There is an overabundance of casino bonus compilations on the Internet; they can be arranged by the target audience they capitalize on, the type of incentive they deliver, or a plethora of other principles. Here, we present a text that explains what we look for in a casino before we tag it as “legit”. This includes a preamble of the state of gambling in Canada chronologically, legal matters, the rights and obligation of both sides, our guiding pro-tips, and lastly, our specially designed list of offers.

Authorities concerned with licensing legit casinos

In this section, readers can see some of our multi-licensed casinos, and after the table, a little bit of information about each authority. We decided to showcase these brands because of the safety given by these highly esteemed authorities. We know by that and by adding our expertise, that these are safe places to invest and gamble.

Top legit casinos from Canada

Casino Brand	Number of licenses	Licences types available
777 Casino	3	UKGC, MGA, Gibraltar RG
Fruity Casa	3	UKGC, MGA, SGA
Magic Red	4	UKGC, MGA, SGA, Alderney GCC
Spins Royale	3	UKGC, MGA, Gibraltar RG
Unibet Casino	3	UKGC, MGA, Gibraltar RG
Videoslots	4	UKGC, MGA, SGA, DGA

From left to right, the next table is explained as follows. It starts with the official name of the brand which we have selected from our hundreds of partners, the number of authorities who checked them and gave them a seal of approval, and lastly, the exact names of the control institutions. A higher number does not necessarily equate with a safer environment. Most of the licence-givers look for the same aspects and all of the ones present in the table are held highly by the industry, given their clean track record. Each of the licences in the table is explained below.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission. This e-gaming institution was established in 2000 in one of the most popular Channel Islands. It operates by employing international e-gaming standards for online casino platforms. Nonetheless, The Channel Islands are self-governing and are not dependent on either the European Union or the United Kingdom, thus working differently from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, which we talk about below. 

The Government of Gibraltar: Remote Gambling License. The 2005 Gambling Act guides all the websites that own this license. They expect to check and licence loyal and clean businesses that want to enter the non-EU marketplaces. Their analysis's backbone is conducted by their own code of practice, including technical and anti-laundering principles.

The Danish Gambling Authority. The Spillenmyndigheden is an institution that started inside The Danish Ministry of Taxation, scrutinizing a wide variety of gambling firms, from a land-based casino to all kinds of wagering websites. Since 2013, it became an independent operation that tests all firms that want to open and work inside Denmark or target players from a Danish IP address. It is one of the top European Authorities in the domain, keeping a high security and safety level. 

The Malta Gaming Authority. Casino enthusiasts have probably already learned this name. The Maltese operation and verification system are one of the top international ones out there. It is also heavily esteemed on Canadian markets, hence our mentioning of it here. The protocol that bases their inner working is found in the Gaming Act and all its pertinent sections. The direct links and other resources can be accessed from their site's first page. 

The Swedish Gaming Authority. The Spelinspektionen is a specialized Swedish institution under the control of the Board of the Ministry of Finance. They ensure the safety of fairness of all gambling activities that take place inside Sweden or online, from Swedish IPs. They grant approval and do periodic control of casino houses, lotteries, and eventually, in cases where it is needed, solve disputes between the customers and the platforms after they assess the complaints.

United Kingdom Gambling Commission. This British commission was established in 2005 and operates since then, lead by the 2005 Gambling Act and the 1993 National Lottery. They put at the visitors’ disposal a large source pool of legislation, safe gambling articles and direct links to third parties that purse gambler issues, resolutions, safety, etc. All casinos that operate in the Kingdom have to be checked and licensed by this multi-skilled team.

The itinerary of Canadian gambling in time

Gambling preceded European colonizers' settling, first of the Norse at around 1000 A.D. and the John Cabot, the special envoy of the British crown in 1497. In fact, the indigenous tribes had several types of luck games involved in social and religious events. Through the turbid times that followed, the settlers disavowed luck games until the 20^th century when step-by-step, they became accepted and popular, consequently. It was only in 1999 that gambling was officially legalized.

