Canadian Gambling Regulations by Age

Updated: June 9, 2024

Legal Gambling Age in Canada: What You Need to Know

Curious about the legal gambling age in Canada? The rules vary by province and territory, reflecting the decentralized approach to gaming regulations nationwide. In most regions, individuals must be 19 years old to partake in gambling activities.

However, there are exceptions to this rule; some areas permit those aged 18 to gamble. This age requirement applies to various forms of gambling, including casinos, lottery games, and sports betting. For example, in Ontario, an individual can purchase lottery tickets and scratch cards upon reaching 18 but must wait until turning 19 before being permitted entry into a casino. This demonstrates the nuanced nature of Canadian gambling laws region by region.

Casino Age Limits in Canada

In Canada, there are rules about how old you must be to gamble at real casinos. The legal age is either 18 or 19 years old, depending on which province or territory you are in.

Age 18: In the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, you can go to casinos and gamble once you turn 18 years old. These places set a younger legal age for casino gambling.

Age 19: But in most other provinces and territories, like British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and others, you have to be 19 years old before you can gamble at casinos. This matches the legal drinking age, so you must be a little older and more mature.

These age limits are not just random rules. They are meant to keep people safe and protect communities from any negative impacts of gambling. So it's important to follow them. Before you try gambling at a casino, make sure you know the specific legal age requirement for that province or territory so you stay out of trouble.

Online Gambling Rules in Canada

In Canada, each province and territory sets the rules around online gambling. This means the regulations can be different depending on where you live in the country.  However, for the most part, the legal age for online gambling matches the minimum age for gambling at land-based casinos in each province/territory. As online gambling becomes more popular, provinces may create new sites and regulations around it.

Some provinces like British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba have their own government-run online gambling websites. To use these, you need to be:

• 19 years old in British Columbia
• 18 years old in Quebec and Manitoba

Ontario has taken a different approach and allows multiple private companies to operate online gambling sites as long as they follow Ontario's rules. The legal age for online gambling in Ontario is 19.

The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are just getting into the online gambling game with newly launched provincial gambling websites. In Alberta, you can gamble online at 18, while in Saskatchewan, the age is likely set at 19. The four Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Labrador) have collaborated on online gambling. They offer it through shared regional sites, and the legal age is 19.

On the other hand, in the three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut), there aren't specific online gambling sites run by the territory. Residents can use sites from other provinces or international sites, with the typical minimum legal age being 19.

Age Verification in the Digital Casino

Online casinos and gambling websites in Canada must ensure that only adults of legal age are playing their games. They use different methods to verify everyone's age before allowing them to gamble online. It is really important to follow the laws and promote responsible gambling.

When You Sign Up

The first step is registering for an account on the gambling site. You'll need to provide some personal information like:

• Your full name
• Date of birth
• Address

This basic info helps the site confirm if you meet the legal gambling age requirement. Then, a common way sites verify your age is by having you submit copies of official IDs, such as:

• Driver's license (shows your name, photo, and date of birth)
• Passport (proves your nationality and age)
• Other government-issued ID cards

Using Technology

Some gambling sites also use advanced technology for age verification:

• Soft credit checks that verify your info without affecting your credit score
• Facial recognition that matches your live photo to the ID you provided

Also, many sites use outside verification companies that cross-check your information against public and private databases to confirm your age and identity. The sites will continue monitoring your activity even after initially verifying your age. If anything seems suspicious, they may ask you to re-verify your credentials or ID again.

Lottery and Bingo Age Requirements

In Canada, gambling activities such as lottery and bingo games are quite popular. Generally, the age to participate ranges from 18 to 19, reflecting a varied regulatory landscape similar to that of casinos and online gambling platforms.

Age 18: In Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, individuals can legally engage in lottery and bingo games from the age of 18. These provinces allow earlier access to gambling activities, facilitating youth participation in controlled environments.

Age 19: Conversely, in British Columbia, and extending to Ontario for bingo, the minimum age is set at 19 years old. This aligns with the broader approach of matching gambling ages with the legal drinking age, indicating a standard of maturity expected for these activities.

