This site publishes information about gambling regulation in Canada. It is an information publisher. It holds no gambling licence, it is not a gambling operator, and it does not accept wagers or hold player funds.
1. Scope
This page explains, in general terms, what a gambling licence is, which authorities issue licences in Canada, and how a reader can verify an operator’s licence before playing. It does not describe the licence status of any named operator.
2. What a licence means
A gambling licence is permission from a regulator to offer gambling in a defined market. The licence sets the conditions the operator must meet, and the regulator can suspend or revoke it. In Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) sets licensing standards, and iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the regulated online gambling market under agreements with licensed operators. A licence from one province does not authorise activity in another.
3. Provincial rules differ
Gambling regulation in Canada is provincial. Each province sets its own rules on who may offer gambling, what may be offered, and how players are protected. The minimum age to gamble is 19 in most provinces and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. A reader should confirm the age limit and the rules that apply in the province where they are located.
4. Verifying a licence
Before playing, a reader should check the operator’s licence on the regulator’s own public register. The register is the primary source. This site does not state that any operator is licensed unless the page for that operator says so and cites the register entry.
- Ontario: the AGCO publishes licensing information at agco.ca, and iGaming Ontario publishes market information at igamingontario.ca.
- Other provinces: the relevant provincial regulator maintains its own register.
- If an operator cannot be found on a register, treat the licence claim as unverified.
5. What the writer reads
Danika Ferro is a compliance analyst at a Canadian provincial gambling regulator. She covers Ontario’s regulated iGaming framework, including AGCO licensing standards, iGaming Ontario operational requirements, provincial self-exclusion programs and ConnexOntario referrals. She also covers the Canada Revenue Agency treatment of gambling winnings, and regulatory timelines and notification duties after data breaches. Her work is built from primary sources: the AGCO Registrar’s Standards, iGaming Ontario public reports, provincial statutes and CRA interpretations. Her author page is at /author/danikaferro/.
6. Defined terms
- Regulator
- A provincial authority that issues gambling licences and enforces the conditions attached to them.
- Licence
- Permission from a regulator to offer gambling in a defined market, subject to conditions.
- Public register
- The regulator’s own published list of licensed operators, used to verify a licence claim.
- Operator
- A business licensed to offer gambling. This site is not an operator.
7. Related pages
This site has published since August 2026. Readers can comment on posts using the comment form. Some links on this site may earn a commission; see the affiliate disclosure. For how material is selected and reviewed, see the editorial policy. For support with gambling harm, see responsible gambling. For how the site handles data, see the privacy policy. To contact the site, use the comment form on any post, as no email address is published; see also contact and about us.