Considering that it has only been legal in Canada since 1969, gambling has come a long, long way in its five decades of existence.For example, who could have predicted that the emergence of the online casino Canada could offer players plenty of ways to indulge in their favourite games from anywhere with an internet connection?

 

And there is a feeling that more changes are yet to come. There is a real groundswell of support to transform the landscape for players and operators alike. The projected outcome will be an even more liberal and open atmosphere, in line with many other countries across the world including the UK, Australia and the US.

 

To date, it has been quite a slow process to reach this point. But momentum has gathered and the two key areas likely to be changed the most are in iGamingand sports betting.

 

The legal situation as it stands

 

At the moment, the laws governing gambling in Canada are at the same time very clear and slightly confusing. This is because the country’s Criminal Code prohibits gambling on one level, yet still has a provision for individual provinces to conduct and manage the activity under their jurisdiction.

This has led to a situation in which different rules apply in different parts of the country with most provinces having set up Lottery Corporations to oversee all gambling activity.

 

What has confused matters even more in the last couple of decades has been the rise of online casinos and iGaming. Although these could technically operate under provincial supervision if based in the country, the popularity of offshore operators has soared.

 

This led to the first stirrings of interest in changing the gambling landscape to incorporate online casinos in a practical way.

The evolution and appeal of the online casino

 

Ever since the very first online casinos started to appear in the early 1990s, they have presented a conundrum for the authorities. The nature of the internet means that they are accessible from pretty much everywhere in the world, so imposing national laws has potentially little effect.

 

Some countries, like the UK, embraced the new world of gambling and legalised it. Others made it illegal but found the laws hard to enforce. Others just made no provision for it at all.

 

All the time, the online casinos themselves were becoming more sophisticated and appealing to players. Adding new games and offering more ways to pay to play including digital wallets like PayPal and Skrill, innovation was their watchword.

 

By also developing the technology needed for the online “live” casino streaming actual games, they also started to compete even more directly with traditional bricks and mortar casinos.

 

In a country like Canada with a combination of a population that either lives in large urban areas or is scattered across fairly remote parts of the country, online casinos offer an ideal way to play without leaving home. So, it’s no big surprise that they have proved to be very popular indeed.  Many provinces have responded to this by offering online betting opportunities run by their Lottery Corporations, others like British Columbia and Manitoba were able to outsource it to offshore operators licenced by them.

Ontario instigates the new order

 

As this situation was proving to be far from ideal for a number of reasons, the country’s most populous province started to look at alternative ways to operate an iGaming policy.

 

Back in 2019 the intention was raised to create a new way to operate that would both be competitive and include considerable consumer protection. Since then, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has been working with a new organisation called iGaming Ontario and offshore operators to create a structure for the system. It has progressed swiftly and it’s expected that the first licences may be handed out this Spring.

 

A key incentive for the province is also going to be the reported 20% income tax that will be payable by the offshore operators who are granted licences. At a time when the economies of many provinces are under pressure, this may well prove to be a good reason for many others to follow Ontario’s lead in liberalising the iGaming market.

 

Sports betting shake-up

 

It’s not just the iGaming market that is set to change in Canada. In fact, sports betting already has. For many years it was not possible to place a bet on a single sporting event or outcome. It had to be combined with at least one other in a bet called a parlay.

 

This wasn’t very appealing to many sports fans, not least because it reduced the likelihood of many wagers coming off. What was wanted was single game betting instead. 

 

In a bid to change the lawSaskatchewan member of parliament, Kevin Waugh, introduced bill C-218 and, after much debate, it was passed. So, from, August 2021, it became legal across the country. Just as in the US where sports betting was legalised in 2018, there had been initial opposition from the country’s major sports leagues. But their position changed, seeing it as a good way to promote their individual sports to fans.

 

On the back of these changes, there is a feeling that other changes may now be on the way. And that could be good news for everyone from the estimated 76% of adult Canadianswho gamble to the provincial and national government who will be tapping into a whole new stream of revenue.