Your guide to legally playing bingo in Canada (2023)

According to recent reporting, business is booming in the online gambling sector in Canada.

Once gripped by a virtual monopoly of in-person gaming establishments such as racetracks and casinos, the iGaming sector is now primarily driven by online interactions. One recent poll has even suggested that well over half of Canadians prefer using online platforms when they want to play their favourite casinos games.

This has been great news for the major players in the sector across Canada, as well as provincial governments, who have reported significant increases in revenue over the last year. A recent industry report has reported revenues of $14.2bn across Canada, although the level of growth can vary from province to province.

Growth in the sector has been driven by a range of different factors, which includes not only changing consumer tastes following the pandemic, but also a changing regulatory landscape, which has opened up the industry.

As it currently stands, online gambling such as casinos, sports betting and even bingo are regulated at the provincial government level across the provinces. This follows the repeal of a 1985 law that previously restricted what forms of gambling Canadians could access. Each province is free to create and implement their own policies and regulations.

This has created somewhat of a tapestry of regulations across the country, although we are beginning to see slightly more harmonisation in recent years.

So, how will you know if you can legally play online bingo games in Ontario for example and other provinces? For the answer to this question and more, keep reading this quick overview of the rules and regulations surrounding online bingo in Canada in 2023:

Alberta

As it currently stands in Alberta, all gambling activities are regulated by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). They have one operator providing services in the province, which offers online casino games, sports betting and bingo. 

In addition, there are numerous land-based casinos operating in the province. Many of these are run on a charitable profit-sharing basis, as First Nations communities also run several casinos in the province. 

Alberta has the lowest minimum age of any province, with residents able to access these services as soon as they turn 18 years old.

British Columbia

British Columbia has a relatively open market when it comes to different types of online gambling, which includes sports betting, online casinos games, lotteries and bingo. These are mainly run through the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which operates the province’s primary online gambling platform. 

This is in addition to the numerous in-person gambling options that exist in the province, which include horse racing, land-based casinos, lotteries and bingo halls. As with many other provinces, these services can be accessed from 19 years old.

Manitoba

In Manitoba the Liquor and Gaming Authority regulates the various online gambling options in the province. This includes online casinos, sports betting, bingo and lotteries. PlayNow is the main government sanctioned casino, although residents can also access internationally licensed casino and bingo platforms with little difficulty.

The provincial regulator and First Nations tribes also run various in-person establishments, including bingo halls, land-based casinos and lotteries.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is slightly behind the other provinces when it comes to regulating online platforms, with regulators having yet to introduce a comprehensive system for online platforms. Despite this, residents can still access internationally licensed platforms, as well as in-person betting establishments. This includes bingo halls, online and in-person casinos, lotteries and sports betting.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Gambling in Newfoundland and Labrador is regulated by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and the Newfoundland and Labrador Digital Government and Service, who provide residents with access to various iGaming and betting services.

Access to online bingo and other iGaming services is somewhat limited compared to other provinces, however residents can still access international and other provincial platforms. Interestingly, Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the few provinces not to offer in-person, land-based casinos; however, they do have a number of bingo halls.

Northwest Territories

There is currently little regulation in place providing access to betting and iGaming services in the Northwest Territories, although residents can access other provincial services. The Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) organization runs certain activities, such as lotteries and bingo halls.

Nova Scotia

Most gambling activities are regulated by the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC), who have developed a relatively lively iGaming market in the province despite its small size.

Regulators in the province have lagged behind larger provinces, however, which means the online options are quite limited. Residents can still access other provincial or internationally licensed platforms, which provide access to services such as online casinos, sports betting and online bingo.

Ontario

Since being launched in April 2022, Ontario now has one of the most open and liberal online iGaming markets in the country. Online gambling is fully legal, with the provincial regulator issuing licenses to third-party online platforms.

Ontario residents can access a wide range of betting services, including online casinos, online bingo, sports betting and lotteries. Thanks to these recent regulatory developments, Ontario now has one of the liveliest and most successful gambling markets in the country.

Prince Edward Island

As one of the smallest provinces with a population of less than 200,000 permanent residents, the regulation of iGaming and other online gambling services is quite limited in Prince Edward Island. The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission regulates certain activities within the province, including in-person betting and casinos at select locations. Residents looking to access online bingo would be better served using third-party platforms regulated internationally or in another province.

Quebec

Gambling and betting have a long history in Quebec, and Montreal in particular, and it is a sizable industry in the province. There are a number of regulatory bodies overseeing these activities in the province, with residents able to access both in-person and online services relatively easily. Online bingo is particularly popular with Quebecers, who can access games through the official provincial iGaming platform or via third-party platforms.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has one of the highest uptakes of gambling activities of any province in Canada, with residents spending the most per head in the country! Thankfully, Saskatchewan has a relatively well-developed infrastructure for gambling in the province, which is primarily run by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).

Despite this, provincial regulators have been relatively slow to open up the online market to the same extent as other provinces have. There isn’t much of a regulatory framework in place for services such as online casino games or online bingo, which can still be reached by external, licensed third-party platforms.

Yukon Territory

Despite its close affiliation with the potato that shares its name, the Yukon Territory has a relatively lively gambling scene in the province. There isn’t much support for online gambling services in the province, but residents can still access licensed third-party platforms both internationally and in Canada.