Canadian Online Casinos

Although it’s perfectly acceptable for Canadian players to gamble online, operating an Internet gambling site within Canada’s borders has been illegal for some time.

That’s why Canadians were stunned when British Columbia announced its bid to become the first North American jurisdiction to offer legalized casino gambling online.

The B.C. Lottery Corp.'s PlayNow.com website premiered on July 15, and will allow players to wager on roulette, blackjack and craps, along with bingo, lotteries and sports bets. The commission expects to add peer-to-peer poker later in 2010.

BC officials said they've been talking with other Canadian provinces about those states' plans for online gambling sites.

Globally, Canadians wager about $610 million of the $20 billion in annual revenue that online gambling generates.

Canadian Casinos

Like its neighbor to the south, the United States, Canada has had something of a love-hate relationship with gambling as well. Back in 1895, Canada's criminal code banned all gambling throughout the provinces. By the late 20th century, however, provincial governments were given the authority to decide whether to have gambling and what kinds to allow.

Canadian Land-based Casinos

All provinces allow casino-style gambling except for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador. Canada's provinces make a distinction between slot machines and video lottery terminals. Slots are found at racetracks and casinos, while VLTs can be found in many other places. Canada's top regions for land-based casinos are the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Yukon Territory.

In Nova Scotia on Canada's eastern seaboard, The Casino Nova Scotia Sydney offers Canadian casino gamblers nearly 400 slot machines as well as 11 casino table games with two tables devoted to poker. Nova Scotia gamblers also can find some action in the cities of Dartmouth, Halifax, Inverness, and Truro.

Quebec province seems to have fewer land-based casinos than other Canadian provinces. For example, in Quebec City there's only one gambling house, the Hippodrome de Quebec Horse Track and Racino, featuring 100 slot machines along with horse racing. The shortage of land-based casinos in Quebec is ironic since the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, one of the two biggest licensing agencies for online casinos, is operated there.

If the pickings seem slim in Quebec, a short drive to Ontario will produce plenty of gaming opportunities. More casinos and gambling establishments are found in Ontario than in any other Canadian province. Topping the list here are two Niagara Falls sites, Casino Niagara with 2,400 slot machines and nearly 80 table games, and the larger Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort with some 3,000 slot machines and 150 table games.