Top 10 Poker Sites Canada

Discover Mobile Poker in Canada 2020 - Your best source on Canadian mobile poker. Learn how we have compared and rated the top apps & sites for you. Best Poker Rooms for Canadians. After Canadian government did their best to regulate online gambling for residents of the Great White North, top online poker rooms started turning towards this huge gambling market, as a result of which top online gambling websites such as William Hill Poker, 32Red Poker, Betfair Poker, 888Poker and Titan Poker.

Contents

• 3 Frequently Asked Questions

Finding The Best Canadian Poker Sites

The key points which we have listed above only begin to scratch the surface of what is considered to be a quality poker website in Canada. In order to have the best online poker experience as a Canadian you should also look for the websites where you will have an option to qualify for live events, earn loyalty points and reach for the VIP membership. You will also have a chance to be awarded with other bonuses and unlock more features. It’s a lot to ask for, but there are websites that offer all of this and more. Another important aspect we haven’t mentioned is the mobile-friendliness. In this day and age, a lot of people demand the “on the go” access for playing poker and other games, so online casinos either must have a mobile-friendly website – or preferably an app – in order to attract new players.

When talking about poker websites in Canada we can divide them into two main categories – websites exclusive to poker, and general online casinos. The first category might be the best option if you’re only looking to play poker and nothing else. These usually offer several variants of poker and are what professional poker players prefer. What can be considered as a drawback here is the competitiveness. Poker pros are constantly lurking on these websites and it might be hard for you to win any matchups against them, especially if you’re a newcomer. However, the majority of websites that we have listed here are online casinos that have poker alongside other games as well. Some fall in the category of bookies that focus mainly on sports betting, but also have casino games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, etc. Some sites, on the other hand, have slots as their main game type, but don’t leave out table games in their offer. These websites are great for first-time poker players so they can learn and develop their game on more of a “beginner level”. Note that most of these websites aren’t Canadian but only allow Canadian players to have an account along with the players from other countries. As a matter of fact, these websites attract players from all across the globe, so there are several languages that you can choose for browsing them. Canadian players won’t have to worry about this since almost all the websites we listed here have both English and French in their language options.

So, there you go. We did the homework and now it’s up to you to choose a website that’s going to be your new poker room. Take all the aforementioned details into consideration and your choice should be easy. All the listed websites are somewhat different from each other, with one thing in common: they will cater to the needs of any Canadian poker player and make the poker experience enjoyable with them.

Understanding Canadian Gambling Laws

The good news about Canada in general is that online gambling is considered legal to a certain extent.

The laws about online gambling as an illegal activity aren’t very clear, so you can say that it’s somewhat a gray area. This means there are no specific laws that prohibit you from playing real money poker online in Canada. The same can’t really be said for the US, so it’s no wonder a lot of online poker players are crossing the border to enjoy playing worry-free at their neighbours’ up North.

In order to fully understand how this works we must put some Canadian gambling laws under a microscope. As we mentioned before, the sites we listed aren’t strictly Canadian, but rather only allow Canadians to gamble on them. While some forms of online gambling are legal in Canada, the gambling laws that include foreign websites and companies aren’t very clear. That’s why we dug a little deeper and tried to explain what is and what isn’t allowed when it comes to online poker in Canada.

But first, let’s take a quick look into the history of gambling in this country. The “Criminal Code” that was introduced back in 1892 banned all forms of gambling in Canada. ^[1] However, this ban wasn’t strictly followed through and a lot of horse racing bets were present at the turn of the century, only to become legal in 1925. Fast-forward to a few decades later, to 1969 to be precise, when a new addition to the Criminal Code gave provincial governments the authority to conduct their own laws (similar to how state laws function in the US). In 1985, a new amendment gave permission to provincial governments that could now administer laws related to slot machine use. It’s safe to say that Canadian laws on gambling have “loosened up” over the years so today we have many forms of gambling that are completely legal in the country.

But what about online gambling? This is where it gets a little confusing. One thing that is clear is that it’s not legal to operate an online casino in Canada. However, there’s an exception. Just like with Native American reservations in the US, Canada has a similar system. The country’s laws consider online casino in Canada legal only if they operate from the Kahnawake reservation in Quebec. They even have their own commision called the Kahnawake Gaming Commission that can give out licences to casinos, but only if they operate from within the boundaries of the reservation. ^[2] Additionally, any action involving casinos that operate online but are based outside of Canada is not clearly legislated in the country. Note that this only includes operating and not playing at an online casino. So from a player’s standpoint, you really shouldn’t be worried either way. Generally speaking, Canada is considered pretty safe for all online gamblers. More importantly, there aren’t any records we found about people getting prosecuted or arrested for playing online poker at an overseas website.

