Provincial online casinos in Canada: who runs what in each province
Law & your accountBy CanadaCasinos editorial teamUpdated 19+ · how we rate
In most of Canada, the only provincially authorized online casino is the one the provincial government runs itself. British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan share the PlayNow platform, Alberta has PlayAlberta, Ontario has OLG.ca, Quebec has Loto-Québec's site and Atlantic Lottery serves the East Coast. Ontario and, since July 2026, Alberta also license private operators. Below: who runs what, the minimum age in each province, and how these sites compare with offshore casinos.
In this guide
Why the provinces run online casinos at all
The Criminal Code makes gambling illegal in Canada except where a province conducts and manages it, or licenses others to do so. That exception is why each province decides its own online model. Most chose the simplest option: a Crown corporation that already sold lottery tickets added slots, table games and live dealer tables to its website.
The result is a patchwork. Some provinces share one technology platform, some built their own, and two have opened the door to private companies. Where you live, and where you physically are when you log in, decides which sites are authorized for you.
| Province | Government site | Run by | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | PlayNow.com | British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) | 19 |
| Manitoba | PlayNow.com | Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, on BCLC's platform | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | PlayNow.com | Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA), on BCLC's platform | 19 |
| Alberta | PlayAlberta.ca | Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) | 18 |
| Ontario | OLG.ca | Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) | 19 |
| Quebec | Loto-Québec's online site | Loto-Québec | 18 |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador | ALC.ca | Atlantic Lottery Corporation | 19 |
⇄ Scroll the table sideways
Province by province: what each site covers
British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan: one platform, three operators
BCLC built PlayNow.com for British Columbia, and two other provinces now run their online gambling on the same technology. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries offers PlayNow to Manitobans under a service contract with BCLC and launched it there in 2013. Saskatchewan followed on 3 November 2022: its PlayNow.com is managed by SaskGaming, operated by SIGA and regulated by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. The site looks similar in all three provinces, but each account belongs to its own province, and promotions and game lists can differ.
Alberta: a government site and a new private market
PlayAlberta.ca was launched by AGLC as the province's own online casino. Under the iGaming Alberta Act, Alberta then opened a regulated market to private operators, which went live on 13 July 2026. AGLC regulates it, and a separate body, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, manages the commercial side. An Albertan can therefore now choose between the government site and registered private brands, the second province after Ontario to do this.
Ontario: OLG.ca plus iGaming Ontario
OLG.ca remains Ontario's government site. Since 4 April 2022, private operators can also serve Ontario players once they are registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and have an agreement with iGaming Ontario. Those private sites must check that you are physically in Ontario when you play.
Quebec
Loto-Québec runs the province's online casino, long known under the Espacejeux brand. The same account typically covers casino games, poker, bingo and sports betting through Mise-o-jeu.
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Lottery Corporation sells online casino games on ALC.ca. New Brunswick was first, Nova Scotia followed in July 2022, and Newfoundland and Labrador has since been added. Prince Edward Island has lagged behind the other three, so islanders should check ALC.ca for what is currently offered to them.
Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are outside the scope of this page; if you live there, check with your territorial government which online products, if any, are authorized for you.
Minimum age: 18 in three provinces, 19 elsewhere
The legal age to gamble online follows the province, not the site. It is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 in the other provinces. Government sites verify age and identity when you register, usually by matching your name, date of birth and address against records, and sometimes by asking for an ID document.
Two practical consequences follow. An 18-year-old who moves from Alberta to British Columbia loses access until their next birthday. And a licensed site will block play when your device reports a location outside the province the account belongs to, even if you are only visiting the next province over.
Expect one account per person, too. Government sites tie the account to your identity and home address, so opening a second one to reset limits or claim a promotion again will normally be refused, and it can lead to the account being suspended. If you move to another province, the usual route is to withdraw your balance, close the old account and register with the site that serves your new address once you meet its age rule.
Provincial sites compared with offshore casinos
Many Canadians also play at offshore casinos licensed in places such as Malta or Curaçao. Outside Ontario's and Alberta's private markets, those sites are not authorized by your province, and your province's complaint channels do not cover them. The trade-offs are concrete:
- Game choice. Offshore sites usually list far more slots and live tables. Provincial catalogues are smaller, though most now include live dealer games from major studios.
- Bonuses. Government sites run modest promotions. Offshore casinos compete hard with welcome packages and free spins, which come with wagering rules you should read.
- Payments. Provincial sites stick to Canadian banking methods. Offshore brands add e-wallets, prepaid vouchers and often crypto.
- Complaints. With a provincial site, a dispute stays inside a Canadian system you can escalate. With an offshore casino you depend on the foreign licensing body, whose usefulness varies widely.
- Player protection. Provincial sites offer deposit limits, time limits and self-exclusion that are tied to the province's own responsible gambling program.
- Where the money goes. Net profit from a government site goes back to the province.
If you do use a private or offshore brand, judge it on licence, payout record and complaint history. Our casino review and rating process explains which signals we check, and the list of blacklisted online casino sites shows the ones that failed. For licensed alternatives that accept Canadian players, start with our overview of real money online casinos.
This page is general information about how provincial gambling works, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm anything that matters to you with your provincial regulator or lottery corporation.
Quick checklist before you sign up
- Find your province in the table and note the minimum age: 18 or 19.
- In Ontario or Alberta, decide between the government site and a registered private operator; elsewhere, the government site is the only provincially authorized option.
- Register with your legal name and address exactly as your bank holds them, so verification and withdrawals go through.
- Set a deposit limit on day one; every provincial site offers one.
- Remember that the account works only while you are physically inside its province.
Questions players ask
Is PlayNow the same site in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan?
It runs on the same BCLC technology, but each province has its own operator: BCLC in British Columbia, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries in Manitoba and SIGA in Saskatchewan. Accounts, promotions and responsible gambling programs belong to the province where you registered, so you cannot carry one account across the border.
Can I use OLG.ca or PlayAlberta while visiting another province?
Generally no. Provincial sites confirm your device location and will refuse real-money play when you are outside the province that issued the account. You can usually still log in to check your balance or request a withdrawal, but wagers wait until you return.
Are winnings from a provincial online casino taxed?
For recreational players in Canada, gambling winnings are generally not treated as taxable income, whether they come from a government site or elsewhere. The picture can change if gambling is run like a business. This is general information, not tax advice; ask an accountant about your own situation.
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