Play Poker » Legal Poker » Canadian Poker Sites. Before you play online poker, you should know about the laws that govern the internet poker scene in Canada. Since poker sites started accepting players from Canada a few years ago, there have been changes in the online poker scene in the country. Online poker is booming in Canada thanks to lax laws and numerous high quality poker sites. For the most part, Canadian law ignores online poker. There are laws on the books that make it illegal to own poker sites on Canadian soil, but citizens are free to play. For that reason, almost all of the big international sites accept Canadians.

• Canadian Dollar Poker Sites
• Top Canadian Online Poker Sites

Canadian law doesn’t explicitly allow or disallow online gambling. Although this means that many consider it a gray market, when it comes to poker, the reality is that Canadians have access to all the major international sites.

Online poker has thrived in Canada over the years, and it came as no surprise to see many US poker players move to the country to pursue their poker careers after Black Friday in 2011. More recently, Canadian sportsbooks might be on the way, as the government looks to repeal the prohibition on single-game wagering, one of the few forms of gambling that’s expressly forbidden under current law.

That said, you won’t find many sites based out of Canada. Domestically, most forms of gambling can only be conducted by the provincial lotteries. Thus, while companies like PokerStars and Partypoker serve Canadian customers, they do so from servers located abroad. The only officially authorized, locally-run poker product in the country is OK Poker, available to residents of Quebec through its lottery site, Espace Jeux.

Whatever site they choose, Canadian players themselves are in no way committing a crime by playing online poker.

Best poker sites for Canadians 2021

In terms of sign-up benefits, 888Poker is arguably the best poker site for Canadians. New registrants can receive a 100% bonus on deposits up to $400, as well as an additional $88 bonus. 888.com was once the second largest poker site in the world behind PokerStars, but has seen traffic decline in recent years. However, because its strategy is to focus on recreational players, it may be the best launching point for online poker newcomers.

Of course, PokerStars is the biggest online poker room in the world, and because of this, it offers the biggest fields, the biggest prize pools, and the broadest selection of game types. New registrations can receive a 100% deposit bonus of up to $600, plus entry into an exclusive $2,500 guaranteed free roll reserved strictly for first-time depositors.

And finally, the third of the big three poker operators, PartyPoker. Currently expanding its live poker operations (and therefore offering satellites for these events online, including those held in Canada), PartyPoker also offers a 100% deposit bonus up to $500, plus $10 for free and a tournament ticket worth $10.

Playing Online Poker in Canada

What is the best deposit method for Canadians at online poker sites?

While the simplest option would seem to be using your Canadian credit card, there are some complications that can arise from this. It really all comes down to which credit card company you are with; some are reluctant to process online poker deposits due to the risks involved in funds being charged back to them. As this is seen as an online gambling deposit, there is obviously a risk of this happening.

It’s for this reason that online payment systems are the best route for depositing. Alas, Canadians are unable to use the more commonplace systems (PayPal and Neteller) for online gambling deposits, but Skrill has emerged as a reliable and safe method that also benefits users with low transaction fees.

Alternatively, Canadians can transfer money directly to and from their bank accounts. Most poker sites will also allow you to process cashouts in both Canadian dollars and US dollars.

Are online poker winnings taxable in Canada?

One of the main draws for Canadian online poker is that winnings from it (and other forms of gambling) are not considered to be income. Therefore, poker and gambling winnings are tax-free. This is partly thanks to the Canadian lottery, which does not tax its winners.

However, if you are a professional poker player or gambler, your winnings would then become a business income, so you would have to declare this to abide by the tax laws.

Essentially though, for newcomers and recreational players, you’ll be able to keep the entirety of your winnings.

Live poker in Canada

The Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake (just outside Montreal) has arguably become the most popular poker room in the country, with different online poker sites choosing this location as the venue for their live events.

PokerStars has held its Canada Cup ($3,300 Main Event, $2 million guaranteed) at Playground, while Partypoker is holding its Canadian Poker Championships throughout August and September 2017. This means that online players in Canada can satellite into live events online for a fraction of the buy-in.

