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Sovereign state
North America
ISO CA

Canada: gambling regulation and licensing

  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
  • Online bingoRegulated
  • Lottery and iLotteryMonopoly
  • Horse race bettingRegulated
  • Prediction marketsProhibited
Regulator
Provincial and territorial gaming regulators and Crown lottery corporations
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
21 Oct 2026

Summary

Canada has no national gambling regulator. Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes a lottery scheme lawful only when a province conducts and manages it, so each province sets its own online regime and the answer to most questions about Canada is province-specific. Bill C-218 changed the federal rule that mattered most: from 27 August 2021 provinces may offer single-event sports betting, and only horse-race betting stays federal, as pari-mutuel betting supervised by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency. Two provinces now run competitive markets in which private operators run sites under a Crown agency. Ontario opened on 4 April 2022 and had 49 operators running 84 sites on 1 September 2026. Alberta opened on 13 July 2026 with 22 registered sites, and AGLC's register listed 42 iGaming operator registrations by 14 October 2026; it is regulated by AGLC and conducted by the Alberta iGaming Corporation, with the province keeping 20% of net revenue. Everywhere else online gambling is a Crown monopoly: PlayNow.com in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where SIGA's exclusivity now runs to September 2029, Loto-Québec in Quebec, and Atlantic Lottery in the four Atlantic provinces. There is no federal gaming tax, and the Canada Revenue Agency does not tax ordinary lottery winnings. A provincial online gambling scheme is a casino for FINTRAC purposes, with the Crown lottery corporation as the reporting entity, and in 2026 FINTRAC fined three Atlantic Crown corporations a combined C$843,563.50 for anti-money laundering reporting failures. The main open questions are international liquidity, on which the Supreme Court of Canada heard argument on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment, and sports and entertainment prediction markets, which securities regulators declined to regulate in August 2026.

Common pitfalls

An Ontario or Alberta registration is not a Canadian licence: each covers one province, and every other province is a Crown monopoly. The minimum age differs by province: 19 in Ontario and British Columbia, 18 for online play in Alberta. The 20% Alberta share is a contractual revenue split, not a tax. No national online gross gaming revenue figure is published, so provincial figures cannot be added up to a Canadian total from one official source.

Key facts

Regulator
Provincial and territorial gaming regulators and Crown lottery corporations
Regulator type
Sub-national body
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
Not yet verified
Tax base
There is no federal gaming tax on online operators. Gambling revenue reaches governments through the Crown corporations that conduct and manage the games. In Alberta's competitive market the operator receives 80% of net iGaming revenue and the province keeps 20%, after 3% of gross gaming revenue (bets less winnings less eligible deductions) is set aside for First Nations and social responsibility; Ontario uses its own revenue share (see the Ontario record).
Capital
Ottawa
Currency
CAD
Official languages
English, French

How to get a gambling licence in Canada

The regulator is Provincial and territorial gaming regulators and Crown lottery corporations.

We record 2 licence types for Canada.

For the Ontario internet gaming operator registration (AGCO), the annual fee is C$100,000.

Licence fees in Canada

Licence typeApplication feeAnnual feeTerm
Ontario internet gaming operator registration (AGCO)C$100,000 a year per siteNot yet verifiedC$100,000Not yet verified

Built from the record on this page, last verified 21 Oct 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Not yet verified
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Barriers to entry
There is no national licence. Private operators can enter only Ontario and Alberta, and in both they act under a Crown agency that conducts and manages the games: in Ontario AGCO registration plus an iGaming Ontario operating agreement (49 operators and 84 sites on 1 September 2026), in Alberta AGLC registration plus an Alberta iGaming Corporation commercial agreement (22 registered sites at launch on 13 July 2026; 42 iGaming operator registrations on the AGLC register on 14 October 2026). Every other province offers online gambling only through its Crown operator, and Saskatchewan has extended SIGA's online exclusivity to September 2029.

Licence types

  • Ontario internet gaming operator registration (AGCO)

    Scope
    Running a gaming site in Ontario's competitive market; the operator also signs an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario
    Annual fee
    C$100,000
    Fee basis
    C$100,000 a year per site

  • Alberta iGaming operator registration (AGLC)

    Scope
    Running an iGaming site in Alberta's competitive market; after registration the operator must sign a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
Not yet verified
Player winnings tax
None for ordinary players. The Canada Revenue Agency says lottery winnings of any amount need not be reported as income unless the prize is income from employment, a business or property, or a prize for achievement.
Tax base
There is no federal gaming tax on online operators. Gambling revenue reaches governments through the Crown corporations that conduct and manage the games. In Alberta's competitive market the operator receives 80% of net iGaming revenue and the province keeps 20%, after 3% of gross gaming revenue (bets less winnings less eligible deductions) is set aside for First Nations and social responsibility; Ontario uses its own revenue share (see the Ontario record).

