Gambling in Ontario is going through a new phase, and for those in Toronto especially, it feels like it is the dawn of a new day. Playing casino games isn’t a new concept to Ontarians. While the devolved provincial powers have only just decided to legislate and tax online gambling actively, the laws are so new that they encompass all elements of digital gaming and are fit for purpose.
Reading through laws and legislation can be laborious, but it’s necessary, especially if you want to play casino games online in Ontario. Today, we will cover the main points in the Toronto casino gaming legislation so you’re armed with all the facts.
Online gambling continues to gain significant momentum in Toronto and the wider Ontario region. It has expanded to such an extent that many companies are now thriving in this booming industry. One such company is Time2play, which provides a comprehensive list of new casinos in the budding market. Experts on https://time2play.com/ca-en/casinos/new/ showcase the newest casinos in Ontario, together with comprehensive ratings of various criteria to help players sift through what’s legally on offer in the province.
Exploring the bigger picture
Ontario isn’t the exception to the rule here – many other Canadian provinces and US states have followed a similar path. The rise of online gambling has meant that people across North America who enjoy betting are often seeking ways to do it anyway. Online casinos and sports betting became such huge black markets that they became impossible to manage effectively.
For example, over 200 million bets on the Super Bowl 2023 were placed on unauthorized and unlegislated betting platforms. While this number won’t come down overnight, legislators are now broadly aware that legislating it and having it contribute to the tax base, rather than driving it into the arms of an underground market, is the better option.
The omnipresence of mobile phones in our lives has meant that most gambling companies now see them as the main route to obtaining new customers and expanding their business models.
While many of the Toronto casino laws have stemmed from other successful rollouts in states and provinces, we’ve put together the main points to take away from the 2022 legislation for those looking to take advantage of the new online gambling frontier.
Key components of Toronto casino laws
As the most populated city in Canada, Toronto is constantly growing into new cultural ideas, whether they are taking place in and around the city or are brought into focus through updated digital legislation. Local legislators wanted to ensure that they pieced together a set of digital gambling laws that are both fair and firm. While Toronto casino laws are not too dissimilar from other parts of the West, a few crucial elements are essential to remember.
You must be 19 in Toronto to play casino games or place a sports bet online. While the minimum age requirement is usually 18 or 21, depending on the state or country you’re in, Ontario is one of the few jurisdictions that sets the minimum gambling age at 19. However, this is not the case for broader gambling. For instance, if you’re looking to place a bet on the lottery or play bingo online, the age limit is 18; for all other gambling games, it is 19.
Any casino you use must have geopolitical access to your mobile device. This is to ensure that you are within provincial lines. In addition, you must be a Canadian citizen who lives in Ontario. Should you use a welcome bonus or promotion to register as a new customer, the platform will have terms and conditions you must adhere to, and we recommend that you always check them out before agreeing to anything and depositing your funds.
Big changes in 2022
The 2022 legislation set the benchmark for casinos registering their sites in Toronto. It encompasses all aspects of digital casino betting, and more crucially for the province, it allows them a clear framework within which they can effectively levy taxes and inject the money back into local services and the broader economy.
Many campaigners had called for this legislation for quite some time. Toronto and Ontario felt like they were falling behind many other countries and areas that had been able to adequately corner the emerging gambling market and find a suitable middle ground, which meant that everybody involved was able to find a happy medium.
Summary
As with any significant, new changes in law and legislation, it’s best to equip yourself with the key facts so that you know you’re adhering to them. The key things to remember in Toronto casino gaming laws – or at least those that are slightly different from those in other provinces or states across North America – are that you must be a Canadian citizen based in Ontario and that you have to be at least 19 to play casino games in the state.
In addition to becoming familiar with local gambling laws, it’s also important to understand the terms and conditions when you sign up for a casino. Some will have hoops you need to jump through, so as long as you implement this in your casino gaming strategy and keep up to date with the latest laws and legislation, you’re operating from the optimum starting point.