Canada Online Casinos

Canada Online Casinos

Gambling is as popular a pastime as it gets when it comes to leisure activities of Canadian residents. With games of chance that date as far back as the first settlers' written records in the 1400s, up until today's fully digitalized and automated gambling platforms, Canada proves itself a benevolent climate for this industry.

Evidently, the progressive tendency of such business ventures did not come about as a spontaneous chain of events, but as consequences of each previous occurrence. Thus, from a chronological standpoint, there are a few key moments that have marked and defined the entire practice of gambling on Canadian territory. Since the initial record of such activities, many others followed suit throughout the centuries, up until this practice became an integral part of everyday culture. Soon afterward, the first attempts to regulate and thus define the different forms of gambling, leading up to official laws relating to the industry. Due to the nature of these legal regulative, slightly swerving towards grey definitions of the matter, the Canadian market has gained the much needed free space to grow and prosper, adopting all the novelties of the trade and perfecting them further, with the ultimate result of becoming a virtual land-based and online gambling haven.

Online Gambling Laws in Canada

As it was just mentioned, gambling laws in Canada are slightly hazy, but they still exist as a form of regulating this specific sphere of social life. No matter the wording, the legality of players' actions has been in the focus since the early stage of the industry, up until today.

The Canadian Criminal Code of 1892 – This is the first form of legal document that has a portion of its text dedicated to officially regulating gambling activities. It stated that some of the activity would be regulated and legalized, but players were still rather restricted in their movements. An amendment followed soon afterward, in 1910, referring to one of the most troublesome areas of gambling in Canada – horse racing. It opened the way to entirely legalizing horse betting, as well as remaining segments of the practice.

Key Amendment to the Criminal Code in 1970 – Not to underestimate the previously mentioned change to the criminal code, but in 1970, the implemented amendment changed the approach to gambling regulative in its entirety, which is why it needs to be reviewed as a fully separate legal action. Namely, this amendment was based on Canada's territorial division into provinces – the federal authority remained in charge of horse betting solely, while all other forms of gambling and playing games of chance was to be distributed under the jurisdictions of separate provinces. This made the people, i.e. the players, in charge of the matter.

Such circumstances soon resulted in the exponential opening of land-based casino establishments, bingo halls and other gambling providers, with the first brick-and-mortar casino floor opening in Winnipeg in the distant 1989. Since then, their number has massively risen, and while there are many aspects which still need to be defined, efforts on both sides have ultimately established a durable and highly prosperous industry, open to novelties and innovation, such as its transfer into the sphere of online action.

 

Getting Started with Online Casino Action in Canada

Canada Top Casinos

All things considered, it is no surprise that Canada has provided solid grounds with its stable gambling industry once online gambling platforms came to the fore. They were introduced as soon as they launched, and with the help of a few guides the likes of BestCasinosCanada.com, operators were booming. The specifics of the legal situation further applied to this form of gambling content, and many of the provinces did not ban operations of international and Canadian-based online gambling platforms. In other words, as long as the site is licensed and regulated by the appropriate jurisdictions which allow Canadian player traffic, there is nothing standing in the way of the country's residents when accessing such platforms. In fact, they can check for up-to-date information at KeyToCasino and other reliable portals.

FAQs

1. Is there a regulative entity for the Canadian gambling industry?

- Yes, it is the Canadian Gaming Commission. While it does not issue licenses in itself, it is in charge of the industry's understanding, management and overall regularity.

2. What is the legal gambling age in Canada?

- Due to local power, some provinces declare the age of 18 as legal gambling age, while others require players to have turned 19 before being able to participate in the action.

3. Will I be able to play real money online casino games?

- Yes, all Canadian players can choose between fun-play and real-money action, as their dedicated operators offer a number of banking options to suit their needs.

4. Can I play using Canadian Dollars?

- Yes, operators are aware of the importance of localizing their services and adjusting to player pools, which is why most of them add CAN $ as a currency choice.

5. What casino games will I be able to choose from?

- Players can choose from the standard range of casino games available globally.

6. What kind of security measures are considered best for Canadian online players?

- Security is a constant issue when it comes to online gambling, but Canadians normally rely on online casino sites listed as certified by eCOGRA – an independent company that tests online casino software for proper operations and provides its seal accordingly.

7. Are there other ways for Canadian players to find casino sites?

- Like other players worldwide, Canadians can search through online review services, or define a set of mandatory criteria that would define their idea of a casino site that fits their preferences.

8. Can Canadians play with Bitcoin?

-Currently, this matter is under provincial jurisdiction, but considering the act against cryptocurrencies and anti-money-laundering, Bitcoin casinos are not available.

9. Are online casino winnings taxable?

- While it depends on the local legislature, as well as the player's resident status in Canada, winnings from online games of chance are considered taxable.

10. Is gambling common in Canada nowadays?

- Nowadays, gambling in Canada ranges from 65% to 85% of the overall population engaging in some form or another. A major influence has been the convenience of online casinos, as well as the numerous benefits they provide.

References

Canada, www.worldcasinodirectory.com

eCOGRA approved casinos, www.casinolistings.com

Online gambling: Is it even legal?, Paul Haavardsrud, www.cbc.ca

Tax law on poker winnings: Read it and weep, Benjamin Alarie, www.theglobeandmail.com

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