As Canadian gambling laws have their roots in the late 19th century, you wouldn’t be wrong if you said that they were a bit outdated. Especially with the new form of gambling (online), Canadian gambling laws remain confusing and in desperate need of some additions. There are mentions about Canadian government sitting to discuss online gambling, but no reports prove that such talks have been scheduled to take place. However, have in mind that this might change in the future, and if it does, we will make sure to update this article as soon as possible.

If you ask the average Canadian, they won’t actually know whether they are legally permitted to play poker online in their own country. The reason for it is not some unduly shady gambling laws in the country but confusing a confusing legal system in general.

Fortunately, by diving to the bottom of this mess, the ever-confusing Canadian online poker world can be cleared up in a matter of minutes.

Best Canadian Poker Sites for December 2020

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The Big Question: Can I Play Online Poker in Canada?

Contents

• Canadian Poker Laws, Rules and Regulations

Unlike its neighbour to the south, Canadian criminal law is enacted federally, and not at a regional level. This makes things all the easier when it comes to deciphering whether it is legal to play poker in Canada. Most people acknowledge that they aren’t sure whether they can gamble at poker sites in Canada legally. Many consider it a grey area – and that is because it is.

Officially, Canada doesn’t have a set of laws that legalises anything. However, they do have laws which prohibit something and make it illegal. Whilst there is no law which actively says that gambling and playing poker is legal, there isn’t one which makes playing poker online illegal. It is this loophole which many Canadian poker sites use to offer their services to players.

In theory, Canadian poker sites need only obtain a license which says that what they are offering is not illegal. A Canadian gambling license, in effect, doesn’t make their activities legal or approved, but it confirms that they aren’t illegal, and that, at the end of the day, is all that matters.

Canadian Poker Laws, Rules and Regulations

You should try and avoid looking at poker sites in Canada as a legal or illegal activity. Instead, it is far easier to define Canadian poker sites (and online gambling in Canada) as accepted, and there is a very good reason for that. Canada does have anti-gambling laws in place, but they pertain only to in-house activities.

It is illegal to offer gambling games in a venue, and any player visiting a venue must explain in a very clear and concise legal sense what they were doing at said venues. However, online poker rooms aren’t offering a brick and mortar venue for players. They can’t, therefore, be subject to the same law.

Canadian criminal law defines illegal gambling as:

• A betting or gaming house
• One which offers gambling facilities to its visitors
• One which offers games, with games being defined as games of skill or games of chance
• Bookmaking and pool selling operations (such as bookies)

At no point in Canadian criminal law are poker or online games listed as crimes, therefore they aren’t expressly illegal. In theory, then, if you frequent an online casino, you are not breaking any Canadian criminal laws, and are therefore not doing anything wrong.

Canadian Poker Licence Authorities

Those Canadian operators which do offer online poker rooms and sites to national players are usually licensed out of Kahnawake. This is an Indian territory inside Canada, and like many Indian territories in the USA, they have their own set of laws (to a certain degree).

Hang on a minute, though? Don’t the Canadian criminal laws quite clearly state the if you operate a book, or offer services related to “games” and betting, that you’re breaking the law? Well, in a manner, yes and no. Online poker sites licensed out of Kahnawake are technically breaking the law regarding books (although not really, because as we’ve said, Kahnawake considers itself independent of those laws), but also no because they don’t offer an establishment for gamblers to frequent.

More importantly, none of that is your concern. If poker rooms running which Kahnawake licensed were suddenly to become the target of a criminal investigation by Canadian authorities (which is very unlikely to happen due to the tension it would cause) none of that concerns you. You are not offering gambling services, and you’re not visiting an establishment, so you’re not breaking any laws. You are, in a sense, scot-free.

Tax Policy in Canada

Canadian authorities may not have determined the precise wording regarding the legal aspects of online gambling, but they do have specific taxation policies. The fact that Canada is divided into regions enables each player to adhere to their region’s provisions.

Technically speaking, Canadian players are subject to taxes while playing online poker. Nevertheless, there are certain conditions. Namely, the taxation only applies to the players’ winnings, without taking into account their losses. Plus, the general condition which can subject players to these policies is that they have to earn enough money from this game so that it can be considered as their “job”. Overall, imposing taxes on online poker players in Canada is a rare sight, and those who go through it have normally won enough money to keep them from bothering about taxes.

Popular Poker Games in Canada

Canada is one of the more open countries when it comes to online poker. You can expect to be able to find live dealer poker games, mobile poker games, and almost all your favourite hold’em, stud and draw poker titles. Of course, being the United States neighbour to the North means that Canadian poker players have a love of that old US favourite, Texas Hold ‘em, and many regularly sit down to play a few hands of this.

Other popular poker games in Canada include Omaha, and Caribbean Stud Poker, as well as Three Card Poker. Several smaller-scale poker variants can also be played in Kahnawake casinos, since they often carry Microgaming table games. This world-famous developer has produced many one-of-a-kind poker variants in its time.

