Canada Online Poker | Best Real Money Canadian Sites in 2023

Find an impressive range of tournaments, satellites, events, and cash games for real money online poker players from Canada at leading safe, secure, and respectable Canadian poker sites.

Learn about Canada's online poker laws and regulations, get guides to which sign-up bonus for newcomers will earn the best deal at the card tables, and discover which poker site comes out on top of the recommended list.

Top 5 Recommended Real Money Online Poker Sites For Canadian Players

From British Columbia to Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, and for every poker player in Canada in between looking for some poker action to enjoy their play, this list of the best online sites that will accept Canadians at the poker tables gives plenty of great gambling options:

3 More Poker Rooms To Note - 888Poker |Pacific Poker | Pokerstars

You can read review articles on each real money poker site in the list here on ProfessionalRakeback. But you might wonder why a small amount of notable sites are missing from the list, namely 888Poker, Pacific Poker, and Pokerstars. The reality is that 888 and Poker Stars are full of professional poker players holding chips and the games of cards and hands are super tough, which is why we do not recommend these poker rooms for Canadian players.

PokerStars has officially gone downhill since the poker room was controversially sold to the Amaya group. 888 unfortunately just spams its services all over the Internet and attracts professional players with special volume rewards, subsequently making the games miserable for casual cash game and poker tournament players. Five years ago they deserved and held a position at the top, but now we advise players not to play on these sites.

Aside from those recognized major online poker providers, we should quickly note the name of Global Poker. Global operates a freemium gaming model where you can play for free and also for real money. We've reviewed their gaming model elsewhere. We wouldn't recommend it to any Canadians looking to earn money from poker sites, but maybe it would interest some purely recreational players. 

Playing Online Poker In Canada

Canada is a stunning country with many impressive attributes. Online poker is a great card game, probably the greatest skill-based online gambling game of all. It's much loved by players worldwide keen to take on opponents in competitive games.

Playing real money online poker is huge fun while also intensely challenging. As long as you are of legal gambling age, as a Canadian player you can build a lucrative income at ring games or poker tournaments if you're well-practised, fully understand the rules, and have learned how to play well at the poker tables by studying poker strategy and gaining playing experience over many hands of cards.

WSOP regular Daniel Negreanu is the perfect illustration of why players from Canada can compete at the top level, and are often seen at the final tables alongside other professional poker players and on the leaderboards of online poker tournaments..

It will be no surprise then that interest in poker sites from Canada-based players is booming throughout the country. With a choice from a wide range of top poker operators where a skilled or “just starting up” player can get to show their best skills and betting prowess, you'll find that Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Horse, and other popular variations of games are available to play once you have a poker site account.

Of course, knowing which poker sites in Canada to play at is just a piece of the puzzle. Understanding basic terms like hand, blinds, antes, bluff, check, fold, bet, and rakeback is only the start. Not to mention the basic poker terms of flop, flush, and pair. Besides the card games themselves, you'll also need to know where to get a valuable bonus, which rooms offer the greatest game variety through their software, and where you'll get the best chances of landing some high-value winnings in a poker tournament series.

Any experienced online poker player from Canada will know many of the complex betting and strategy elements of the game already. While for a beginner, getting started at playing online is easy, there's always plenty to learn to stay the course and become comfortable with this ultimate game of skill.

Either way – whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player – you're in the right place and will find detailed information throughout ProfessionalRakeback. If you find you have an unanswered FAQ about online poker in Canada or frequently asked questions on any of the listed Canada-friendly poker sites, you can hit us up with a mail, and we'll help out.

Right here though, this is about you as an experienced or new player from Ottawa, Ontario, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec, Manitoba, or in fact any of the 10 provinces or 3 territories. There are certain things you'll need to know to identify the best Canadian poker sites and get the best online betting experience in the Great White North.

With that knowledge, you will potentially get to the same level as Canadian players like Jonathan Duhamel, Mike McDonald, or Daniel Negreanu. Maybe even on top of the leaderboard of a Pokerstars tournament series with your photo on the wall of The Stars Group headquarters in Toronto.

By the end of this article, you'll know the answers to the biggest questions – namely, FAQs like “Can I play online poker in Canada?” and “Is poker legal in Canada?” alongside info on the top sites and precisely why they're strong for players, where to go for valuable first deposit bonuses and other welcome bonus offers to increase your betting bankroll, the exact legal situation and current legislation and laws for Canadian players, the tax implications and whether income is all tax-free for winners, and much more.....

To start, let's tackle two major elements for Canadians that will be high on any list of considerations. First, we'll cover legality, law, and legislation, or you can go directly to find out where to play legal poker in Canada.

Is Online Poker in Canada Legal?

With a subtle difference, this is pretty much the same question to another you might ask, and that's, “Is playing online poker for money illegal in Canada?”

For both, there’s no doubt in Canadian law: The answers for poker players are yes, it is legal, and no, it's not illegal.

