What is the legal gambling age in Canada, 18 or 19? Both numbers are right, depending on the province. As of October 6, 2026, the age for online play is 19 in Ontario, B.C., Saskatchewan and the four Atlantic provinces, and 18 in Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba. Ontario sets 18 for lottery tickets. Canada has no single age because each province runs gambling within its borders. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

The table gives the age for each product that the sources covered: online play, casinos, video lottery terminals (VLTs) and lottery tickets. “Not confirmed” means the source checked for this guide did not state an age for that product, so none is given.

Province or territoryOnlineCasinos and VLTsLottery ticketsSource checked
Ontario19 (18 only to buy a lottery ticket)1918AGCO, iGaming Ontario, OLG
British Columbia191919Government of B.C.
Alberta18 (regulated igaming sites)not confirmednot confirmedAGLC, AiGC
Saskatchewan19+ (PlayNow.com)19+ (SIGA casinos' label)not confirmedSIGA, PlayNow.com
Manitoba18 (PlayNow.com)VLTs: “minors” barred; casinos not confirmednot confirmedPlayNow.com, MBLL, LGCA, Age of Majority Act
Quebec18 (Loto-Québec label)not confirmedno sale “to a minor”Loto-Québec, LégisQuébec
New Brunswick19VLTs 19; casinos not confirmed19Atlantic Lottery, N.B. regulation
Nova Scotia19VLTs 19; casinos not confirmed19Atlantic Lottery, N.S. regulations
Prince Edward Island191919Government of P.E.I., Atlantic Lottery
Newfoundland and Labrador19VLTs 19; casinos not confirmed19Atlantic Lottery, N.L. regulations
Northwest Territoriesnot confirmednot confirmed18Western Canada Lottery Regulations
Yukon and Nunavutnot confirmednot confirmednot confirmednone found

Every age in the table was checked against the source named in the last column, and the date of the check, October 6, 2026, applies to each row. Federal law explains why the rows differ. Under section 207(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, a province may “conduct and manage a lottery scheme”, so each province sets its own rules. Who regulates what is a separate question, covered in who regulates online gambling in each province.

Ontario: 19, with one exception at 18

Ontario has two age limits, and the one that applies depends on the product. For online play, the standards for internet gaming of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) bar anyone under 19 from an igaming site. The exception is a person who is at least 18 and uses the site only to buy a lottery ticket. Private operators in Ontario's regulated market are registered with the AGCO and have an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario.

iGaming Ontario's player page states the rule in one line: “19+. Must be physically located in Ontario to play.”

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) sets out both limits for the rest of its products. According to its PlaySmart site, people must be 18 or older to take part in lottery, charitable gaming and in-store sports betting in Ontario. They must be 19 or older to visit casinos and slot facilities, and to take part in online casino play and online sports betting.

That makes two limits in one province. The age is 18 for a lottery ticket, charitable gaming and in-store sports betting. It is 19 for casinos, slot facilities, online casino play and online sports betting.

A page that says “Ontario 18+” and a page that says “Ontario 19+” are each only partly right. Neither says which product the number covers. According to iGaming Ontario, BetGuard, Ontario's centralized self-exclusion program, is for people aged 19 and older.

Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba: where the age is 18

Alberta

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) publishes the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming. In the version updated March 17, 2026, the player accounts section (issued January 14, 2026) says that an individual under 18 years of age is not eligible to play. The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) carries the label “18+ Play Responsibly.” on its home page.

Alberta opened its regulated market on July 13, 2026. For how it works, see what changed for online gambling in Alberta on July 13, 2026. The sources checked for this guide cover online play. The age for casinos, VLTs and lottery tickets in Alberta was not confirmed from a provincial source.

Quebec

Loto-Québec's website carries an age label of 18. The law is less direct. Section 25.1 of the Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec, in the English version updated to November 30, 2024, says that no operator of a business may sell a lottery ticket for the company's lottery schemes “to a minor”. It adds that a person may be required to provide proof of age when buying a ticket.

The Act says “minor” and gives no number. The 18 comes from the Loto-Québec label, so the table credits the label and not the Act.

Manitoba

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) says that PlayNow.com players must be confirmed Manitoba residents “of age of majority”, in a backgrounder dated March 20, 2023. The Age of Majority Act sets that age: every person attains it on turning 18. PlayNow.com's own registration conditions for Manitoba name the number: “Must be 18+ years of age”.

For VLTs, the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA) requires licensees to ensure “minors do not participate in VLT gaming”, in conditions dated July 1, 2023. The sources checked give no Manitoba age for casinos or lottery tickets.

B.C., Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces: where the age is 19

British Columbia

The Government of B.C. gives one rule for all gambling: “You must be 19 years or older to gamble in B.C.” The page was updated on April 13, 2026. The table therefore shows 19 for online play, casinos and lottery tickets.

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA), which operates First Nations casinos in the province and PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan, labels its site 19+. PlayNow.com's registration conditions for Saskatchewan say “Must be 19+ years of age”. Both are statements by the operator and not a provincial law. The age for lottery tickets was not confirmed.

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador

Atlantic Lottery says on alc.ca: “You must be 19+ to purchase, play or redeem ALC products.” That covers lottery tickets and the online site in all four provinces.

