gaming License”, etc. These searches will lead you directly to the Malta Gaming Authority, found at www.mga.org.mt.
Then, from the
regulator’s website, you should be able to search for the casino name
or the owner/operator company, generally listed in the copyright info
(bottom of homepage).
Of course, if
you’re not finding the information you’re looking for – no license
info, no name of owner/operator, no valid license number – if any
of this is difficult to find, you know it’s time to move on. Don’t
waste your time on a website that isn’t making this search easy for
you. Remember, it should be a quick, one step process. If the website
seems like it has something to hide, it probably does. It’s not a
safe online casino.