Remarks: At the beginning of the century, bingo and other raffles were only used for charitable events.

Fun fact: The 1974 lottery was organized to fund the 1976 Montreal Summer Games.

The current legal framework of online and offline gambling

For our readers convenience, we took the task of consulting legal documents and decisions concerning each region of Canada. Our focus research concerned both the online matters and physical establishments. The next sections represent the situations from 2020. In case things change, we will promptly investigate and update our texts.

Brick-and-mortar and physical events for each region

Although Canadians are now living in a time where gambling is not a criminal activity, certain aspects must be followed, all stated in the Canadian Criminal Code. Thus, gamblers need to know that it is just as illegal to partake in unregulated gambling as it is to operate an unlicensed gambling house. To always be on the safe side, each individual must read the directive of their own province, as some details may differ slightly from place to place. A local or foreign authority must license a casino. The table below analyzes each region and which of the main types of gambling are present. The clarification below it shows details about each unique case.

Province	Casino gaming	Animal racing	Lottery draws	Sports betting	Charity events
Alberta	✓	✓	✓*	✓	✓
British Columbia	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Manitoba	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Newfoundland	✓	✓	✓*	✓	✓
New Brunswick	✓	✓	✓*	✓	✓
Northwest Territories	✓	?	✓	✓	?
Nova Scotia	✓	✓	✓*	✓	✓
Nunavut	?	?	✓	✓	✓
Ontario	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Quebec	✓	✓	✓ *	✓	✓
Saskatchewan	✓	✓	✓ *	✓	✓
Yukon	✓**	✕	✓	✓	✓
Prince Edward	✓	✓	✓*	✓	✓

Table symbols explanation:

* - Video lottery

** - Temporary casinos only working just 3 consecutive days

? - There is no law prohibiting these activities; however, there are no permanent establishments or events.

Remarks: The number of events may vary from one year to another, just like how the sport betting limits and systems are unique from one another.

Specific details regarding online wagering

Online wagering is accepted under the laws of Canada. All Canadian online casino businesses need to be licensed, in order for them to function legally. However, any citizen over the legal age has the right to play at offshore casinos, a trend that has landed a turnover of millions of Canadian dollars in 2019, a trend that is projected to increase even further in 2020. The flourishing hot spots of online gambling are Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta. For instance, between 2017 and 2015, the Lottery and Gaming Authority of Ontario had a profit exceeding C$2.4 billion, even though ticket sales have slightly decreased from the previous fiscal years. The province’s impressive numbers do not stop here; it accumulates 43% of revenue across country from its multiple business operations in the field. This makes up for places like Prince Edward, Labrador, or New Brunswick where there are no active online casinos.

Single participant gambling comments

As mentioned before, in the earlier sections, Canadian citizens and residents may play at any regulated casino or facility, physically or through the use of the Internet. However, we would like to point out that the gaming sessions' quality may differ from one place to another, even on the online side of things. This is one reason why we regularly hand out guides and tips to cover and deliver all the crucial aspects.

The unique case of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission

Using the intrinsic and millennial connection between the indigenous populations and gambling methods, the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake established a gaming commission very early on, in 1999 to be precise. Even since then, they have focused on virtual interactive gaming undertakings. Continent 8 Technologies, an international technology business with two decades of experience, manage their software and servers. 

Since their early dawn in 1996, and their official start in 1999, the commission's aim and activity have never been challenged by any other higher regulatory body. The major reasoning being that indigenous laws have always accepted games of luck, a thing recognized by Canada’s 1982 Constitution Act. Nonetheless, this commission is not federally recognized by the Canadian state or by other countries with highly esteemed groups of gambling experts. Thus, we shall not push forward the online casinos which have just this seal of approval.

Seven casino brands that we recommend and the reasons why

Now that we talked readers through the history and current status of Canadian gambling, we would like to show gamblers some safe options from big companies in the domain. See the table below, our explanation for it, and in later sections, both parties' rights, the trusts and the customers.

