Ontario is considered one of the more progressive provinces in Canada. It’s got an MLS team, two NHL teams, three CFL teams, and the only NBA and MLB squads in the Great White North. Also, with over 14 million, Ontario is the most populated area and the second-largest in total area with an amazing number of lakes, 250,000 freshwater lakes.
- What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario Today
- What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario California
- What's The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario
- What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario Canada
- What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario State
In the United Kingdom, the minimum legal age to gamble depends on what type of gambling it is. For most gambling activities, like real casinos, online casinos, sports betting, and bingo, the legal age is 18. However, it is possible to participate in some gambling at the age of 16 legally. Legal Gambling Age in Canada. Canada has ten provinces and three territories, meaning all 13 regions have the right to make their own rules and laws regarding gambling. For that reason, there isn’t an official gambling age that applies to the whole Canadian territory. However, for the most part, the legal gambling age in Canada is 19 years.
With so many sports fans, it’s a shame that they have to deal with some really inferior sports betting products served by the government which can also be found in the other provinces as well all over Canada. This is why some of the wiser sports betting enthusiasts try to discover some better online options that are not tied to the official sports betting lottery in the country.
Recommended Canadian Sports Betting Sites In Ontario
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Sports Betting in Ontario
Contents
What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario Today
The residents of Ontario have access to some of the best sports teams in the country. Both pro and second level teams are very much exciting. Unfortunately, the wagering system provided and controlled by the government is of a lower caliber. It doesn’t offer the same excitement as off-shore online sports betting options do.The current OLG Proline betting system provided is considered caveman today because people have to use paper and pencil to complete their selection process. This form is still present in some other countries too, but that doesn’t mean it’s supported.
And although wagers can be placed fairly easy by going to the nearest retail store which can be any store, there are much better and more accessible options online that doesn’t include leaving your home to make the bet. To make things worse, you can’t do that through the OLG Proline website. You can preview the selections list, but you still have to make the trip to place the bet.
The main features that characterize this system are:
- Five different odds categories
- No single game betting is allowed
- Tickets have to be purchased in your local retail store
What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario California
But, the biggest drawback is not the trip making or the no single game betting rule. It’s the odds. They are really inferior when comparing them to the odds found at off-shore sports betting websites, where the competition is fiercer, which results with more favorable odds. It’s as if the OLG Proline group is guided by the “something is better than nothing” thought.
On top of that, some of the betting rules are downright unfair. For example, NFL bettors must choose whether the visitor or home team will win, which is OK. But, they have to predict that the team will win by at least 8 points. They can also make a Tie bet, but in that case the game must be decided by 3 points or less. In the online sports betting world this is considered completely unfair.
Gambling Law in Ontario
Despite all of the drawbacks with the government controlled sports betting lottery, Canada is considered one of the more relaxed countries towards gambling and sports betting. All gambling forms are legally regulated with the 1992 Gaming Control Act. With the Act, a way was made open for the first ever land-based casino in the province of Ontario.
So, sports betting is legal. And not only offline, but online too. There is a legal grey are in Ontario and all over Canada regarding online betting, which has not been addressed in any provincial law. The law says that it’s illegal for players to bet at unlicensed betting houses, but considering all off-shore sports betting websites are licensed somewhere, this does not concern bettors.
As a result, online betting is considered legal, and the citizens of Ontario or Canada in global are not persecuted for placing wagers at off-shore sports betting websites. On top of that, their winnings are not taxed at all.
Licensing Authorities in Ontario
The gaming law is enforced by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Some provinces share the same agency, but Ontario has its own. It was established in 1998 and its job is to care for the public interest and oversee all gambling activities so that they are considered socially responsible.
Population of Ontario
Ontario is the second-largest province in Canada in total area, but the biggest in population. This province has 14 million residents and accounts for nearly 40% of all Canadians. The majority of Ontarians are of European decent, which means English, Scottish, Italian, Irish and French. The majority of the people in Ontario consider themselves Catholic and Protestant, but there is also a great deal that have not professed any religious affiliation. The official language is English, while French is largely spoken in the northeastern parts.
Offline Betting Venues in Ontario
All of the offline venues that provide gambling services are owned and co-owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. They manage 10 land-based casinos and directly operate with:
The other are operated by private companies which are licensed by the OLG such as Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Caesars Windsor, and Niagara. When sports bettors want to play some slots or table games, they can do that outside of the casinos too at some of the racetracks across the province. There are also poker rooms in each of the 10 land-based casinos operated by OLG. The largest of all venues is the Casino Niagara.