Given the legal online gambling situation in the USA after the carnage of Black Friday up until recent state-specific changes, many Canadian poker players might question the laws surrounding poker and the legalities of playing on sites in their own country. Basically, it can be seen as a grey area, and there may be concerns over criminal associations.

However, it's perfectly safe and legal for you to play online poker in the Great White North. Wherever you live, you can open a few tables at one of the best poker sites on our list, deposit some funds, and enjoy playing Texas Hold 'em or other variants with several trustworthy and honest card rooms.

Some operators catering to the Canadian market, perhaps misunderstanding the Federal Government of Canada regulations, decided to treat the country as a “grey market” and avoid accepting Canadian residents as players. Prominent poker sites like Ladbrokes and Paddy Power have abandoned the markets on Canadian soil along with some e-wallet payment processing operators like Neteller and Skrill.

Most other poker rooms have opted to continue serving the country, and several alternative payment processing options have popped up. Big-name operators like PokerStars and 888poker can freely offer and advertise Texas Hold'em, 5-card draw, 7-card stud, and other variants to citizens. In fact, the only place where poker is not allowed to be advertised is Ontario, where all forms of gambling advertising have been banned for many years.

So the avenues for players to find great gaming opportunities as we progress through 2021 are plentiful.

Why Did Some Poker Sites Desert The Canadian Poker Market?

Although some big-name operators decided to leave the market, their reasoning was more based on a cautious approach than clear legal instructions surrounding operators and poker games.

There is no concrete regulatory framework that online poker sites serving Canada can follow. Those who don’t read the existing laws carefully assume that online poker rooms must be illegal.

But this is backwards. If something’s not explicitly prohibited, then it’s allowed and not the other way around.

More importantly, another confusing aspect of this situation for Canadian players is that several provinces launched their own government-approved card rooms. In most jurisdictions around the world where governments get involved, some online poker site operators enjoy privileged status while others are banned. For example, the New Jersey market, where a handful of firms acquired licenses and the rest of them are excluded.

It's different for a poker game in Canada: You'll find that Canadian sites, whether government-run or private, have an equal chance to compete for players.

Specific site questions we often see around legality are around three of the premier online poker operators - “Is PokerStars legal in Canada?” and similar for 888 Poker or PartyPoker. The answer here is that they all are.

The Best Canadian Online Poker Sites

Now there are no real worries over playing being legit at any site in Canada, we can move on to the list of the best poker rooms.

You probably know there are dozens of real money online poker sites. It’s pretty hard to narrow the choices down to just a few. Yet this is what we at ProfessionalRakeback have done.

We’ve personally evaluated the site options across many criteria, including size, trust value and history in the industry, software quality, deposit and withdrawal options, who has the most valuable first-time deposit offer, no deposit bonuses and other forms of poker bonuses, ongoing promos, and who delivers the widest selection of game types besides the ever-popular Texas Hold'em.

The online poker sites we present below are among the best of the best for any player no matter how often you intend to play or at what stakes and all operate with a strong focus on customer service and support. There's no chance of finding any of these blacklisted, and it's highly unlikely you'll ever have major problems of any type.

If you want to read more detail on how online poker works across the territories and provinces under the Maple Leaf flag, then jump this section for now. Remember it's here though because it will be handy when you're ready to register an account, make a first deposit with any of the sites, and start playing in tournament series or cash poker games.

Recommended Number 1 Canadian Online Poker Site For Players

While all of our listed operators are top-notch and reputable, they each have their own strong points and some limitations. Some may be great for tournament players, some will offer the best promotions and better poker bonuses than others (though always remember to check the t&c for any hidden requirements), and some sites may have more payment methods than others.

Considerations like customer service quality, approach to problem gambling support, the overall experience of the poker games, a reasonable level of buy-ins for tourneys, and the value of prize pools are also important.

It gets a bit easier when we talk about the different ways to play on each individual site. For details on this, just go to the dedicated site reviews, but almost all options are available at most sites.

There are software download versions of poker clients that are compatible with both Windows and Mac, responsive web-based interfaces each delivering a fully functional mobile version of each site to iOS iPhone or Android smartphone users, and iOS, iPad, or Android mobile apps for each poker room covered. Customer service teams at any site will help with any access issues.

So what is the recommendation for the best online poker in Canada?

While this makes it difficult to recommend any particular site as the best or indeed the most valuable, it also means you have a wide choice. Don't forget that newer site operators like GGPoker will also build strong claims to get on our list, as will others with a long history like bet365.

Any player would be wise to consider the following when making their decision, or jump over this section for more detail on the individual online poker rooms:

• Bodog is the place to go to play and remain anonymous as you play
• Sportsbetting.ag welcomes Canadian players who are searching for a place to conduct multiple forms of real money gaming from a single account
• TigerGaming should satisfy you if you’re looking for a site with weekly leaderboards and a big bad beat jackpot
• Everygame probably has the greatest percentage payback of most Canadian poker sites in the form of bonuses, rewards, races, et cetera
• ACR Poker caters to high-volume poker players through the Elite Benefits rewards program
• PartyPoker fits the bill if you only have a little bit of money to deposit and wish to get a small bonus with easy conditions
• PokerStars is one of the bigger sites and should appeal to you if you want the greatest possible selection of tournaments and cash tables
• SwCPoker is where you should go if you intend to play poker online with bitcoins

When it comes actually to taking a seat at a table, the reality is there's no single best online poker site for everyone. If you can’t decide, why not sign up for multiple sites? Later on, you can narrow it down to a favoured site then remove your funds from the other room if necessary.

