Toronto Mike

Exploring Canadian Gambling Laws in 2015

Online gambling  represents huge business in 2015, with the remote  gaming sector set to achieve a cumulative value in excess of $182 billion by the end of the year. It is even beginning to achieve greater levels of  popularity in the U.S., where several states including California are striving  to offer legalised gambling to their residents.

While legalised  gambling is only legal in three U.S. states at present, there is at least a  clear distinction with regards to where this type of gaming is permitted. The  same cannot be said for Canada, however, as the gaming represents a something  of a ‘legal grey area’ north of the U.S. border.

So what exactly  do we mean by ‘legal grey area’? To begin with, Canadians who enjoy playing a  few hands of Internet poker need not be concerned at the prospect of being  investigated for pursuing their past-time. The issue of legalised gambling in  Canada is both topical and ongoing, and there is certainly no risk of gamers  being prosecuted for indulging in after-hours casino games or visiting sites  such as Royal Vegas in Canada.  There are legal considerations that these individuals will need to bear in  mind, however, especially as the laws continue to change.

The main issue  is that Canada has fallen behind other nations in relation to its ethos  concerning gaming. While states in America are beginning to revise their laws  and embrace the demand for online gaming, Canada has remained entrenched in a  more traditional philosophy. Whether you consider offshore gambling sites or  file sharing, Canada’s laws do not respect the progressive or inter-connected  world that we live in today. More specifically, while the nation itself  operates provincial laws that prohibit online gambling, the Internet knows no  provincial boundaries and therefore creates an uncertain climate.

This means that  Canadian gamblers are not technically doing anything wrong in relation to the  law. There is no clause or specific item of text that makes visiting  an offshore gambling site illegal, although authorities are beginning to  understand that the existing ambiguity is enough to deter some citizens.

This has  prompted Canada to consider revising its Internet gaming laws, with a view to  legalising some aspects of remote gambling and monetising its revenues in the  process. This has certainly been beneficial in Vegas, New Jersey and Delaware,  where online gambling is well-regulated and generates huge amounts of capital  for public bodies.

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