The market for online gambling in Canada is certainly not one that is wide open, as the laws prohibit any operators from being involved outside of those interests that are controlled by the government. Yet there is plenty of interest from consumers, who seek the "product" from operators located in other jurisdictions.
Online gambling is actually illegal as per the Criminal Code of Canada, but each province can set forth its own policy as to how it wants to conduct its own games, under its own control. But there is a problem that remains, which is how the government is going to move forward with the knowledge that there are operators, outside the borders, who are offering games of skill and chance to Canadian residents and taking those dollars offshore. This is not an unfamiliar problem, as it has happened all over the world. It's just that Canada is a very big market for online gambling.
There are provinces that have set up their own programs. British Columbia offers some casino games as well as a lottery that takes place online; Quebec is in the online gambling business as well as in the business of conducting its own lottery. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) is in the process of making slots, video poker and table games available online. The atmosphere is changing, it would seem, but that doesn't necessarily mean that residents are all going to gravitate toward those games, or that the offers that come from operators outside of the government's control aren't going to more enticing. In fact, in many cases they are.
When you take a look at some of the online casinos that we review here at Online Casino Lobby, you are going to find that those casinos that are focused on Canadians and their needs will have great bonus programs where customers can get paid in Canadian Dollars (CAD), as well as plenty of casino deposit options that are accessible to Canadian residents. And in most cases, you can call those casinos toll-free for customer service. Please keep in mind that while there may be a law in place that would keep operators themselves from locating in Canada and servicing Canadian residents, or even offering those services, there is no law against the citizens themselves partaking in online casino gambling. So they are essentially free to play without any worries about their doors getting broken down.
Hey, some of those casinos might actually be licensed right there in Canada. The Mohawk-affiliated Kahnawake Tribe, located in Quebec, has asserted their sovereign rights to establish the Kahwanake Gaming Commission and currently licenses and hosts a considerable number of gaming operators, meaning that while Canadians may not be giving money back to the government per se, they may still be keeping it within Canadian borders!