LEGAL GAMBLING AGE IN CANADA

What’s The Gambling Age in Ontario? It’s 19… And 18…And Complicated

Everyone in Canada’s biggest province dreams of turning 19. That’s the day when you’ve reached the legal gambling age in Ontario. But did you know you can legally gamble earlier than that in the province?

While the gambling age in Ontario is 19 for casinos and sports betting, you can play the lottery when you’re 18.

And if you want to play casino games earlier than that, it’s important to learn about legal gambling in Canada, province by province (Spoiler Alert: you can bet on sports at 18 in Quebec). We have you covered with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Ontario gambling regulations, plus rules throughout Canada.

Ontario’s Gambling Regulation 

What age can you bet on sports? In Ontario, it’s 19 — just like casino gaming… but not the same as playing the lottery, which has a minimum age requirement of 18. Confused? It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

When lotteries in Canada were officially decriminalized in the 1960s, Ontario set its own age limits. While the legal age to buy lottery tickets in Canada varies by province, you only have to be 18 in Ontario.

When the provinces were given the go-ahead to establish legal Canadian casinos, they set the gambling age to match the drinking age. It made sense since casinos served alcohol.

In Ontario, that means you must be 19 years old. And when the province unveiled new Ontario gambling regulations that opened the market to legal online casinos, they didn’t alter the age limit. If you want to play online casino games or bet on sports online, you must be 19 years old. 

Legal Gambling Age in Canada Overview

Travelling out of province? It’s important to know the legal gambling ages across Canada. Whether you want to head to a physical casino, play online, purchase lottery tickets, or bet on sports, we have you covered.

Province	Physical Casino	Online Casino	Lottery	Sports Betting
Ontario	19	19	18	19
Alberta	18	18	18	18
British Columbia	19	19	19	19
Manitoba	18	18	18	18
New Brunswick	19	19	19	19
Newfound & Labrador	No physical casino in this province	19	19	19
Northwest Territories	No physical casino in this territory	19	19	19
Nova Scotia	19	19	19	19
Nunavut	No physical casino in this territory	19	19	19
Ontario	19	19	18	19
Prince Edward Island	19	19	19	19
Quebec	18	18	18	18
Saskatchewan	19	19	19	19
Yukon	19	19	19	19

What is the Land-Based Casino Age Limit in Ontario? 

There are dozens of casinos dotting the map in Ontario. Whether you want to play at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Caesars in Windsor, or Cascades in North Bay, the casino age limit in Ontario is the same. To set foot inside any casino property, you must be a minimum of 19 years old.

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you know that those under the legal gambling age can still walk through a casino (they just can’t step onto the playing floor). But when it comes to the legal casino age, Ontario is a bit different.

To enter a casino in the province, you need to show ID. You can’t even get through the doors if you aren’t 19 years of age or older. Casino age in Canada varies, as do the rules of each province. So if you’re visiting Ontario from elsewhere, make sure you know the requirements in advance.

The Online Casino Gambling Age in Ontario 

Before you create an online casino account, it’s important to understand the minimum age limits. Here’s what you need to know about playing casino games, betting on sports, and buying lottery tickets in the province.

Online Gambling Age in Ontario 

To gamble online in Ontario, you must be at least 19 years old. There’s a bit of confusion surrounding the online gambling age in Ontario — and for good reason. Before 2022, Ontario didn’t have a regulated iGaming market. That meant sites from around the world with licenses from other international jurisdictions were open to online gamblers.

Back then, most casinos followed the 18+ age requirement — the same as the legal age to buy lottery tickets in Ontario. But that all changed in April 2022 when the Government of Ontario opened the online casino market to international operators.

To operate in the province, casinos couldn’t just follow their own gambling age in Canada requirements. Instead, they had to restrict their games to players over 19 years old.

Legal Age to Buy Lottery Tickets in Ontario

As the largest Canadian province, Canada has a robust lottery program. From the national Lotto Max game to the Ontario-exclusive LOTTARIO, there’s always a ticket to buy at your local retailer — assuming you’re 18 years of age or older.

That’s right. Unlike online casinos or land-based casinos, you only need to be 18 years of age or older to purchase lottery tickets. That’s true if you’re buying them at your local Circle K or if you’re purchasing them from the provincial lottery ticket app.

What’s the Sportsbetting Age in Ontario?

Nothing beats grabbing a piece of the action and winning along with your favourites. If you’re at least 19 years old, you meet the legal sports betting age in Ontario. Whether you’re placing a sports bet at your local casino’s sportsbook or getting your picks through an online sportsbook, the Ontario sports betting regulations are the same.

Before entering your local sportsbook, you must show ID to confirm your age. And in many cases, the same is true online. To confirm that you meet the Ontario sports gambling age, Ontario sports betting apps may ask you to verify your ID by snapping a selfie and taking a pic of both sides of your photo ID.

Bonusninja’s Best Ontario Sports Betting Sites 

Are you at least 19 years old? Then you meet the Ontario sports betting age requirements and qualify to play at the best sportsbooks in Ontario. But don’t just play anywhere. Choose one of these recommended sites:

• PartySports
• Unibet
• LeoVegas

Best Ontario Sports Betting Apps According to Bonusninja

Nothing beats betting on the go. And while some sportsbooks have built a great desktop experience, not every site does mobile well. So skip the aggravation. Choose from our list of the best-rated Ontario sports betting apps: 

• NorthStar Bets 
• Zodiac Casino
• ComeOn! Casino 

Gambling Responsibly in Ontario

Gambling is entertainment, so it should never be viewed as a way to make money. Sure, you might win, but you should never expect to. While it’s important to set a budget and stick to it, that’s not always easy.

That’s why it’s important to choose an online casino or sportsbook in Ontario that takes responsible gambling seriously. Before choosing a place to place your bets, make sure the site checks these important responsible gambling boxes:

• Self-exclude feature to ban yourself from the site permanently
• Option to take breaks for a period of your choosing
• Ability to set deposit limits, playing limits, and loss limits
• Dedicated section on website promoting responsible gaming
• Access to help from problem gambling specialists should you need it