Short answer
Canada has no federal gambling license: under Criminal Code s.207 each province conducts and manages gambling. Private online operators can enter Ontario (AGCO registration plus an iGaming Ontario operating agreement, with a revenue share to iGO) and, since 13 July 2026, Alberta (AGLC registration plus an Alberta iGaming Corporation agreement, CAD 150,000 a year), whose transition for formerly unregulated operators ended on 13 October 2026. Quebec and British Columbia remain provincial monopolies. A Kahnawake permit authorizes hosting but not access to these regulated provinces. Registration with the AGCO or AGLC is not an immediate right to operate: the contractual, technical and operational conditions of the provincial entity must also be met. New Brunswick is reviewing whether to regulate private operators too; see New Brunswick online gambling regulation in 2026.
Canada at a glance
- Federal law
- Criminal Code s.207(1)(a): provinces conduct and manage lottery schemes; Bill C-218 legalized single-event betting from 27 August 2021
- Ontario
- Open since 4 April 2022 — AGCO registration + iGaming Ontario operating agreement
- Alberta
- Open since 13 July 2026 — AGLC registration + Alberta iGaming Corporation agreement; risk-based review, new entrants file controls and an independent audit first. Full guide: Alberta online gambling license
- Quebec
- Online offer run by the designated public operator (Loto-Québec, Espacejeux); private suppliers can work under contract with it
- British Columbia
- Online offer run by the designated public operator (BCLC, PlayNow); Gaming Control Act in force 13 April 2026
- Other provinces
- Provincial or regional lottery corporations; no private B2C licenses
- Kahnawake
- The Kahnawake Gaming Commission runs its own authorization regime for certain interactive gaming, including infrastructure hosted in Kahnawake territory. Its authorizations do not replace the registration and agreements needed to operate in Ontario or Alberta
Is Canada the right license for you?
A good fit when
- You have regulated experience and verifiable compliance documentation, which can make AGLC's review easier
- Your financial model can carry the province's share of relevant revenue and provincial advertising rules
- You are a supplier to provincial operators
Look elsewhere when
- You want one license for all of Canada — it does not exist
- You are new to regulated markets and need to launch in weeks: AGLC treats first-time licensees as higher risk and reviews them in more depth
Canada license types
| License | Who needs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario — AGCO internet gaming operator registration | Private B2C operators | Plus an iGaming Ontario operating agreement; see Ontario guide |
| Alberta — AGLC registration | Private B2C operators | CAD 50,000 application, CAD 150,000 a year, plus a commercial agreement with AiGC |
| Alberta — supplier registration | Platforms and critical systems / ancillary suppliers | CAD 15,000 / CAD 3,000 a year |
| Kahnawake — Client Provider Authorization | Operators hosted in Kahnawake | See Kahnawake guide |
Canada license costs and tax
| Charge | Amount | When | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario operator registration | CAD 100,000 | Per gaming site, per year | AGCO |
| Ontario revenue share | 20% of gaming revenue | Retained by iGaming Ontario | Operating agreement |
| Alberta application | CAD 50,000 | One-off, per site | AGLC policy |
| Alberta annual registration | CAD 150,000 | Per site, per year | AGLC policy |
| Alberta background-check deposit | ≈ CAD 10,000 (commercial source) | On application | Reported by Vixio; amount, nature and refund terms to be confirmed in AGLC documentation |
| Alberta revenue share | 20% of NGR | To Alberta iGaming Corporation | Plus 3% of gross market revenue guaranteed to Indigenous relations (2%) and social responsibility (1%) |
Tax
- Revenue share
- Ontario: per the iGO operating agreement. Alberta: 3% of gross gaming revenue to First Nations and social-responsibility initiatives, then an 80% operator / 20% government split
- Corporate tax
- Determined under federal and provincial rules: general federal rate 15%, general provincial rates 11.5% (Ontario) and 8% (Alberta); check applicability against the company's tax status and any special regimes
- Minimum age
- Ontario 19, Alberta 18
Legal framework
| Instrument | What it does for you |
|---|---|
| Criminal Code s.207 | Provincial conduct-and-manage model |
| Bill C-218 (2021) | Single-event sports betting |
| iGaming Alberta Act (SA 2025, c. I-0.2) | Created Alberta iGaming Corporation; AGLC regulates |
| Gaming Control Act 1992 (Ontario) and AGCO Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming | Ontario registration and conduct rules |
Local substance and eligibility
- Province-by-province registration
- Operating agreement with the provincial gaming corporation
- Suitability review of the company, owners and key people
- Ontario: integration with the centralized self-exclusion programme (live May 2026)
Entity types, capital, local agents, tax and timing: Canada company formation.