Conclusion
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Ontarians like other Canadians have almost total freedom where to bet on sports. They have the option to make Proline bets, which is considered an inferior betting system, or to bet online where the variety is much bigger and the odds are much more favourable. At the moment sports betting is available only through retail stores, so players can’t bet on sports in casinos like in Las Vegas.
The educated gamblers guide to online gambling laws Ontario.
Gambling is one of the most historically famous pastimes in the world. When the great Venetian explorer John Cabot arrived here in 1497, he discovered the natives participating in various gambling games. During colonization, British soldiers were known to be avid gamblers, although King Richard III had outlawed the activity in the 14th century, especially among troops. In his eyes, gambling was merely a distraction from the greater goal.
In 1867, when Canada became a self-governing nation, lawmakers adopted similar prohibitions. The Criminal Code of 1892 formally outlawed all gambling. That slowly changed over the next century, to the point that Ontario now regulates almost all wagering activities, including lottery, bingo, casino, poker and limited sports betting. The province even launched its own online gambling website – with all of these options – in January 2015.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Ontario?
There’s one area of the law that remains a mystery to many Ontarians. It’s rather obvious that gambling is legal (for anyone age 19+). There are many casinos and race tracks, lottery and Pro-Line retailers, all over the province. We also know that online gambling is legal, because Ontario hosts its own iGaming websites, PlayOLG.ca.
The mysterious part is whether it’s legal or illegal to use online gambling sites regulated outside of Canada? Provincial laws clearly state that, if you use a Canadian-based gaming site, it must be regulated in your own province. For example, Ontarians can use PlayOLG, but they can’t use BC’s PlayNow.ca. In reverse, BC players can join PlayNow, but not PlayOLG.
But what about international online casinos? Places like 888 Casino, Royal Vegas and William Hill? These are globally recognized, distinguished and wholly licenced operators. They just aren’t licenced in Canada. Can Canadians legally play at these sites?
Online Gambling Laws Ontario
The unique thing about Ontario’s gambling laws is that provincial lawmakers have very little to do with them. For the most part, gambling is a federal matter. The Criminal Code determines that all gambling is illegal, unless authorized by a province or territory. Even then, Canada decides who can authorize and regulate gambling, and how to do it.
Let’s take a quick look at relevant gaming laws found in the Criminal Code.
This section, Part VII, Disorderly Houses, Gaming and Betting, defines gambling related terms.
| 197 (1) In this Part, | Meaning |
| Bet means a bet that is placed on any contingency or event that is to take place in or out of Canada, and without restricting the generality of the foregoing, includes a bet that is placed on any contingency relating to a horse-race, fight, match or sporting event that is to take place in or out of Canada; (pari) | A “bet” is a wager on any skillful competition, such as sporting events and horse racing. Chance may be an element, but skill dominates in these contests. |
| Game means a game of chance or mixed chance and skill; (jeu) | A “game” is a gambling activity where chance dominates the outcome, with or without any element of skill. This includes all casino games like slot machines, blackjack, video poker, etc. |
How Ontario Regulates Online Gambling
For this, we turn to Section 207.
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| 207 (1) …it is lawful | Meaning |
| (a) for the government of a province, either alone or in conjunction with the government of another province, to conduct and manage a lottery scheme in that province, or in that and the other province, in accordance with any law enacted by the legislature of that province; | Ontario is capable regulating any form of gambling (“lottery scheme”) defined by the Criminal Code. The government grants that power to its provincial regulator, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG). |
What Ontario Law Says About Gambling
What's The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario
Ontario’s most current version of the Gaming Control Act 1992 isn’t even worth quoting. Everything within this document deals with “gaming sites” (online or on land) that are “registered” with and “licenced” by the OLG. Any “gaming site” not registered/licenced falls under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Code of Canada.
What Does It All Mean?
There’s a big difference between being perceptive about the laws of online gambling, and knowing from which perspective to judge them. Gambling laws are a federal matter, not provincial. Ontario province merely chooses which forms of gambling they wish to authorize locally.
This means that Ontario can decide what operations are permissible, and which are illegal, within its borders. However, only the Canadian government can decide what’s legal and illegal outside of Ontario. And unless an online gambling operation is physically located somewhere within the confines of Canada, even the federal government has no jurisdiction over it.
To put it simply, internationally regulated gambling operators are not breaking any laws by accepting Canadian players. This is the stance our nation’s gaming law experts have taken. In their expert opinions, no online gambling laws Ontario applies will affect that. Unless the federal government amends the Constitution and/or takes international operators to court, that’s not going to change.
Disclaimer: Please note that we are not lawyers, and are not qualified or attempting to offer legal advice. The following is our personal interpretation of current legislation. For precise clarification of the laws in Ontario and/or Canada, please contact an attorney or local authorities.
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What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Ontario Canada