Most Canadian poker rooms do not provide satellites and tournaments which can gain you access to the WSOP (World Series of Poker) competitions. These are low-level national poker rooms, and they aren’t affiliated or associated with the WSOP. However, some offshore poker rooms (such as major UK websites) can provide you with tournaments and satellites that can directly get you into WSOP events. This is worth checking out if you are going to play online poker in Canada.

Online Poker Canada Promos and Bonuses

Whilst Canadian gaming authorities often turn a blind eye to poker enterprises operating inside their country, they are lot tougher when it comes to bonuses and promotions.

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Most promotions and bonuses in Canadian poker rooms are kept fair (without excessive wagering requirements) and they are neither as numerous or as prosperous (in terms of their value) as those at offshore poker rooms.

You can certainly still claim poker promos in Canada, though, some of which include:

• Welcome bonuses
• Redeposit bonuses
• Rakebacks
• Loyalty deals and one-off monthly promos

Depositing/Withdrawing Options Available To Canadians

Canada is a bit more limited in terms of the deposit and withdrawal options which are open to poker players based in their country, but there should still be an ample selection to choose from. Major credit cards which are accepted include:

• VISA
• VISA Debit and Electron
• MasterCard
• Maestro

Players can also use eChecks, Instadebit, PayPal, Citadel, Paysafecard, Ukash, EntroPay, ClickandBuy, and EcoPayz to deposit at poker sites. Some poker rooms still advertise Skrill and Neteller as deposit options, although this has not been clarified, and it is believed that those e-wallets left the Canadian poker market a few years’ back. Bitcoins can be used to deposit at bitcoin poker sites, too, although understandably, this requires a bit of work and understanding on your part.

Most withdrawal options tend to be speedy (1-5 days) although understandably, wire transfers will take up to 14 days to land and often come with considerable withdrawal fees, so should be avoided if possible.

The Future of Online Poker in Canada

Many Canadian players tend to play at UK licensed poker rooms, and this is going to post a bit of the problem in the future, though not from Canada’s side. The UK is starting to crack down on UK licensed poker rooms (and casinos) who offer their services to players in countries where there isn’t a clear law permitting online gambling activities.

This means Canada, amongst others. If that was to come to fruition (and in some ways it already has) Canadians may have to jump ship to other licensed poker rooms. Of course, it is possible that the Canadian gambling authorities might just decide that with poker gaming popular in the country (and plenty of revenue to be made from the potential tax on that), they may be best-served just legalised online gambling games, particularly ‘games of skill‘ such as poker. This is often talked about, though there has been no official movement in this department as of yet.

My Final Thoughts

Canadian players might find their own set of gambling laws confusing, but there really is nothing to it. You have ample poker rooms and websites open to you, some of which are licensed on your doorstep. Canada is one of the most well-regulated and open online poker markets in the world, so any Canadian lover of online poker should take advantage of that.

FAQs On Canadian Online Poker You May Like To Know

The minimum online gambling age depends on the country’s legal regulations which need to be explicitly shown on the sites. In Canada, these age restrictions mainly depend on the regional laws. Majority of the Canadian provinces the legal age is 19, there are however three which are the exception and have 18 as the legal age these are Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta.

For starters, you’re going to want to make sure that any offshore poker room you consider playing at is licensed preferably by a respectable licensing jurisdiction. You are also going to want to make sure that they can offer you both the Canadian dollar, and a good selection of payment methods to use. Players are also going to want to be able to obtain quality customer support (in either English or French) when playing at offshore poker sites.

Not at all. Many poker rooms have downloadable software which many customers install on their computers (in theory, it loads up quicker). However, there are numerous mobile and instant play poker sites out there open to you.

These poker sites aren’t solely dedicated to the Canadian market. They are open and running 24/7 all throughout the year which regulates the player traffic and provides stable action.

No. Any Canadian poker room which is licensed out of Kahnawake will have ample poker games for you to play. These can even include live dealer casino games, so you’re spoilt for choice really. You might find a few oddities and rare variants at offshore poker sites, but it is not as though Canadian poker rooms have less to offer you.

Ordinarily, no. In Canada, winnings made by gambling are not taxable for the most part. If you are a casual poker player, and you happen to win a rather sizeable sum of money playing in either a Canadian poker room or an offshore poker site, you do not have to declare any of your winnings as taxable income.

However, if gambling is your only source of income (you can describe yourself as a professional gambler) then the situation is different. If your income comes from gambling professionally, then you must declare that income as this is from your “occupation”. Saying you’re an amateur if you really are a professional poker player who plays online poker as their full-time job is not a grey area!

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This would see you breaking Canada’s laws and could land you in very hot water. Our advice, keep your online poker gameplay to a recreational level.