All Canadian criminal law is enacted and enforced at the federal level 1 , in contrast to the United States where each state comes up with their own criminal statutes and has their own criminal code.

So it will only be necessary for us to discuss the law as it pertains to Canada in general. When it comes to the gambling law in Canada, a lot of people will say that Canada is a grey area so to speak, which is held to mean that the law is to some degree unclear as to whether or not gambling, or playing online poker for money specifically, is legal or not.

There are certain instances where gambling is sanctioned in Canada, for instance playing the lottery or gambling at a licensed casino would be sanctioned, but these sanctions are only necessary to the degree that a certain form of gambling would be otherwise illegal and the sanctioning serves as exceptions to the law.

So the way this all works is that the law provides the prohibitions, in other words what is not allowed, and then within these prohibited practices it may provide exemptions, allowing certain forms of what would otherwise be prohibited.

In actual fact, these sites merely compete with other sites, and as long as those other sites are regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, who regulate all online gambling sites in Canada, then they are operating well within the confines of Canadian law.

Online gambling sites follow the laws closely and they know these laws well, certainly more so than the average player does.

They generally do what they can to abide by the local laws, as they know it will be very costly for them if they do not.

But this is simply not the case. So, if a major online gambling site allows you to join and play as a Canadian, or any other nationality for that matter, then you can assume that it is okay for you to do so.

And even if it is not, no government has prosecuted one of their citizens for gambling online. They go after the sites and the companies that run them, not the people that play on them.

Login Now! Login Videos TV News Play Now Interviews Pros Live Events YouTube Facebook Categories Live Poker Poker Interviews Poker Hands Poker Training Videos Documentaries Online Poker.

Categories WSOP 1 25 Seasons - 0 Episodes Pokerstars Shark Cage 2 2 Seasons - 15 Episodes Super High Roller 3 2 Seasons - 0 Episodes Poker Night in America 4 5 Seasons - Episodes WPT Alpha8 5 1 Seasons - 6 Episodes Aussie Millions Poker Championship 6 14 Seasons - Episodes PokerStars Caribbean Adventure - PCA 7 8 Seasons - Episodes Watch High Stakes Poker TV Show HSP 8 8 Seasons - Episodes Unibet Open 9 6 Seasons - 38 Episodes Poker After Dark 10 7 Seasons - 0 Episodes.

Home - Poker News - Promos - Is Online Gaming Legal In Canada? Is Online Gaming Legal In Canada? Andrew Burnett , 10 months ago.

Did you like this article? Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines.

Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Canadian law puts gambling firmly under provincial jurisdiction, so why are thousands of offshore gaming sites still just a click away?

Social Sharing. Online gambling: is it worth the risk for governments? I don't think [the law] is grey. Provincial jurisdiction The trickier part of the equation is the legality of offshore operators taking bets from Canada.

About the Author. Their room hits the sweet spot between having a big choice, and very easy poker games. These days they have opened up their room to many Latin American nations too — brining many new and inexperienced players to the tables.

This restricts 3rd party tracking software, makes play at the tables anonymous and caps multi-tabling. The success of this poker room has shown that this approach works.

Credit cards can be used to deposit at online poker rooms from Canada, though the banks will often block these transactions. You will not lose out when this happens, the payment will simply not happen.

In addition to the banks blocking transactions, some of the bigger eWallet systems including Skrill, PayPal and Neteller also pulled out of Canada.

Many sites support using the Interac system. If you dream of becoming the next Daniel Negreanu or Jonathan Duhamel, Canada might just be the perfect place to realize your potential.

With plenty of places to play including fully legal options, it's easy to see why many Americans flocked to these parts after a stateside crackdown in Whether you choose provincial sites or prefer to play offshore, always play at licensed and regulated poker rooms.

Read the expert reviews and comments from other Canadians to find a poker room that's perfect for you. If you still have concerns about the legality of playing in your area, you can always enjoy free games, many of which offer prizes and other perks.

Play Poker Canadian Dollar Easiest New Real Money Mac No Download Texas Hold'em Games Poker Bonus Blacklisted Sites Fast Cashouts.

Strategy Canadian Poker Pros Freeroll Tips How Poker Bonuses Work Online vs. Offline Legal Choosing a Poker Site Live Casinos in Canada Beginner's Mistakes To Avoid Cash Games vs.

Legal Standing of Online Poker in Canada Canadians have made their mark at poker tables across the country, around the globe, and especially online.

Legal Online Poker at a Glance Provincial gambling agencies in Quebec, Manitoba, and BC offer legal poker games to their residents. Players in Ontario can enjoy video poker through OLG, but community card poker games won't be available until the spring.

The gambling age in Canada varies by province, game type, and venue but is either 18 or The Kahnawake Gaming Commission of Quebec has been licensing and regulating gambling sites for 18 years.

Many international sites welcome Canadians of legal age, even if the legality is subject to debate. Canadians who have legal doubts can always enjoy free poker games with no obligation.