Variations in regulation, such as those in Ontario, where bingo can be played from 18 years old, underscore the complexity of gambling laws in Canada. This diversity necessitates that residents and visitors be well-informed of their local jurisdiction’s gambling age requirements to ensure compliance and responsible engagement.

Sports Betting Age Restrictions

In Canada, many people like to bet on sports games like hockey or football matches. But there are rules about how old you have to be to do sports betting legally. The age is different in some provinces.

Age 18: In the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, you can start betting on sports once you turn 18 years old. These places treat sports betting like other gambling-like casinos, with 18 as the legal age.

Age 19: In other provinces like British Columbia and Ontario, you must be 19 to bet on sports. These places want you to be a little older and more mature before gambling, even on sports.

A few years ago, in 2021, the government changed the laws to allow betting on single games, not just whole tournaments. This opened up more sports betting options. However, a survey showed that most Canadians didn't know about the new legal sports betting!

Gambling on Native Reserves in Canada

On many Native reserves across Canada, gambling operations like casinos are allowed and provide important economic opportunities for those communities. However, these operations must follow certain rules established through agreements between the Native nations and the provincial governments.

Same Gambling Age as the Province

When it comes to the legal age for gambling, the reserves follow the same minimum age requirement as the province they are located in. Having the same legal age requirement makes it clear and easy for everyone to understand and follow both on and off the reserve lands.

The gambling operations on reserves are overseen by gaming commissions or regulatory bodies established by the Native nations themselves. These commissions ensure all the age rules and other regulations are properly followed at the casinos and gambling facilities on their reserve lands.

Penalties for Underage Gambling

Gambling can be fun for adults, but it's illegal in Canada for kids and teens under 18 to gamble. This includes buying lottery tickets, playing at casinos, or any online gambling.

Penalties for Gambling Businesses

Casinos, lotteries, and other gambling businesses face strict rules from government groups like the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). If they let underage people gamble, they can get huge fines, have their operating licenses suspended, or even permanently revoked. This can really hurt their business.

If a store sells a lottery ticket to someone below the legal gambling age, it could face substantial fines. Similarly, if a casino permits an underage individual to gamble, it may face serious legal consequences.

Retail Stores and Private Events

The law also applies to regular stores and private events. If a corner store sells lottery tickets to minors or if someone hosts a private gambling party with underage people, they can face penalties, too. These private situations are harder to catch, but it's still illegal, and the organizers and the underage people could get in trouble.

Checking Ages

To prevent underage gambling, gambling businesses have to carefully check IDs to ensure everyone is over 18. Staff need proper training on checking IDs and spotting fakes. Government groups do checks to ensure these age verification systems are being properly followed. This helps keep gambling for adults only, as the law requires.

Primary Responsibilities in Preventing Underage Gambling

In Canada, the main responsibility for preventing underage gambling rests with gambling operators and venues. They are required to ensure that minors do not participate in gambling activities, abiding by strict legal regulations to maintain the integrity of the gambling environment. However, tackling underage gambling isn't just a simple task. It involves many different people and groups.

Parents' Role

Parents play a big part in teaching their kids about the laws and risks of gambling before they are old enough. This means explaining the legal age for gambling and why it's not a good idea for kids to do it.

Parents should monitor their children's online activities, especially when gambling sites are easier for children to access. There are tools parents can use to block these sites. Usually, parents don't get in legal trouble unless it's clear they were very neglectful, but responsible parenting means guiding kids away from underage gambling.

Minor’s Responsibilities

Minors themselves need to know the laws that say they can't gamble until they are a certain age. If teens do try to gamble underage, the consequences are usually not too severe, like being kicked out of the gambling place or having any winnings taken away. But if a kid lies about their age to gamble, they could face bigger trouble like being banned or fined, especially if their lie causes the gambling business to lose money.

Working Together

The main legal responsibility of gambling businesses is to enforce the age rules. However, parents and children also need to do their part through education. Some programs teach parents and children about responsible gambling and following the age laws. When gambling businesses, parents, and minors all work together, it helps create an environment where only adults can gamble legally and responsibly.