Gambling can be simply explained as entertainment where participants participate in a game of luck, betting, or lottery arrangement. Players are usually rewarded with money when they win. Gambling has since become an online and virtual activity, even though other physical forms of gambling still exist.
Gambling is only acceptable and legal in Canada when there is oversight and regulation by a provincial regulatory body. The thirteen provinces in Canada all have separate regulatory bodies with slight variations in their rules. For example, apart from Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta, where the legal gambling age is 18 years old, the other ten provinces have their legal gambling age set at 19 years old.
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Historical Overview of Gambling Laws
Gambling was not always permitted in Canada. This absence of legality comes as no surprise as gambling and most of its forms were banned in most countries worldwide because of the perceived adverse effects on society. Gambling only became permissible when forms of legality and oversight were introduced. Nova Scotia and Quebec paved the way for regulated gambling before Ontario joined the party in the 19th century.
Since then, gambling laws have evolved dynamically to incorporate online gambling. An instance of gambling regulation in online betting can be seen in the inaccessibility of casino websites outside Canada.
Current Legal Gambling Age in Canada
The legal Canadian gambling age is set at 18 or 19 years old, depending on the territory or province where the activity is carried out. For example, where Manitoba permits 18-year-olds to gamble, Saskatchewan sets the legal gambling age at 19 years. This variation means that it is important for anyone interested in participating in physical or online gambling activities to be sure of the provincial age stipulation.
| Province/Territory | Legal Gambling age |
| Alberta | 18 + |
| British Columbia | 19+ |
| Manitoba | 18+ |
| New Brunswick | 19+ |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 19+ |
| Northwest territories | 19+ |
| Nova Scotia | 19+ |
| Nunavut | 19+ |
| Ontario | 19+ |
| Prince Edward Island | 19+ |
| Québec | 18+ |
| Saskatchewan | 19+ |
| Yukon | 19+ |
Yes, even online gambling must follow the age restrictions because it is verifiable. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to criminal penalties.
Can Online Casinos Verify Your Age?
All gambling and casino operators are licensed by the provinces where they are present and operable. One of the responsibilities of these operators is to ensure that no one under the age stipulated by the provincial regulatory body participates in gambling.
For the above-stated reason, casino and gambling operators set up stringent protocols on their websites and other virtual platforms to verify the age of participants. One such protocol includes requesting valid means of identification, especially during registration, which often consists of the participant’s age. A fake ID bypasses this hurdle, right? Well, slower. After submitting a valid (or fake) ID, the operators run the information across several databases for verification. If there is no clear match across databases, further proofs are requested, such as proof of photo ID and a utility bill.
Furthermore, when age verification is not carried out during registration, it is usually done before winnings are withdrawn from the platform. Also, geolocation is incorporated to ensure you play from a licensed location with the right age restrictions.
Why Age Restrictions in Gambling?
The often-cited reason for the presence of age restrictions in gambling is that gambling is addictive. Studies have shown that exposure to gambling and most of its forms at an early age can lead to the development of gambling problems. Some people have argued that gambling problems do not affect only young people, and even though that may be true, it has been proven that more young people are susceptible to the adverse effects of gambling. The reason is that most young people have not developed the constraints that guide older adults when they participate in gambling. Come to think of it, when have young people, especially adolescents, ever shown restraints in the face of compulsion?
Furthermore, adolescents and, indeed, younger adults are likely to underestimate the risks involved in gambling. Make no mistakes; risks are involved in gambling. The greater the risk, the higher the possible reward or, in most cases, the loss. The reaction of an adolescent to a mouth-watering offer to win the ultimate prize if only they make the largest stake is almost predictable. In contrast, most adults get such an offer, and all alarms begin to blare in their heads. This information brings us to our next point.
Experience. Adults often make important decisions from their wealth of affairs, which is something most adolescents do not have. Adults are expected to know enough from experience to understand the dangers of compulsive gambling.
Common Forms of Legal Gambling
Gambling is very popular in Canada. Millions of Canadians and residents engage in one form of gambling or the other. It comes as no surprise that Canada has strict gambling laws, especially since they are ranked fourth on the list of countries with the highest gambling losses. Some gambling activities are banned outright, and Canadians are prohibited from participating in such activities within the country’s borders.
Other gambling activities that are not prohibited are regulated and supervised to ensure that they are conducted safely, fairly and responsibly. These forms of gambling are those considered as legal gambling. It is also important to note that some forms of gambling may be prohibited in one province or territory and are acceptable in others. Some of the forms of legal gambling are listed below.
Casinos: Casinos are very popular in Canada. A lot of people participate in online casino gambling and visit physical casino venues. Casinos are legal in Canada. It is one of the forms of gambling that is acceptable across territories and provinces. Different games are offered in casino gambling. Table card games like blackjack are very popular in casinos. Slot machines with various bettable games, roulette, other table games and poker are some of the games available in casinos in Canada.
Lotteries: Lotteries are as popular as casinos in Canada. It is also another form of gambling practised across territories and provinces in the country. Several games are available in lottery gambling. Raffle draws, draw games, pull-tab games, and the popular instant-win scratch coupons are all types of games in a lottery.
