Legal Gambling Ages
Online gambling has exploded during the last decades, and millions of players worldwide enjoy this form of entertainment daily or weekly. As a result, new online casinos pop up frequently, which makes them easily accessible, and new players find their way into the gambling industry.
And even though gambling is an exceptional entertainment, it is not for everyone. Therefore, strict legislation is attached to who and how gambling can be offered. This is the subject we will look into in this article, specifically, the legal gambling ages according to Canadian law.
Who Is Allowed To Gamble In Canada?
The minimum requirement to be allowed to gamble online in Canada is to fulfil the legal gambling age. If you want to gamble online in Canada, you must make sure you are of legal age in the province where you reside.
The legal gambling age in Canada varies between provinces. In some, the legal age is 18 years old, while others are 19 years old. The legal gambling ages are set by each region individually.
They can be found on the websites of the Canadian government and online casinos that offer their services to Canadian citizens.
Overall most casinos in Canada require players to be at least 19 years old, online or offline. However, in Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba, the legal gambling age is 18. Same goes for Montreal casinos.
The legal gambling age in Canada varies between provinces.
Here Are The Legal Gambling Ages in Canada by Province/Territory
A prominent question is: Can you gamble at 18 in Canada? And what is the minimum legal gambling age? Below is the answer province by province. The minimum drinking age tends to be the same in those provinces.
Ontario
- Big cities: Toronto, Ottawa, London
- Legal gambling age: 19
Quebec
- Big cities: Montreal, Quebec City, Laval
- Legal gambling age: 18
Newfoundland
- Big cities: John’s, Corner Brook
- Legal gambling age: 19
Nova Scotia
- Big cities: Halifax, Sydney
- Legal gambling age: 19
Prince Edward Island
- Big cities: Charlottetown, Summerside
- Legal gambling age: 19
New Brunswick
- Big cities: Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton
- Legal gambling age: 19
Manitoba
- Big cities: Winnipeg, Brandon
- Legal gambling age: 18
Saskatchewan
- Big cities: Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert
- legal gambling age: 19
Alberta
- Big cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer
- Legal gambling age: 18
British Columbia
- Big cities: Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey
- Legal gambling age: 19
Yukon
- Big cities: Whitehorse
- Legal gambling age: 19
Northwest Territories
- Big cities: Yellowknife
- Legal gambling age: 19
Nunavut
- Big cities: Iqaluit
- Legal gambling age: 19
Players must be of the legal gambling age set by the province where they reside to gamble at any legal gambling establishment in Canada. These laws also apply to online gambling, including casinos and sports betting.
Players not of legal gambling age will be unable to create an account, make deposits or place bets. And even if they manage to do so, the winnings will be void, and the player might get into legal trouble.
Therefore, checking the legal gambling age in your province before trying to gamble online is essential. And never lie about your age to gamble illegally. If you do so and win, the online casino might refuse to pay out your winnings!
Why Is There A Legal Gambling Age?
The Canadian legal gambling age exists for several reasons. The most important one is to protect young people from getting involved in gambling before they are old enough to understand its risks. Gambling can be addictive, and young people are especially vulnerable to developing gambling problems.
Both land-based and online-based casinos and gambling institutions are going to lengths to ensure the players playing with them are of legal gambling age.
This protects casinos and other gambling operators from being held liable if underage players gamble on their premises. If a casino is found to have allowed underage players to gamble, they can be fined or even lose their gaming license. Therefore, casinos have a vested interest in ensuring that only players of a legal gambling age can gamble.
Did You Know?
Most countries require a minimum age of 18 for players to gamble. Although, in countries such as U.S.A and Australia, the legal gambling age is 21.
What Happens If I Gamble As An Underaged?
The consequences can be severe if you are caught gambling as an underage. You can be sure that the casino will confiscate any winnings done by you and/or your whole account balance at your players’ account. So even if you manage to fool the casino without showing your ID and gamble as an underage, you will not be able to keep your winnings.
You might also get reported to the authorities and face legal charges. This is why it’s crucial that you only gamble at legal gambling establishments and online casinos when you are of legal gambling age.
It’s also important to note that some gambling operators might have different ages for different gambling activities. For example, in some Canadian provinces, the legal gambling age to play bingo games is 18, but the legal age for playing casino games is 19. So make sure you check the legal gambling age for the specific type of gambling you are interested in.
Different types of gambling include:
- Sports betting/online betting
- Horse Racing
- Poker/Online poker sites
- Slot Machines
- Casino games
Make sure you respect age restrictions on online gambling like any land-based casino, as the consequences might be equally severe if the casino discovers underage gamblers.
How Do I Prove My Age At an Online Casino?
The minimum gambling age at an online casino is usually the same as the legal gambling age in the province where the player resides. So if the minimum gambling age in your region is 19, you must be 19 years old or older to gamble at an online casino.
To see that you fulfil the minimum legal age for gambling, most online gambling sites require you to send a copy of your government-issued ID. This can be a driver’s license, passport or any other government-issued ID that includes your name, date of birth and photo.
It is not sure that the casino or gambling site will ask to verify your age when you first register. Sometimes the online gambling site will ensure you fulfil the minimum age when you make your first withdrawal or at another point when the casino sees it fit. This means it is possible to fool the casino and do casino gambling or sports betting to start with, but you can rest assured that the operator will catch you eventually.
The gambling sites may require additional documents to verify your age. This is usually done by requesting you send a copy of a utility bill with your name and address. This ensures that you reside in the province where you say you are. You can read more about why online casinos need to verify you here.
Responsible Gaming
Even when you fulfil the age requirement of gambling online, in poker rooms, on a land-based casino, on cruise ships or in other places, you should take a careful and responsible approach to gambling. Our best tips for responsible gambling on casino games and sports betting are the following:
- Don’t gamble if you are underage (and don’t let any underage gambler play in your name)
- Don’t mix gambling and alcoholic beverages
- Only play for money you can afford to lose
- Use responsible gaming tools such as deposit limits, wagering limits, loss limits and time limits.
- Only play for fun.
- Play on casinos/sports betting sites/ poker sites etc. with a reliable gambling license
Conclusion
Gambling laws require players to be of minimum age to protect young people from getting involved in gambling before they are old enough to understand its risks. Casinos are vested in ensuring that only players of the legal gambling age are allowed to gamble on their premises. The age for gambling may vary between countries and provinces of each country. You should always make sure that you are of legal age.
Even if you are of legal age, you must gamble responsibly. When you do so, online casinos and sports betting sites are a great way to entertain yourself.
- Want to keep feeding your online casino curiosity? Why not explore how much it costs to open an online casino?
