Licensed Casinos in Canada is an independently owned and operated website portal designed to provide Canadian players with a comprehensive reference guide to all legal, licensed, legitimate online casinos and sportsbooks - and their operators, in Canada.

This website was built with the intention of protecting Canadian players from what are known in the gaming industry as rogue casinos. Using this website as a practical source of information, Canadian players can make educated and informed decisions about where to play online and avoid getting scammed by crooks.

Online gambling in Canada is regulated at the provincial level. Any legal gambling operation in Canada requires a license from the appropriate provincial government.

This website maintains a current list of all licensed online casinos and sportsbooks in Canada.

If an online casino or sportsbook is not listed on this website then it is probably not licensed or legal in Canada.

Searching this Website

The casino & sportsbook index is both searchable and sortable.

To search, simply type your search query into the search box. Queries can be anything - from casino names, to license information, to casino operators, to provincial jurisdictions.

To find licensed Canadian sportsbooks, simply type the word sportsbook into the search box. To find licensed poker rooms in Canada, type the words poker room into the search box.

To find licensed casinos in Canada that accept offshore bets from players in other provincial jurisdictions, type (canada) into the search box.

Search results can be sorted alphabetically (forward and reverse) by simply clicking on the header of the column that you would like to sort - such as casino name, company name, or rating.

Casino & Sportsbook Rating Rubric

Casinos are rated based on ten categories. Each one is worth half a point (or star):

• Security - Casino/sportsbook uses secure communication protocols such as https and other forms of encryption and data protection, both online and offline.
• Transparent Business - Casino/sportsbook business ownership is transparent and visible to the public.
• Customer Service (Phone Support) - Customer service representives can be reached by phone.
• Customer Service (24x7 Support) - Customers can contact support at any time using some method such as live chat, phone or email.
• Banking - Casino/sportsbook offers a good variety of payment and withdrawal options.
• Games - Casino/sportsbook offers a wide variety of quality games.
• Bonuses & Promotions - Casino/sportsbook offers bonuses and ongoing promotions to players.
• Business Relationship - Casino/sportsbook has an affiliate relationship with LicensedCasinos.ca, or is a charitable/provincial casino without an affiliate program.
• User Experience - Casino/sportsbook website is clean and easy to navigate, and provides a quality user experience.
• Mobility - Games are playable on mobile devices in addition to standard desktop computers.

Provincial Online Gaming

There are currently five provincially owned gaming companies that provide online gambling services to players across Canada.

• Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) - Provides online gambling in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia & PEI.
• Espace Jeux - Provides online gambling Quebec.
• Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) - Provides online gambling in Ontario.
• Play Alberta - Provides online gambling in Alberta.
• Playnow - Provides online gambling in BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan. Operated by BCLC.

Provincial Gaming Providers and Regulators in Canada

• Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) - Regulates lottery, online and offline gaming in Ontario.
• Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) - Provincial lottery marketing, regulates online and offline gaming in Alberta.
• Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) - Provider and regulator of lottery, online and offline gaming services in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia & PEI
• British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)- Provider and regulator of lottery, and offline gaming services in British Columbia; online gambling in BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.
• Loto-Quebec - Provider and regulator of lottery, online and offline gaming services in Quebec.
• Lotteries Yukon - Provincial marketing agency for WCLC lotteries in Yukon.
• Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries - Provincial marketing agency for WCLC lotteries in Manitoba.
• North West Territories and Nunavut Lotteries - Provincial marketing agency for WCLC lotteries in NWT & Nunavut.
• Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) - Provides lottery, online and offline gaming services in Ontario
• Sask Lotteries - Provincial marketing agency for WCLC lotteries in Saskatchewan.
• Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) - Provides lotteries for Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, NWT, Saskatchewan & Yukon.

Private Gaming Markets in Canada

Ontario created Canada's first private online gaming marketplace in 2022. Known as iGaming Ontario, independent casino and sportsbook operators can obtain government licenses to provide their gaming services in Ontario. It is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

All casinos and sportsbooks licensed in Ontario must display the iGaming logo on the front page of their website, as well as links to gambling addiction services.

Alberta is currently in the process of creating a private gaming market which is expected to be operational in 2025/2026. Although it is modeled after the Ontario market, one notable difference is that the licensing will be overseen by a new legal governing body (yet to be created). It will be a separate entity from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) agency.

British Columbia is expected to create a private online gaming market in the future, with the possibility of other western provinces being included.

Quebec is expected to create a private online gaming market in the future.

Atlantic Canada is not expected to create a private online gaming market.

Northern Territories are not expected to create a private online gaming market.

Beware of Internet Scammers

The Internet is rife with scammers, fraudsters, thieves and assorted Internet villains. The online casino industry is no exception.

Rogue casinos are online casinos that are typically unlicensed or licensed by questionable authorities, and who are involved in illegal and/or unethical behaviour - such as money laundering, theft, and fraud; as well as promoting and providing gambling services to children and problem gamblers.