Bingo: Bingo is a fun game played by a lot of people all over the world, including Canada. Often played in groups, Bingo is played in various community centres, some offices, clubs and even churches. Bingo is a regulated gambling game in most provinces and territories in Canada.
Horse racing: Canadian authorities may have prohibited cock-fighting, but they easily give a thumbs-up to horse racing. Some animals are more equal than others, right? Placing bets on horses on the race tracks is legal in the country. The Pari-Mutuel Agency is the special agency that regulates horse racing in Canada. Pari-Mutuel, as a word, describes a type of betting that allows the winners of the first three places to share the stakes of the losers. The Pari-Mutuel concept explains how horse racing betting works.
Online Gambling: Online gambling is not insulated from the regulations of the provincial and territorial authorities in Canada. Online gambling is legal in the country. The regulatory bodies ensure that age operators and participants comply with the rules.
Regulators in Different Provinces and Territories
As mentioned earlier, different provinces and territories have gambling regulations. Other regulatory agencies exist in other provinces and territories to enforce these regulations. They go by other names. The table below details these regulators and their jurisdictions.
| Province/Territory | Regulator |
| Alberta | Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission |
| British Columbia | British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch |
| Manitoba | Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba |
| New Brunswick | Alcohol and Gaming Commission of New Brunswick |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Service NL |
| Northwest Territories | Department of Municipal and Community Affairs |
| Nova Scotia | Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division of Service Nova Scotia |
| Nunavut | Department of Economic Development and Transportation |
| Ontario | Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario |
| Prince Edward Island | Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission |
| Québec | Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority |
| Yukon | Department of Community Services |
Legal Consequences of Underage Gambling
Laws only have meaning if they are enforced. Say your mum tells you to do the dishes, and you don’t; there are often consequences or punishments afterwards. The same goes for gambling. The government sets gambling rules, and there are legal consequences for any disobedience for the operators and the gamblers.
“Is gambling legal in Canada?” is a straightforward question most people ask, and they expect a clear, polar (yes or no) answer. Now, the criminal code of the country states that all gambling activities are prohibited in Canada. This piece of information causes a bit of confusion. However, the caveat that clarifies things is that the law allows provincial and territorial authorities to regulate gambling within their jurisdiction. Hence, where there is no local gambling regulation, gambling is illegal.
So, what are the legal consequences of underage gambling as stipulated by the various jurisdictions?
The maximum penalty for unlawful gambling is 2 years imprisonment. However, depending on the weight of the offence, the discretion of the relevant authorities, and the frequency of conviction, the penalty could be less.
Responsible Gambling Practices
Gambling is a form of entertainment. It is only expected that some measure of pleasure and fun can be derived from the activity. However, it must be done responsibly. As much as regulations and age restrictions exist on the matter, participants and operators are obligated to be responsible for the personal and overall good of society. Another reason age restrictions are applied is because adolescents and children may need help to grasp the concept of responsibility and obligations fully.
Some of the responsible gambling practices expected by the several provincial and territorial authorities on the part of operators and participants are mentioned below.
AGE VERIFICATION: Responsible operators are expected to verify the age of all platform users ardently. Most operators ensure the age verification process through the request for valid IDs is done during the registration process. Other operators may demand age verification during the withdrawal of winnings. This verification protocol is obtainable, especially for online gambling.
Physical gambling venues such as casinos require valid IDs before granting site permission. Operators go as far as running IDs against databases to verify their validity and authenticity.
TIME LIMITS: Online gambling websites sometimes offer the opportunity for players to set a time limit that stops them from gambling after a while. This time limit allows players to control their gambling activities and also inhibits gambling addiction.
PHYSICAL CONTROL: Most gambling operations with physical sites often identify and keep the records of compulsive gamblers and control their actions. Operators can choose not to offer their services when they realise a player may have developed some issues that will make them unfit to gamble responsibly.
Gambling Problems
Some people insist that Canada already has a gambling problem. This argument is often made because of the gambling statistics in Canada. Nevertheless, let us look at the meaning of gambling problems and the ways they emanate.
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS: The first and obvious problem most people run into in gambling is the money problem. Compulsive gamblers have been known to lose a lot of their money, assets and properties to fund their gambling habits. Without control and responsible gambling practices, gamblers stake a lot of money in expectation of high winnings. Gambling is a game of chance or luck, but how often does one get lucky?
EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS: Gambling is a source of entertainment. It stops being fun for the player when it becomes a compulsive habit. It takes an emotional toll when players continue to play in an attempt to get that big win that relies solely on luck and chance. Some compulsive gamblers have lost their social lives, fallen into depression and neglected their responsibilities to themselves, family and the society at large.
TIME MANAGEMENT: Gambling problems rear their ugly heads when a player or gambler can no longer manage their time to engage in other wholesome and productive activities. Some people have lost their jobs because they spend more time gambling than actually carrying out their assigned tasks. In other cases, gambling becomes all they do, and they limit human interactions.