Earmarked levies

  • Alberta First Nations allocation: 2% of total iGaming gross gaming revenue (First Nations initiatives in Alberta)
  • Alberta social responsibility allocation: 1% of total iGaming gross gaming revenue (Gambling research, prevention, education and treatment)
  • Federal pari-mutuel levy: Between 0.5% and 1% of the money bet in each pari-mutuel pool, as fixed by the Governor in Council (Criminal Code s.204(4)); the consolidated Pari-Mutuel Payments Order fixes 0.8% (Receiver General for Canada (funds the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency))

Compliance

Minimum age
Not yet verified
National self-exclusion
Not yet verified
AML regime
Under the PCMLTFA an entity that conducts and manages a lottery scheme accessible through the internet is a casino, except for online bingo and lottery ticket sales. Where a province delegates conduct and management to a lottery corporation, that corporation remains the reporting entity even if it delegates the reporting. FINTRAC penalised Atlantic Lottery, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation in 2026 for failures including unreported suspicious transactions.
AML supervisor
FINTRAC
Deposit limits
Provincial. Alberta operators must offer financial and time limits at registration and at any time after; Atlantic Lottery applies mandatory weekly deposit limits on alc.ca.
Source of funds thresholds
No national online threshold. British Columbia requires a source of funds declaration for casino buy-ins of C$10,000 or more within 24 hours.
KYC requirements
Set province by province. Atlantic Lottery requires age and identity verification for every alc.ca player.
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Reporting obligations
Casinos, including online lottery schemes, file suspicious transaction, large cash transaction and casino disbursement reports with FINTRAC.

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Celebrity and influencer rules
Provincial. Ontario bans athletes except for responsible gambling messaging and restricts celebrities and influencers likely to appeal to minors; Alberta bans athletes and people who appeal to minors except to promote responsible gambling features.
Mandatory warnings
Alberta requires advertising to reference responsible gambling information, including 211 Alberta, and to carry the Alberta iGaming Corporation logo for approved operators.
Penalties for breach
An offence under s.202 is indictable, with up to two years in prison. Provincial regulators enforce their own advertising standards; AGLC reviews ad content but says concerns about ad frequency go to the CRTC.

Restrictions

  • There is no national gambling advertising code. Criminal Code s.202(1)(h) makes it an offence to advertise an offer, invitation or inducement to bet on the result of a contest outside a lawful scheme.
  • Bill S-211, which would require a national framework on sports betting advertising, passed the Senate in October 2025 and is at committee in the House of Commons.
  • Ontario has barred active and retired athletes from igaming advertising since 28 February 2024, except to promote responsible gambling, and restricts celebrities and influencers likely to appeal to minors.
  • Alberta operators may not direct advertising at minors or knowingly at self-excluded or high-risk people, may not use athletes or people who appeal to minors except to promote responsible gambling features, and must carry responsible gambling information including 211 Alberta.
  • In the monopoly provinces only the Crown platform is lawful; British Columbia's regulator says every other online gambling site accessible to BC players operates illegally.

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
FINTRAC administrative monetary penalties under the PCMLTFA; provincial regulators impose monetary penalties and suspend or revoke registrations
Criminal penalties
Keeping a common gaming or betting house and running an unauthorised lottery scheme: up to two years in prison on indictment, or summary conviction (ss.201 and 207(3)). Bookmaking and related betting offences: indictable, up to two years, with minimum terms of 14 days for a second offence and three months for later ones (s.202).
Operator liability
Conducting or managing a lottery scheme other than as authorised by s.207 is an offence under s.207(3)(a), and bookmaking, recording bets and advertising offers to bet are offences under s.202.
Player liability
Participating in a lottery scheme not authorised under s.207 is a summary conviction offence (s.207(3)(b)), and being found in a common gaming or betting house without lawful excuse is a summary offence (s.201(2)(a)).

Notable actions

  • New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation24 Jul 2026

    FINTRAC administrative monetary penalty for failing to submit suspicious transaction reports; paid in full

    Fine: C$399,712.5 as of 24 Jul 2026

  • Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation23 Jul 2026

    FINTRAC administrative monetary penalty for unreported suspicious attempted transactions, outdated compliance policies and no documented risk assessment; paid in full

    Fine: C$231,826 as of 23 Jul 2026

  • Atlantic Lottery Corporation Inc.29 May 2026

    FINTRAC administrative monetary penalty for an unreported suspicious transaction, outdated compliance policies and no documented risk assessment; paid in full