How to get a Canada license
- Step 1
Choose provinces
Ontario, Alberta, or supply to provincial operators elsewhere.
- Step 2
Ontario
Register with the AGCO, then sign the iGaming Ontario operating agreement.
- Step 3
Alberta
Register with the AGLC (risk-based review; first-time licensees file their control matrix and an independent audit before registration), then sign with Alberta iGaming Corporation. See the Alberta guide.
- Step 4
Elsewhere
Contract as a supplier to the provincial lottery corporation.
Document checklist
Ontario and Alberta
- Corporate and ownership disclosure
- Personal disclosure for key individuals
- Financial statements and source of funds
- Responsible-gambling and AML programmes
- Technical certification of games and platform
After the license
Revenue share
Periodic calculation and settlement of amounts due to the provincial entity, under the applicable agreement.
Advertising
Ontario rules restrict the use of athletes in online gambling advertising (since February 2024), as set by the AGCO.
Self-exclusion
Ontario: centralized self-exclusion live since 14 May 2026. Alberta: integration with the AGLC centralized self-exclusion program is mandatory.
Canada compared
| Canada | Alberta | Ontario | Kahnawake | Malta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual license fees | No federal license | CAD 150,000 per site | CAD 100,000 per site | US$20,000 | €25,000 + contribution (min €15,000) |
| Tax on GGR | Varies by province | 3% of GGR + 20% of net revenue to the province (≈ 22.4% of GGR) | ≈ 20% of AGGR to iGO (contractual share, not a tax) | 0% stated KGC levy on GGR | 15% / 10% on players in Malta |
| Time to license | Varies by province | 4–6 months | 4–9 months | 2–3 months | 4–6 months |
| Local substance | Provincial registration + provincial agreement | AGLC registration + AiGC agreement | AGCO registration + iGO agreement | MIT hosting | MT company, key functions, system audit |
| Status | Provincial regimes | Provincial (Canada) | Provincial (Canada) | Separate authorization regime (Kahnawake Gaming Commission) | EU regulator |
All jurisdictions side by side, with filters: compare gambling license jurisdictions. How we run an application: gambling consulting services.
Written and reviewed by Alex Szilaghi
Founder of Szilaghi Consulting, licensing gambling businesses since 2004 across EU, UK, Canadian and offshore jurisdictions, based in Romania and working before ONJN on Class 1 and Class 2 files. We act as Romanian representative and local director for foreign ONJN licensees and file their monthly regulatory reports, so these guides reflect how the rules are applied in practice, not only how they read.
Last legal review . Current to the Provincial framework as of the review date. General information, not legal advice.
Canada gambling license — FAQs
Is there a Canadian gambling license?
No. Under Criminal Code s.207 gambling is conducted and managed by each province. Private online operators can enter Ontario and Alberta through provincial registration and operating agreements.
Can I operate in Alberta?
Yes, since 13 July 2026: AGLC registration (CAD 50,000 application, CAD 150,000 a year) and an agreement with Alberta iGaming Corporation, which keeps 20% of net gaming revenue.
Does a Kahnawake authorization allow gambling in Canadian provinces?
Not in the regulated provinces. Kahnawake runs its own authorization regime, but it does not replace provincial registration and agreements. It does not authorize serving players in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia or Quebec, and its use for other provinces is legally unsettled.
What about Quebec and British Columbia?
Both remain provincial monopolies (Loto-Québec and BCLC). Private firms can only supply them.
Sources
Information was checked against official provincial documentation and, where official data is not public, specialist sources. Amounts from commercial sources are marked and must be reconfirmed before applying.
Find out if Canada fits before you pay a fee
We screen the ownership chain, check banking and payment fit for your markets, and price the full year-1 cost before anything is filed. Then we incorporate, prepare the dossier and handle the regulator through to go-live.
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