Casino brand	Number of licenses	Owner company	Latest public estimated net reveue	Checked by eCOGRA	Year of establishment
Betway	2 – MGA, UKGC	Betway Limited	2018 - $364.23 million	✓	2006
William Hill	2 – Gibraltar, UKGC	WHG (International) Limited	2017 - $772.22 million	✕	1964
888casino	2 – Gibraltar, UKGC	888 Holdings PLC	2019 - $560.3 million	✓	1997
Leo Vegas	1 - UKGC	LeoVegas Gaming Group	2019 - €88.2 million	✓	2011
Betsafe	4 – Alderney, MGA, SGA, UKGC	BML Group Limited	2017 - $169.33 million	✓	2006
BetVictor Casino	2 – Gibraltar, UKGC	BetVictor Limited	2018 - $75,531	✓	1946
Karamba	2- MGA, UKGC	ASG Technologies Limited	2018 - $245.59 million	✓	2005

Table explanation: The first column is where we stated the brand and a link to our unique review. Concerning the theme of the page, we also listed how many authorities have examined the casino thoroughly. Since one of our strategies is to investigate a commercial company's economic reports, we also gave the most recent revenue report available on online sources. For an added safety layer, we also check if the websites have the eCOGRA seal; lastly, everyone can check the year when the casinos opened their brick-and-mortar or virtual doors.

Please note: In 2003, eCOGRA was established in the United Kingdom, with the aims of testing online software of gaming and wagers. They currently have the seal of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). Each of the 5 standards helps the company to evolve in terms of environmental aspects, data protection, protection of customers and employees, etc. eCOGRA’s 9 objectives protect fair gaming, customer and minor protection, safe payments and marketing, legal operations, and safe work ambiance.

What are the rights of a gambler?

From what we have observed in our 5-year long experience in reviewing casinos, we have seldom found registered players' rights clearly listed. Therefore, we chose to do so ourselves, hoping to answer some player questions and make things easier.

1. Protection of the gaming funds. Even though gambling has integrated risk, that does not mean that The House does not have a responsibility in regards to the staked funds. The terms’ pages are the places where the protocol should be clearly settled. Unless a bonus is active, the player should have the right to withdraw their deposited money. After wagering is completed, the money won should be withdrawn by the player without any issue.
2. Protection of personal and web data. In Canada, these issues fall into the framework of PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) from 2000, which all commercial firms have to follow. In its 10 principles, data must be handled with consent, fair purpose, securely, and within equitable limits. It is the player's right to have his/her required data stored safely and not shared with unnecessary or predatory third parties. Any unforeseen security breaches must be noted, starting with the added 2018 amendment.  
3. Fairness of the site’s terms of use. When creating a gambling account, the user enters a legal agreement with the website. Whatever is stated, there has to be just and have the users’ best interest in mind. Thence, we strongly encourage readers to read the necessary pages carefully before starting to wager their money. Abusive moves like not warning about significant changes in rules, arbitrary suspension, or fund cancellations, etc. are all issues that should be noted and sent over to higher bodies like licence providers immediately. Alternatively, the player can also choose to settle a dispute through third party mediators.
4. Fairness of the game outcomes. There are many software programs employed by online casinos to ensure a unique and non-tampered result from a game round. For example, slot machines use Random Number Generators to encode millions of potential combinations. We believe that casinos should note how they use to achieve this in their guide pages or terms. This is a critical aspect to look for when deciding if a platform delivers the appropriate product or not.

Gamblers’ responsibilities towards the state of Canada

Casual gamblers do not worry about any financial hassle related to their winnings. This is because non-steady means of income like casino sessions have a 0% tax applied to them. However, that has one exception attached to it. If the sums are sizable and derive interest, they have to be reported annually in the T5 tax form. For a detailed account of this fiscal duty, readers can visit Canada’s official governmental site.

Professional gamblers have a different situation. They are the folks that make the vast majority of their income from placing bets on gambling events, be them casino games or sporting bets. This makes gambling like a normal day job. Since the majority of their income is derived from gaming, they have to report the wins, just like an employee would report the monthly or weekly paychecks. A governmental check may be required for a clear definition of the type of gambling one partakes in, casual or professional. In this case, we recommend visiting the official Canadian site wwww.canada.ca for clear instructions and counselling.