    Fine: C$212,025 as of 29 May 2026

Timeline

  1. 29 Jun 2021

    Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, receives Royal Assent

  2. 27 Aug 2021

    Single-event sports betting becomes lawful for provinces to offer

  3. 4 Apr 2022

    Ontario's competitive igaming market opens

  4. 2 Feb 2024

    Ontario refers the international play question to the Court of Appeal (Order in Council 210/2024)

  5. 28 Feb 2024

    Ontario ban on athletes in igaming advertising takes effect

  6. 12 Nov 2025

    Court of Appeal for Ontario majority holds international play under the proposed model lawful (2025 ONCA 770)

  7. 14 Jan 2026

    Alberta publishes its iGaming regulations, including an athlete advertising ban

  8. 13 Apr 2026

    British Columbia's Gaming Control Act comes into force and the IGCO replaces GPEB

  9. 9 Jul 2026

    FINTRAC announces a $212,025 penalty on Atlantic Lottery Corporation, imposed on 29 May 2026

  10. 13 Jul 2026

    Alberta's competitive iGaming market launches with 22 registered sites

  11. 27 Aug 2026

    CSA and CIRO Staff Notice 91-307 says sports and entertainment event contracts are not for securities regulation

  12. 28 Aug 2026

    British Columbia's IGCO says sports and entertainment prediction contracts are gambling and illegal outside PlayNow.com

  13. 31 Aug 2026

    Saskatchewan and the FSIN extend SIGA's online gaming exclusivity to September 2029

  14. 3 Sept 2026

    FINTRAC announces penalties on the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation

  15. 7 Oct 2026

    Supreme Court of Canada hearing on international play (file 42141); judgment reserved

Outlook

The Supreme Court of Canada heard the lottery corporations' appeal against 2025 ONCA 770 on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment; the ruling will decide whether a province may let its players join games with people outside Canada. Bill S-211 on a national sports betting advertising framework is at committee in the House of Commons. The CSA is still assessing event contracts other than sports and entertainment ones, and British Columbia already treats sports prediction contracts as illegal gambling. Saskatchewan's online exclusivity for SIGA runs to September 2029.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a national gambling regulator in Canada?
No. Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes gambling lawful only where a province conducts and manages it, so regulation is provincial. Federal bodies cover narrower areas: FINTRAC for anti-money laundering and the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency for horse-race betting.
Which provinces let private operators in?
Ontario, since 4 April 2022, and Alberta, since 13 July 2026. In both, operators register with the provincial regulator and sign an agreement with a Crown agency that conducts and manages the games. Every other province offers online gambling only through its Crown operator.
When did single-event sports betting become legal?
Bill C-218 received Royal Assent on 29 June 2021 and came into force on 27 August 2021. Horse-race betting remains federal and pari-mutuel only.
Are gambling winnings taxed?
Not for ordinary players. The Canada Revenue Agency says lottery winnings of any amount need not be reported as income unless the prize is income from employment, a business or property, or a prize for achievement.
Are prediction markets legal in Canada?
Securities regulators said on 27 August 2026 that sports and entertainment event contracts should not be regulated as securities or derivatives, and British Columbia's regulator treats them as gambling that is illegal outside PlayNow.com. A limited set of other event contracts may be traded through two authorised CIRO dealer members.
Can Canadian players play poker against players abroad?
The question is still before the courts. A Court of Appeal for Ontario majority held Ontario's proposed international model lawful in November 2025, and the Supreme Court of Canada heard the lottery corporations' appeal on 7 October 2026 and reserved judgment.
How much does a gambling licence cost in Canada?
For the Ontario internet gaming operator registration (AGCO), the annual fee is C$100,000. The Licensing section lists all 2 licence types recorded for Canada. Last verified 21 Oct 2026.

Events in Canada

Past events

Glossary and directory

iGT coverage of Canada

Premier League Ad Ban Looms as West Ham Secures BoyleSports Kit Sponsorship
Sports Betting

Bristol Study Finds Premier League Shirt Ban Moved Gambling Logos to Sleeves and Training Kits

The first opening weekend without gambling brands on the front of Premier League shirts still carried 11,205 gambling messages across seven live matches, according to the University of Bristol's fourth annual count. Shirt-front logos all but vanished, sleeve and training kit branding rose 362.7% on the three-year average, and pitchside boards held steady or grew.

Entain raises full year guidance as uk and betmgm growth drive strong h1
Corporate

Entain Holds FY26 Guidance as UK Online Grows 14% and Brazil Falls 36%

Entain's British online business grew 14% under the new 40% gaming duty, while customer-friendly football results and a Brazilian unit that shrank by more than a third before the ban held the group to 2%. Guidance survives with profit pinned to the bottom of the range, and the chief executive used the update to lobby the government before the Budget.

