Is Online Gambling Legal in Canada Now?
4 minutes
Posted by: Ivan
Are you looking to gamble online in Canada? Have you been looking for a good casino to play on? Before any of this, you need to know whether it is legal to gamble online in the country. This will help give you peace of mind and allow you to fully enjoy your gaming sessions.
Online gambling has been a very popular activity recently, and its popularity only grew over the past year or so. With people spending more time inside their homes, many have turned to online gambling as a source of entertainment.
Of course, governments worldwide have taken notice of this, and many of them have started to change gaming laws and regulations. This is done to protect players and make sure only the best and most reliable operators are allowed to offer their services. For the most part, it's still a work in progress as online gambling is a huge market and not the easiest one to control.
So, where does Canada stand in all of this, and what's the legal situation like in the country these days?
Like pretty much everywhere else, there’s been an increasing number of people flocking to Canadian online casinos every day. While gambling laws are quite complicated in most countries, the Canadian authorities have so far controlled the situation quite well. Without sacrificing the flexibility of the gambling laws, they have introduced some protective measures for gamblers.
Recently, the government has made certain types of offline gambling legal. This is also applicable to a few types of online gambling. However, there are several companies providing online gambling services that are based overseas, and it is not clear whether they are entirely legal.
Canadian Betting Laws
From the gamblers’ perspective, it is legal to place wagers at an online establishment. Nevertheless, it is considered illegal for an unlicensed online casino to have its servers based in Canadian territory.
Since there are no strict rules forbidding the existence of offshore gambling websites, some of the top gambling sites in Canada are based in other countries.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, casual betting was legalized for charity, and after some time, horse racing also became legal. Gambling gained mainstream popularity in 1985, after the legalization of slot machines.
Gambling Laws in Mohawk Territory
The Kahnawake territory became a safe haven for online gambling websites in 1996. This territory is not obligated to follow Canadian laws, so they have issued licenses to several online casinos over the years. But there are certain criteria that the casino operator must fulfill to be eligible for a license. These requirements have been listed below:
- The operator must furnish relevant data about the organization, its stakeholders, and its founding body.
- They must have an office in the Mohawk territory and have the required documents.
- The terms and conditions for the games must be clearly mentioned.
- They have to undergo audits.
- Restrict underage people from gambling.
- Protect sensitive user data.
- The website must have a proper support team.
- They must provide adequate data on the deposit and withdrawal modes.
- The website should be running on state-of-the-art software.
As you can see, there are some quite strict rules in place to ensure players are getting the best possible service when gambling on online casinos with this license. Also, most casinos offer a broad spectrum of games, from slots, over video poker machines, to roulette and baccarat tables.
Important Points to Remember
Here are some of the key things you need to keep in mind when dealing with gambling sites in Canada:
- You will never face legal repercussions for placing wagers at an online casino, regardless of whether you do it to generate some extra income or just for recreation.
- To date, there have been no prosecutions for a Canadian gambler engaging in sports betting, poker, or casino games.
- You don't need to pay a tax for your casino profits unless it becomes a regular income source for you.
- Whether or not you will be taxed is based on your winning frequency, the size of the profits, and your gambling proficiency.
When compared to many other countries, Canadian gambling laws are quite favorable for the player. Unless you're a professional gambler, you never have to pay any taxes on your winnings, and you don't have to worry about getting in trouble for accidentally choosing the wrong casino.
What the Future Holds
At this moment, it is unclear whether the Canadian authorities will amend the laws in the future. The country is losing some money in terms of tax revenue by allowing offshore entities to operate, but despite this, there have been no signs of the government tightening the regulations.
At the same time, it seems unlikely that they would give the same legal status to these offshore sites as those operated by local authorities. So, right now, there doesn't seem to be the perfect solution for the online gambling situation, and the status quo remains.
Conclusion
At this moment, Canadian punters can safely enjoy the great features offered by international gambling establishments. Compared to the United States, the gambling laws in Canada are much more relaxed, and you have several options to choose from while looking for legal online gambling establishments offering slots, blackjack, roulette, video slots, and much more.