These crooks have very little - if any - transparency (not to mention ethics), and the owners are typically very sketchy, shady, anonymous individuals hiding behind proxy servers and virtual private networks (VPN’s) in various locations throughout the world.

They are often connected to organized crime syndicates and are known to use online casinos for the purpose of money laundering. The proceeds of crime that are laundered are usually derived from their activities in arms dealing, drug dealing and human trafficking; among others.

Some characteristics of rogue casinos include a lack of business transparancy - such as no business ownership information or physical address available; email-only (or no) customer support; brand-name looking knock-off websites, logos, and business/domain names; cartoon graphics that target children; and obscure or unusual gaming licensing providers. Rogue casinos may also offer pie in the sky type promotions or bonuses that may appear too good to be true in an effort to entice players.

Offshore casinos are simply casinos that do not have a license to operate in a particular jurisdiction - such as a Canadian province, but they will still accept wagers from players in that area. For example, an online casino licensed in Ontario might accept bets from players in British Columbia.

It is important to note that offshore casinos can be owned and operated by either legitimate or illegitimate operators.

Unless there are local laws specifically prohibiting offshore gambling (such as in Ontario), offshore casinos and sportsbooks are usually operating in a jurisdiction that is considered to be a legal grey zone. This means that there are currently no laws permitting nor denying online gambling activities.

Until a judge makes a ruling one way or another - which would then set a legal precedent - many casino and sportsbook operators are willing to take a risk and provide gaming services to those areas since the profits can be quite lucrative.

It is important to note that some private casinos and sportsbooks that are licensed in Ontario will accept player registrations from other Canadian provinces. These casinos - while licensed and regulated in Ontario - are still considered to be offshore casinos in those jurisdictions.

Safe, Legal Online Gambling in Canada

It is strongly recommended that Canadian players only play at legitimate, licensed online casinos and sportsbooks in Canada and avoid playing at offshore casinos - even if they are licensed in other parts of Canada.

There are a few reasons for this:

First, to protect the player legally.

While legal precedent has not been set yet in Canada - and no Canadians are known to have ever been charged with the crime of playing at an offshore online casino - a legal precedent will likely be set at some point. If a player is gambling offshore when a legal precedent is set, they may be found playing in violation of the law and could possibly face fines and/or criminal charges.

Second is for legal recourse.

Should there be any dispute as to wrongdoing by the casino or sportsbook - such as withholding or confiscating players funds unfairly, or cheating in any way (such as a game glitch during a jackpot win), a player would have some legal recourse in Canada.

The player could, for example, sue the company if appropriate. Casinos and sportsbooks could also lose their gaming license, which would deal a significant blow to the casino operator - both in terms of revenue and reputation.

Third, to protect players from addiction and subsequent financial ruin.

Canada has some of the most stringent requirements for casino and sportsbook licensing. Strict laws regarding gambling advertising, know-your-customer (KYC), responsible gambling practices and detailed financial reporting (monitored by FINTRAC) are some of the protections offered by legally licensed casinos in Canada.

Fourth, to protect player’s deposits.

Rogue casinos could simply steal your deposit and there is little to nothing that can be done. With a licensed online casino, they would risk losing their license and potentially face criminal charges for such behaviour. And you could potentially retrieve your losses from them.

Finally, for fair play.

Licensed casinos in Canada are required to meet strict regulatory requirements regarding gaming odds and fairness. A casino or sportsbook could easily lose their license for using rigged gaming software.

Responsible Gambling

Finding a reputable casino or sportsbook to play at is only part of safe online gaming. The other part is taking personal responsibility for your gaming experience.

Recommendations:

1. Only play at legitimate, licensed online casinos and sportsbooks.

2. Set a budget and stick to it.

3. Do not ever chase your losses. (This a very common way that people get into financial trouble when gambling.)

4. Do not accept welcome bonuses or other promotions unless you are an experienced online player or have thoroughly read the terms and conditions regarding the promotion - and you completely understand them.

While many bonuses and promotions are attractive to players, some players will accept welcome bonuses without reading or understanding the terms and conditions first, resulting in a negative gaming experience.

For example, a typical casino might offer 100% bonus on first deposit. This means that if a player creates a new account and deposits $50, the casino will give them another $50 to play with, for a total of $100 initial deposit.

However, the fine print typically states a caveat such as 25x wagering requirement, which means that a player cannot withdraw any winnings until they have deposited 25x the initial $100 deposit. Thus, the player would need to deposit at least $2500 into their account before they could be eligible to withdraw any of their winnings.

Always be wary of promotions and bonsues that sound too good to be true, and be sure to read the terms and conditions first!

5. Quit while you're ahead. If you win, cash out and enjoy your winnings. You beat the house!

6. If you believe you have a gambling problem, or are simply looking for advice or information, please reach out to Responsible Gambling or Connex Ontario for help.

The complete list of licensed online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms in Canada can be found here.

Please play responsibly and have fun!