Gambling Rules in Canada – When Will The ‘Grey Laws’ Be Resolved?
If you live in Canada and you’re 19 years of age or older, you can legally gamble. However, Canada’s gambling laws do seem to have a few grey areas. This is largely down to the fact that the current laws have some vague interpretations.
Online Casinos
Every province in Canada is self-governing, which means the rules tend to vary from province to province. The difference in rules is evident between private companies and the government in each province. In some provinces a private company can operate an online casino, while in others, they can’t.
What this means is that online casinos by CasinoSource.ca can’t be found everywhere, much to their client’s disappointment. However, in every instance, it is the Canadian government that issues the gambling licenses and owns the property.
Interestingly, there are no written laws that govern online gambling in Canada. It is, however, illegal to operate a casino in any Canadian territory. So how do these laws impact online gambling? They don’t as no Canadian is prevented from accessing offshore or Canadian casinos.
If you are a resident of Canada or happen to be in the country on vacation, you can indulge in some online gambling. You can visit your favourite Canadian websites or any other website you please. The choice is ultimately yours.
Canada’s New Gambling Laws
At the time of writing, Canada had some new bills in the pipeline that could affect the country’s gambling legislation. One of the bills in question could allow betting on single-game sports. If the bill is passed, sports betting operators could be issued with licenses.
Private members’ bill
Currently, the law in Canada only allows gamblers to place a bet on up to 3 games. Also known as “combo betting” or “accumulator betting”, the law isn’t a favourite with many people. However, the Private members’ Bill has been given an additional reading, so things could soon change.
If things do change, chances are, a lot of gamblers will be happy. Large bets on a single game could bring in a lot of money for those who wish to take a chance. It’s also likely that the casino in question would benefit financially from new single-game sports betting.
The Unregulated Gambling Market
While many anti-gambling campaigners have made themselves heard. This has not stopped the unregulated market. They seem to have now realized that even though unregulated gambling is illegal, it doesn’t stop people from partaking in it.
Back in 2019, it was estimated by the Canadian Gambling Association that unregulated gambling accounted for CAD $14 billion. This is a lot of money that the CGA no doubt thought would be better off in the government’s wallet.
Education and social programs
It is thought that the unregulated CAD $14 billion would be spent on education and social programs if the industry was legalized. However, there does not appear to be any changes in the pipeline any time soon. Time will tell.
In the meantime, the Canadian government is doing what it can to shut down those unregulated casinos. However, almost as soon as one is shut down, another opens. Perhaps the only way to win the battle is to legalize this type of gambling. If it became law, a lot of good could be done for the country. Jobs could be created, the economy could be boosted, and education and social programs could get some much-needed funds.
Gambling in Canada
When it comes to gambling in Canada, players are offered some of the best opportunities in the world. There are many safe options for Canadians to enjoy, and they can do this without breaking too many if any of Canada’s laws.
Windfalls
Did you know that if you were to win big in Canada you will not have to pay any taxes on your winnings? This is because all your winnings will be treated like windfalls. In other words, you get to keep every single cent.
If this doesn’t make Canadian gambling seem ideal, then what does? In many other countries around the world, tax needs to be paid on winnings. This could be disappointing as a large chunk of money could leave your bank account whether you agree with the taxes or not.
Canada’s gambling rules certainly seem to have a few grey areas. It isn’t always clear what is legal and what isn’t. With some bills set to make their way into the House of Commons, there could be clearer rules sometime in the future.
Until things are made a little clearer and ambiguity is out of the window, gambling online could be the way forward.
Photo by Aidan Howe from Pexels
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