The nearby Casino Montreal might be the best choice for newcomers and amateur players, due to the lower overall skill level of the common player. However, because of this the rake fees are slightly higher than those in dedicated poker rooms.

In Ontario, players can visit the OLG Casino Brantford which offers 14 Texas Hold’em tables. Cash games always run, but they also offer a varied tournament schedule including ladies events, bounty events, and deep stack tournaments.

The River Rock Casino in Richmond, British Columbia, is open 24 hours a day, offering around-the-clock cash games. Other recommendations include Casino Nova Scotia, Caesars Windsor, Northlands Park in Alberta, Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Medicine Hat Lodge Resort in Alberta, Casino de Mont-Tremblant, and Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino (also in Alberta).

Is Poker Legal in Canada?

Playing poker is legal in Canada be it online poker or live poker. The thing is though, if you are in Canada, you are not likely playing at a poker site licenced by the Government of Canada because, currently, Canada doesn’t issue gambling licences.

The exception here however involves Indian Reservations. Many online poker sites and other gambling entities online are licenced and legally operating under a licence issued by the Kahnawake Mohawk Indian tribe which is located in Canada just out of Montreal.

If you’re looking to keep your money local online poker sites licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission are your best shot.

How is Poker Taxed in Canada?

A casual poker player in Canada doesn’t pay income tax on poker winnings. According to Canadian poker law, casual poker and other gambling revenue isn’t taxable. You went in with already taxed money, spent it on entertainment, everything is fine.

Later on though, when you begin to learn the game things change. You then start making responsible choices, you chart your winnings versus your losses, you create a system for managing your bankroll, you enter smart tournaments, play at cash game levels you can beat and before you know it you’re grinding out a steady income.

Canadian Dollar Poker Sites

Guess what just happened? . . . You just stopped being a casual player and became a small business. You’re now in the business of paying poker and it is time to hire an accountant that specifically knows about poker and gambling related taxes in Canada.

Poker Popularity in Canada

Recent articles on businesswire.com show that poker has actually become more popular in Canada than it is in America. In fact , the article says that Canadians are twice as likely to participate in poker games than United States poker players. The article does state however that, since Black Friday occurrences, players are leaning more and more toward Canadian poker sites that are publicly traded on open stock exchanges.

Peak Poker Time at Canadian Poker Sites

Peak poker playing time at most poker sites for Canadian players begin during the later portion of the afternoon and goes on until about 10pm. After that there’s a bit of a late night rush that doesn’t compare to the daytime peak but opens up some tables and allows for a lot of looser games that pay very well for the more experienced, or more patient, poker player.

Safety and Security on Canadian Poker Sites

Most online poker sites, all over the world, are legally operating licenced and regulated. The majority are also monitored by neutral companies that exist solely to monitor random number generators and algorithms for randomness and fairness in addition to monitoring the integrity and maintenance of security systems.

Now, as you probably already know has happened in the past, it’s not impossible for a card room’s security to be breached but it’s rare and nearly impossible. However, whether it be by an inside job, a dirty coding company or whatever it was that happened with Absolute Poker years ago, it is possible.

For that reason, it’s safest to stick to well known, well reputed and publicly traded card rooms, and as luck would have it, we are familiar with most every card room online, we know which offer the best customer service, which are above reproach and which have records as rouge rooms.

The safest way to find a secure poker site that welcomes Canadian poker players with open tables is to press ctrl d on your computers keyboard right now and bookmark this page. We prescreen every poker room listed on this website, using a dozen + years of industry knowledge for your peace of mind.

Top Canadian Online Poker Sites

Preferred Currencies for Canadian Poker Players

The preferred currency for most Canadian poker players is of course going to be the Canadian Dollar. Not every casino online offers play with Canadian dollars however there are some, such as Pokerstars, that do. In most cases if you cannot find a poker room that will let you play with CAD, you can at least find an online poker deposit method that will accept your Canadian funds and deposit them to a poker room. During that process you can decide which is more financially sound, exchanging currency through a payment processor or at the poker site itself, we’ve found most poker sites have exchange rates that are very competitive – they don’t want to put anyone off.