What are the rights of online casinos?

The next expose presents the rights of any operating business in Canada. There are no significant exceptions to apply to wagering establishments, besides the information we have already shown in the previous parts.

1. The right to make autonomous business decisions. The team and leadership of an online casino may choose to modify their business plan according to their goals, as they deem fit. Neither the clients nor any other control bodies can prevent them from applying any sort of change as long as it respects the current laws.
2. Refusal of service. Any business may create a desired client profile if it does not discriminate by gender, social status, race or religion. If a client does not match the profile criteria, the casino may refuse service to them. In the cases of virtual games, it could be the case that a website will not allow individuals that have not submitted recent proof of payment. By law, no underage person can gamble, so it may be the case that not submitting IDs may result in service denial.
3. Investing the profit as they inclined. Relating to the idea under number 1, the money derived from fair trade can be invested in many ways. It could partially or entirely return invested in the business; it could fuel the local economy. Following the Canadian tradition, it can be used for charity events and capital.

Casinos’ responsibilities to the state of Canada

For reasons attach to convenience and briefness, we have crafted a table below. It contains the tag of the legal obligations on the part of the gambling enterprises. We also explain the reason why we discuss it and how it relates to casinos.

The tagline of the bond	Legal reasons for its necessity	Why and how we check it
• Following of the current legislation	No business should operate outside the legal framework of a country.	We commit to our users to never recommend any unsafe platforms
• Delivering a safe environment to the user	Using a site entails entering an agreement of the terms, which is regulated by Canadian consumer protection.	We believe in showcasing places that fuel the feeling of gambling with a safety net.
• Modern Slavery Statements	Businesses should be safe equally for their workers, as it is for the consumers.	Our opinion on how the employer's attitude may give players insight into how their experience will be.
• Eco-friendly strategies	These guidelines are stated in both the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.	We believe that we all have a responsibility to make the planet inhabitable and comfortable for future generations.

What to take home from our Canadian Legit Casinos retrospect

This page that we have crafted after long research touches on several angles that we hope to cover all the issues that players may seek out. Please use this page for a short description of some authorities that give directions in our domain, a history and concise compendium of Canadian gambling, both offline and online. This includes the unique case of the native Kahnawake commission of accreditation and why we do not focus too much on their issues in our online casino short and lengthy reviews. We also provide two categories of safe and analyzed casinos from our platform. Lastly, people can use our text to check both parties' rights and obligations involved in online wagering.

References

•  The Canadian Gaming Association
• “The National Economic Benefits of the Canadian Gaming Industry” a report from The Canadian Gaming Association
• The Alderney Gambling Control Commission
• Remote Gambling License from the HM Government of Gibraltar
• Spillemyndigheden (The Danish Gambling Authority)
• The Malta Gaming Authority
• Spelinspektionen (The Swedish Gambling Authority)
• The United Kingdom Gambling Commission
• “Gambling Has a Long and Turbulent History in Canada” an article from Ottawa Life Magazine
• Gaming regulations under the local law of Alberta from “The Gambling, Liquor and Cannabis Act”
• Gambling Regulations under the law of British Columbia
• Gambling rules in Manitoba from the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries corporation
• “Newfoundland and Labrador Targeted Gambling Prevalence Study” from the local government of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Gaming in New Brunswick as seen in the local legislation
• “Lottery Licensing in the Northwest Territories” compiled by The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA)
• The rules of gambling composed by The Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division of Service Nova Scotia
• Gambling defined by The Government of Nunavut
• The Gaming Control Act of 1992, modified in 1994, operating in Ontario
• “Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec”
• The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation Casino Regulations – “The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation Casino Regulations (Repealed by Chapter A-18.011 Reg 3 (effective February 1, 2003)”
• Licensing necessities for a Yukon casino license
• ­“Prince Edward Island Responsible Gaming Strategy: Leadership, Integrity, and Responsibility” a pdf made by the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission