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Online Gambling in Canada

Joining a Canadian online gambling site has its benefits. You can play Microgaming’s Games of Thrones slot or bet on the CFL. You can even play the Sunday Million poker tournament for your piece of the $1 million guaranteed prize pool.

But none of these benefits mean much if you don’t join a safe online gambling site, which is why we recommend the best Canadian gambling sites right here.

Rank VA Gambling Site Exclusive Bonus Products Get Started
#1 Bonus Up To $1100
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 Visit Site Betway
#2 100% Up To C$1,600
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 Visit Site Jackpot City Casino
#3 100% Up To C$1200
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 Visit Site Royal Vegas
#4 100% Up To $1,500
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#5 100% Up To $1,000
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 Visit Site Spin Casino

There are plenty of options for real money online gambling in Canada. Although, not all of these options are worth your time and money. It’s possible to waste quite a lot of that time and money trying to discover the best sites for gambling online.

As you’re here, you don’t need to worry about that. We’ve recommended the best online gambling sites for Canada so you can get started with a trusted and reputable site right away. You can sign up at any of our recommendations and be assured of a positive experience.

Want some more guidance on online gambling from Canada first? Or want to know how we separate the best real money gambling sites from the others? The,n read on, as we have you covered.

Best Canadian Gambling Sites

Best Canada Gambling Sites

Ranking the Top Real Money Gambling Sites for Canada

We get it, you’re skeptical — especially online — and you have every reason to be. The internet is still the Wild West. Fly by night gambling operators exist, preying on gamblers like you with their stolen games, rogue terms, and criminal intent.

That’s why we exist. We do the research to weed out the bad actors so that readers like you have a fighting chance.

But why should you listen to us, and how do you know you can trust our recommendations? That’s a fair question.

Instead of saying you should simply trust us, we think a better approach is to show you how we come up with our list of the best Canadian gambling sites.

Our Priorities

We conduct an intensive review of every online gambling site we recommend. This task requires a lot of time and resources.

It’s worthwhile, though. This is where we sift through the dirt to uncover each site’s strengths and weaknesses.

There are many things we look for, but the following shortlist takes top priority.

Gambling License
Every gambling website we recommend must have a license. This tells us they applied, paid their dues, and that a gambling commission vetted them.
Reputation
We do extensive research to learn how the operator treats their customers. We don’t recommend gambling sites that lie, cheat, or steal.
Terms and Conditions
We inspect the terms and conditions under a microscope to ensure the house rules are fair.

We don’t compromise on these priorities and neither should you.

Secondary Priorities

A license, stellar reputation, and reasonable house rules are a good place to start, but they’re not enough. A real money gambling site can still suck if they drop the ball in any of the following areas.

Games
We note the games you can play, betting limits, and features.
Software
Gambling has a major impact on your experience. It affects the games you can play, features, graphics, and whether you can gamble from your mobile phone.
Banking
We double-check to ensure the site accepts a variety of banking methods. Deposit and withdrawal limits are also important, as well as how fast they process cashouts. Gambling sites get extra credit if they allow you to deposit and play in CAD.
Promotions
We like to recommend online gambling sites that offer a variety of promotions for each gambling product. This includes offers like deposit bonuses, free spins and bets, and rebates for the casino, sportsbook, and poker room.

We take all the information we find and write up a detailed review. You’ll find everything you need to know about a Canada gambling site to determine if they’re a good fit for you.

One quick note about these priorities before moving on… There’s more forgiveness for these qualities because “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Meaning, every gambler has a different idea of what the perfect gambling site looks like.

As far as we’re concerned, so long as a site is safe and offers a ton of betting options, banking methods, and promotions, they’re worth recommending.

Compiling our Rankings

Our next step is to choose which sites we want to recommend. This is on a category-by-category basis so that we only suggest relevant sites.

For example, we recommend only the best online gambling sites for Canadians on this page. We collect the best matches, order them from best to worst, then list the top-rated choices on our Canada-themed pages. That’s our process.

As you can see, we spend a significant amount of time and resources to find the best Canadian online gambling sites. We do this so that you don’t have to.

Start Playing at Canada’s Best Gambling Sites

Gambling online isn’t difficult. But if you haven’t done it before, then you don’t know what you don’t know.

You might have no idea where to start first. But that’s okay, everyone starts at square one.

We’re going to get you up to speed. The following are the steps you’re going to take to start gambling online today.

  • Choose a site. Start with our recommendations. You can also choose a site from more than a dozen other categories.
  • Create an account. Find the “create account” or “sign up” button. Fill out the form with your name, email, address, phone number, etc. Then, check your email to confirm your account.
  • Make a deposit. Go to the cashier and choose the banking method you want to use. Then, follow the instructions. Hit submit and wait. Your money should be ready within minutes.
  • Play/bet. Decide if you want to gamble from your phone or laptop. Choose a game to play or bet on.

This is as simple as it gets. You can start playing your favorite slot or poker game, or betting on your favorite sport, in the next few minutes if you act now.

Now, there are other things you should learn if you’re new and want a seamless gambling experience. Start with the following articles.

Gambling Promotions
Discover the promotions online gambling sites offer, how they work, and why it’s crucial you read the terms and conditions before you claim one.
Gambling Safety
Learn how to stay safe from hackers and scam artists when you gamble online.
Online Gambling FAQ
Read our answers to the most common questions we receive about real money gambling online in Canada and around the world.
Beginner Tips
Learn from our massive list of gambling tips for beginners.

Read each guide and you’ll achieve pro Canadian gambler status before you know it!

Why Gambling Online in Canada Makes Sense

The following are a few perks you can enjoy if you choose to gamble online in Canada.