MIXI Secures PointsBet Takeover as Board Formally Rejects Rival Betr Offer
Corporate

PointsBet Expects a 16% Fall in H1 Revenue and a Normalised EBITDA Loss of Up to A$8m

PointsBet Holdings says tighter compliance cost it turnover from its highest-value Australian customers, and AFL results went against it as it chased mass-market sports bettors. The six-month loss it now expects is many times the one it reported for the nine months before, and Alberta, the growth market it is counting on, is still not live.

Google Rewrites Its Gambling Ad Certification and Splits It by Country
Regulatory

YouTube Opens Its Masthead to Certified Online Gambling Advertisers From 21 October

Google will let certified online gambling advertisers buy the slot at the top of YouTube's homepage from 21 October, widening a carve-out that has covered only sports betting since 2022. The notice names no markets, and it arrives in a month when European lawmakers are moving to restrict gambling advertising rather than extend it.

All 55 articles on Canada →

Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

  1. Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), section 207, Permitted lotteries

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  2. Criminal Code, section 201, Keeping gaming or betting house; person found in

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  3. Criminal Code, section 202, Betting, pool-selling, book-making

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  4. Criminal Code, section 204, Exemption (pari-mutuel betting on horse races)

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  5. Bill C-218, Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (S.C. 2021, c. 20), Royal Assent text

    Parliament of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 29 Jun 2021
  6. SI/2021-56, Order Fixing August 27, 2021 as the Day on Which that Act Comes into Force

    Canada Gazette, Part II

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Sept 2021
  7. Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations (SOR/91-365), current to 2026-07-21

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  8. Pari-Mutuel Payments Order (SI/83-72), current to 2026-07-21

    Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

    The consolidation, current to 21 July 2026, fixes the federal levy at eight-tenths of one per cent. Trade press reports that the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency raised it to 1% from 1 July 2026; no amending order was found in the consolidation, so the record states the statutory range and the consolidated figure only.

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  9. Pari-mutuel betting (betting methods, including telephone account betting by computer or mobile device)

    Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 3 Mar 2020
  10. Case 42141: Atlantic Lottery Corporation, et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario (docket and case summary; lower court ruling 2025 ONCA 770)

    Supreme Court of Canada

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026
  11. S-211 (45-1), National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act

    Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  12. Prediction markets: CSA and CIRO provide guidance on certain types of event contracts (Joint CSA and CIRO Staff Notice 91-307)

    Canadian Securities Administrators

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Aug 2026
  13. Casinos: obligations under the PCMLTFA (definition of casino, including internet lottery schemes)

    Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  14. FINTRAC imposes an administrative monetary penalty on Atlantic Lottery Corporation Inc.

    Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 9 Jul 2026
  15. FINTRAC imposes an administrative monetary penalty on Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation

    Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 3 Sept 2026
  16. FINTRAC imposes an administrative monetary penalty on the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation

    Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 3 Sept 2026
  17. Amounts that are not reported or taxed

    Canada Revenue Agency

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  18. What sites are regulated for play in Ontario? (directory accurate as of 2026-09-01)

    iGaming Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Sept 2026
  19. AGCO to ban athletes in Ontario's igaming advertising to protect minors

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 29 Aug 2023
  20. Internet Gaming Fees

    Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  21. iGaming Alberta Act, SA 2025 c I-0.2 (office consolidation current as of 18 June 2026)

    Alberta King's Printer

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  22. Alberta iGaming fact sheet (Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, 13 January 2026)

    Government of Alberta

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 13 Jan 2026
  23. Alberta's iGaming Strategy

    Government of Alberta

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  24. Alberta's regulated online iGaming market launches (news release)

    Government of Alberta

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 13 Jul 2026
  25. Clear rules, stronger protections for iGaming (news release)

    Government of Alberta

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 Jan 2026
  26. iGaming (operator registration, advertising rules and self-exclusion)

    Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  27. Gambling in B.C. (last updated 13 April 2026)

    Government of British Columbia

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 13 Apr 2026
  28. B.C.'s new gaming control act makes gambling oversight more independent (news release)

    Government of British Columbia

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 2 Dec 2025
  29. IGCO Update: Prediction Markets

    Independent Gambling Control Office (British Columbia)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 28 Aug 2026
  30. Government and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Extend Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority's Online Exclusivity and Announce Gaming Centre Pilot (joint release; contact Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan)

    Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 31 Aug 2026
  31. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (Crown Services)

    Government of Manitoba

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  32. PlayNow.com (launch in Manitoba, 2013)

    Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  33. Réglementation (laws and regulations governing Loto-Québec)

    Loto-Québec

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  34. Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Annual Report 2024-2025 (year to 31 March 2025)

    Atlantic Lottery Corporation

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  35. AGLC: Gaming registrants (public register; 42 registrations in the class iGaming - Operator on 14 October 2026)

    Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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