Is online gambling dividing a continent?
The legal age to gamble online in Canada is 19, compared to 21 in the US. The Canadian government does not tax gambling winnings.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 made it illegal for banks and other financial institutions to process transactions related to online gambling. Every state is allowed to regulate online betting independently. Only Utah and Hawaii have explicit bans on online gaming.
Online gambling is not specifically regulated in Canada. Offshore gaming sites are not included in this legislation. Ontario became the first Canadian province to legalise online gambling on 4 April 2022.
Gambling revenue in the US reached $13.6 billion in second quarter of 2021. Canada's market is worth $12.5 billion.
In the US, players are required to be 21 years old to participate in land-based and online casino gambling. In Canada, the minimum age is 19 years, but in some provinces the legal threshold is 18 years.
In Canada, all winnings are non-taxable. In the United States, the casino will inform the IRS about the win and the authorities will take 24% of the total earnings.
Canadian and American casinos support the same payment providers. US players cannot use credit cards or e-wallets to fund their online casino accounts. The US dollar has a significant advantage over the Canadian dollar due to its wide acceptance worldwide.
The United States and Canada have very different perspectives when it comes to online gaming. Online gambling is either outlawed or subject to strict regulation in the majority of US states, whereas in Canada it falls into a legal grey area.