The Canadian online gaming industry is arguably one of the best regulated and established gambling industries available online. Players have a good chance of finding the top online casinos Canada has to offer by spending just a few minute on the web or scanning through casino review sites.
Quickly becoming the fastest growing industry online in Canada today, it’s no surprise that competition is fierce when it comes to casinos vying for the top spot online. With so many to choose from, many Canadians feel more at ease spending their precious time and money on the best online slots casinos in Canada.
Below you will find five facts about gambling in Canada that you should keep in mind when selecting from the top online casinos Canada has to offer.
1. What’s the Deal with Taxes?
Canadian tax laws state that winnings accrued from gambling are generally not taxed unless viewed as a form of employment that carries with it an expectation of payout and is based on skill. If you’re a professional poker player, for example, tax laws may apply to you. This means that the average Canadian who enjoys the thrill of winning at the many top online casinos Canada has to offer, usually finds themselves exempt from handing off a portion of their winnings to the tax man.
2. Canadian Criminal Code
The Canadian Criminal Code does not specifically make it illegal to gamble online unless the player is underage or if it found that the act explicitly falls under a recognised area of code. The actual code on Gambling and Betting is extremely elaborate and it can feel like a complicated exercise trying to understand its intricacies. For instance, the criminal code prohibits Canadians from engaging in gambling activity on a foreign site, even though to date no mechanisms exist to enforce this. It should go without saying that the top online casinos, Canada has currently all operate within the confines of Canadian law.
3. Relax! No Criminal Charges Filed to Date
To date, there have been no reports of a Canadian being charged with the crime of gambling online or patronising one the top online casinos Canada has on offer. We should state in good conscience that the industry did survive a close call with the law back in 2007. Servers responsible for hosting virtual poker rooms and online casinos from Indian reservations came under the scrutiny of the law and were deemed illegal, resulting in a $2 million fine for Kahnawake Mohawk reserve. To this day, the reserve continues to appeal its jurisdiction and their servers remain in operation within Canadian border.
4. What about Poker Players?
Home to top online casinos, Canada offers a great selection of top-class online poker sites too. You’d be interested to know that the vast majority of these sites are not hosted within the country with the exception of those servers housed on Indian reservations.
5. Canada Allows Online Sports Betting
While betting on your favourite sports team online may be illegal in the States, the Canadian Criminal Code allows players stake bets of three or more matches.
Despite the fact that millions of players enjoy spending time on the top online casinos Canada has to showcase, the laws governing online gambling aren’t clearly spelt out. Even though no one has ever been arrested in Canada for online gambling, if you come across an online casino and are uncertain whether it is legal, it’s always worthwhile checking on its status.