Convenience
Bet on your favorite games from wherever you are so long as you have internet access. This includes your couch, car, doctor’s office, bathroom, etc.
Mobile
You’re not limited to gambling from home or the casino. You can gamble from just about anywhere in the world.
Lower Costs
Try playing blackjack for $1 or Texas Hold’em for $0.01/$0.02 in your local casino. It won’t happen. But you can online.
Variety
Offline casinos have a limited selection of games and machines. There’s only so much they can fit inside a building. This isn’t a challenge online gambling sites face, though, which is why they can offer hundreds if not thousands of games and machines.
Promotions
Brick and mortar casinos offer deals too, but nothing like online gambling sites do. Gambling sites offer deals such as deposit and reload bonuses, free bets, rebates, and more.

Online gambling in Canada makes sense. And this isn’t even all the benefits Canadians get to enjoy. There are others.

For example, you can bet on the most popular sports in Canada. That includes ice hockey, the Canadian Football League, the NFL, soccer, and baseball. You can bet on these games online while watching them in real time.

This is key. Someone in Timbuktu might be a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. They can bet on their games, sure, but how often can they watch a game in person?

Canadian gambling sites also use excellent software that sites in some other countries don’t. For example, you can play casino and poker games from Microgaming, Quickspin, Evolution Gaming, and Playtech.

Online gamblers in the United States can’t say the same.

And if you ever want to take a break from online gambling, there are several local casinos you can check out. For example, Casino Niagara, St. Eugene Golf Resorts Casino, and River Rock Casino Resort.

The bottom line is that there are many reasons why Canadians should gamble online and few reasons not to.

Canada’s Online Gambling Laws and Regulations

Is online gambling legal in Canada? Yes …and no.

Online gambling is a gray area. Canadian gambling law doesn’t prohibit gambling on the internet so long as the operator or service provider has a license. That’s on the federal level.

But every province or territory also sets their own gambling laws. The result is that one form of gambling might be legal in one area while illegal in another.

For example, online poker is illegal in Quebec and New Brunswick, but it’s legal in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta.

And online betting is illegal in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, but it’s legal in Manitoba, Alberta, and Quebec. So, it depends.

Make sure you pay attention to the minimum gambling age where you play, too. This also varies from one area to the next.

And what about offshore gambling sites? Well, it’s not entirely clear. We’ve come across a couple of cases where Canadians authorities determined that an operator was running illegally. It’s hardly precedent, though.

What’s clear to us is that there’s nothing for Canadian gamblers to worry about. Join one of our recommended online gambling sites for Canadians and there’s little risk of SWAT kicking your door down.

“As far as I’m concerned, you as a player aren’t committing any criminal offence by being in a position where you are engaged with an offshore operator playing poker, playing slots, or whatever the case may be.”Michael Lipton – Canadian lawyer and gaming expert

Canada Online Gambling FAQs

Why won’t some gambling sites allow Canadians?
ASome gambling commissions (who ensure gambling sites are operating legally) have rules stating that gambling sites cannot accept players from a specific country unless they’re licensed to operate there.

Take PokerStars, for example. They operated in Australia using a loophole in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. However, Australia passed a new law and the ACMA threatened to tattle on PokerStars’ to gambling commissions.

One of those commissions was the New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. They threatened to pull PokerStars’ New Jersey license if they didn’t cease operations in Australia.

That’d have severe financial repercussions, so PokerStars stopped operating in Australia. Long story short, it’s the same idea for gambling sites in Canada.
What do I do if I have a complaint about a gambling site?
AYou can file a complaint with the gambling commission that oversees that gambling site. File a complaint, provide proof, then wait to see what they say.

You can also file a complaint with a watchdog site who will try to get answers on your behalf. Often times, the pressure of bad publicity will cause careless operators to crack and work with you to find common ground.
Can I gamble using CAD?
AThis depends on the site you join. Generally speaking, yes, most online gambling sites that accept Canadians allow you to deposit and play in CAD.

You can read our reviews to ensure the site you plan to join offers this.
What types of promotions can I claim?
AThis, too, depends on the gambling site you join. The following are the most common offers the top Canada gambling sites offer.

  • Deposit Bonus – The site will match a percentage of your bonus and give that money to you to play with. For example, claim a 100% match bonus up to $500, and the gambling site will give you $1 on top of every $1 you deposit (up to $500).
  • Free Bet – The gambling site will reimburse you if you make a live dealer, sports, or horse racing bet and it loses.
  • Free Spins – Receive free games to use on a specific selection of slot machines.
  • Comp Points – Earn points playing games and, once you have enough, exchange them for cash.
  • VIP Program – Similar to a comp points program, except that the points you use will determine your “level” in the gambling site’s VIP program. Move up in levels to earn bigger and better perks.
  • Freerolls – Reserved for poker players. The gambling site’s poker room will give you access to a freeroll tournament that pays real money to the top finishers.


There are other offers you can claim depending on what you plan to play or bet on. These are the most common.
How can I trust the Canadian gambling sites you recommend?
AWe explain our process further up the page. In very basic terms, it’s because we thoroughly review every site and recommend only the best and safest ones.
Is online gambling taxable in Canada?
AThat depends. If you’re a recreational gambler then, no, you don’t have to pay taxes. However, if you’re a professional gambler, then you’re required to claim your winnings.
Can you win real money gambling online in Canada?
AAbsolutely. Every gambling site we recommend offers real money wagering and pays out real money prizes. Some offer “play money” gambling, too, if that’s your thing.

Additional Canadian Gambling Sites

The top Canadian gambling sites we recommend on this page offer multiple types of gambling such as casino games, sports betting, esports, horse racing betting, poker, bingo, and more.

These sites are great, but sometimes they’re not the best option for every type of gambling they offer.

That’s why we have the following pages where we recommend online gambling sites for Canadian gamblers wanting to play or bet on something more specific.