Provincial rules say the same for video lottery terminals. In Nova Scotia, the Video Lottery Regulations bar anyone under 19 from the gaming premises area where a video lottery is played and from playing it. New Brunswick's Video Lottery Siteholders Regulation bars a siteholder from letting a person under 19 play. Newfoundland and Labrador's Video Lottery Regulations do the same.

The Government of P.E.I. gives a rule for all gambling. It says: “You must be 19 or older to buy lottery tickets, play VLTs or engage in any other form of gambling.” The page carries no date. The sources give no equally broad statement for the other three provinces, and no age for casinos in any of them, so the table shows those as not confirmed.

The territories: what could and could not be confirmed

The Northwest Territories sets 18 for lottery products. Section 6(2) of the Western Canada Lottery Regulations says that no person under 18 years of age shall take part in a lottery run by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation for the territory's government. A separate rule bars people under 16 from selling tickets.

No territorial source confirming the age was found for Yukon or Nunavut as of October 6, 2026. No number is given for either. They stay “not confirmed” until a territorial source is checked.

Where this applies: the age follows the place you play

Each province's age applies to gambling that the province conducts or regulates. The rule follows the site or the retailer that the province runs or regulates.

Ontario is the clearest case. iGaming Ontario says a player must be “physically located in Ontario”, so Ontario's age of 19 applies to anyone playing at a registered site from inside the province. Manitoba adds residency. PlayNow.com's conditions for Manitoba list three requirements: age 18 or older, a Manitoba resident and located in Manitoba. The conditions for Saskatchewan list the same three, with age 19 or older and Saskatchewan in place of Manitoba.

For Alberta, B.C. and the Atlantic provinces, a location requirement was not confirmed. The sources also give no official reason why one province chooses 18 and another 19, so none is offered here. The one stated link is Manitoba's, where MBLL refers to the age of majority.

This guide does not cover bingo, horse racing, charitable lotteries outside Ontario or age rules for working in the industry.

How do sites and retailers check your age?

In Ontario, the AGCO's standards state: “Only eligible individuals are permitted to create a player account.” A person under 19 is not eligible, except to buy a lottery ticket. The standards also require player information to be “complete, accurate and validated before a player account is created”. The age rule therefore applies when an account is opened.

In Alberta, the AGLC's standards list the player's date of birth, matched to government-issued identification, among the information that must be gathered at registration and validated before a player account is created.

In Quebec, the Act allows a retailer to ask for proof of age when you buy a ticket. It also points to the identification described in section 13.1 of the Tobacco Control Act.

A label on a site is not a provincial rule. A site outside a province's regime may show “18+”, but that is the site's own statement. Provinces enforce their age through the sites they run or regulate. For the risks of such sites, see what it means to use a site that is not regulated in your province.

Who to call if the age rule is not your question

The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority in Manitoba says people aged 18 to 24, especially males, are at higher risk of experiencing gambling harm, in its guidance on online gambling. A minimum age tells you when a person may gamble. It does not say that gambling is free of risk from that day.

Canada has no national gambling helpline, so the number depends on the province.

The numbers for other provinces are in gambling helplines for every province. The legal gambling age in Canada marks who may take part. It does not mark who is safe from harm. Gambling Support BC and Jeu : aide et référence also help the loved ones of people who gamble.

What do people ask about the gambling age in Canada?

What is the gambling age in Ontario?

The age is 19 for casinos, slot facilities and online play, according to OLG and the AGCO's standards for internet gaming. It is 18 for lottery tickets, charitable gaming and in-store sports betting. Online, a person aged 18 may use a registered site only to buy a lottery ticket.

Is the gambling age in Alberta 18 or 19?

Alberta's standards for regulated igaming sites, in the version updated March 17, 2026, say an individual under 18 is not eligible to play, so the age for online play is 18. The sources checked did not confirm the age for Alberta casinos, VLTs or lottery tickets. Ontario's age is 19, so the number depends on the province.

What is the gambling age in B.C.?

It is 19. The Government of B.C. says: “You must be 19 years or older to gamble in B.C.” The page was updated on April 13, 2026, and the sentence covers gambling in general. Alberta's age for online play is 18, so the province you are in matters.

What is the legal age to buy lottery tickets in Canada?

It differs by province. It is 18 in Ontario and 19 in the four Atlantic provinces and B.C. The Northwest Territories regulations set 18 for Western Canada Lottery products, and Quebec's Act bars ticket sales “to a minor”. For other provinces and territories, the age was not confirmed.

What is the legal gambling age in Canada for online play?

There is no single online age. As of October 6, 2026, it is 19 in Ontario, B.C., Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces, and 18 in Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba. The Manitoba and Saskatchewan ages come from PlayNow.com's registration conditions, and Quebec's from a Loto-Québec label. The territories were not confirmed.

Does the age depend on where you live or where you are when you play?

In Ontario it depends on where you are. iGaming Ontario says you must be physically located in Ontario to play, so Ontario's age applies to anyone playing there. PlayNow.com's conditions for Manitoba and Saskatchewan require both residency and location in the province. For the other provinces, no location rule was confirmed.

Is the legal gambling age in Canada the same at a casino and online?

In Ontario the age is the same, 19 for casinos and online play. Lottery tickets, charitable gaming and in-store sports betting are the exceptions at 18. B.C. and P.E.I. give one age for all gambling, 19. In Alberta the age for online play is 18 and the age for casinos was not confirmed, so no comparison can be made there.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked on October 6, 2026, unless stated otherwise.