All of these Canadian poker sites offer great games and performance. Many offer free poker for practice too, giving a great way to try out your Texas Holdem strategy. Some also fit into the bracket of gambling sites offering sportsbooks and casino gaming alongside the game variety.

If we really had to recommend any of the poker sites in particular over others, it would be Bodog.

Bodog - The Top Poker Site For Canada

Bodog, founded by Canadian Calvin Ayre, is a solid place to play from Canada. There are only a few operators that comprise the PaiWangLuo Network, and Bodog is the one for Canadian players. This high-quality poker room extends a warm welcome to residents and offers a wide game variety.

At the tables, you’ll also find U.S. citizens with cash to burn, Central and South Americans who are perhaps novices to the game, and Asian gamblers who are renowned as action players.

Especially noteworthy is the Bodog model for recreational players: a philosophy that caters to the everyday contestant rather than the professional grinder. No poker players are identified by screen name in the card room, so beginners can’t be targeted by seasoned pros. There’s a restriction at this site of no more than four tables open at once, a policy that’s disliked by serious cardsharks who nevertheless often see their profits soar as they contend against novices.

Every first depositor can get a 100% match sign-up bonus up to $1,000, and this deal sits high in the pecking order of poker bonuses with an effective rate of return of around 50%. Note to check the terms and conditions (t&c) before you sign up.

Bodog Micro-Stakes Cash Game on a Phone

Your first deposit at Bodog qualifies for a 100% up to $1,000 bonus for the real money online poker room, another $600 for the online casino games and $200 for sports betting. To take advantage of this deal from within Canada today, clear your browser’s cookies, and then sign up for a game via our link above.

For more information, consult the Bodog Poker review.

As far as non-poker gambling or betting is concerned, you can wager in the sportsbook and racebook. Then head over to the casino where there are more than 250 games with extra bonus cash of up to $600 free ($900 if you use Bitcoin). Card players love having casinos on hand for when there's a break in the poker action, and Bodog's casino offers all the favourite games like blackjack, slots, roulette, baccarat, craps, and other table games.

Online Poker At Tiger Gaming

Part of the Chico Poker Network, TigerGaming is open to most countries worldwide, including Canada. It’s pretty middle-of-the-road for player liquidity, but it still has plenty of tables running unless you play only at high stakes. Even then, you may wish to add TigerGaming to your stable of poker sites because the bigger games are sometimes very soft here.

Sweetening the pot is the 100% up to $1,000 welcome bonus, which clears at a 10% cashback rate. Overall, the promotions at TigerGaming are a cut above most competitors in the industry.

There are weekly leaderboards for ring games and SNGs, and you don’t necessarily have to play full-time to place on them. Reload bonuses are pretty common, plus regular freerolls and challenges to complete for more free money.

On the tournament front, the most notable tourney is the $60,000 GT Main Event, which costs $109 to enter and runs every Sunday. Throughout the week, you'll find tourneys at buy-ins both low and high.

Playing a Freeroll on TigerGaming Mobile

TigerGaming is an excellent destination for betting on sports, racetrack wagering, gambling in online casino games – including live dealer action – and other forms of online betting. For most of these, you can claim additional bonuses, free bets, and other rewards.

To get started in TigerGaming poker games and score your 100% up to $1,000 bonus, first erase your browser cookies. Then follow the link above and register today. Remember to contact support to qualify for your bonus after making your deposit.

Read our TigerGaming review to learn more about the extensive advantages of holding an account.

Join The Winning Poker Network To Play Poker Online

The Winning Poker Network consists of many poker sites, the most prominent of which are ACR Poker, BlackChip Poker, True Poker, and Ya Poker. These are all fine gambling sites for playing cards and game variety, and they combine their user bases to create bustling lobbies and large tourney prize pools.

Each of these will grant you a 100% up to $1,000 bonus, but we have a slight preference for ACR Poker, which will give you the bonus and a $10 free bankroll with no deposit required as long as you enter the ACR Poker promo code PRB10FREE.

Despite its name, ACR is Canadian-friendly and indeed accepts players from the majority of countries around the world.

Once every couple of months, there’s a Million Dollar Sunday, which guarantees $1M in prizes. There are tournament series several times yearly at WPN, including the popular Online Super Series. The weekly headline event is the $215 Sunday Special with a guarantee of $200,000.

You can see that playing online poker at ACR has some great plus points, and it's highly valued in the top Canadian poker sites list.

$5/$10 No Limit Hold'em Cash Game at ACR Poker

There’s a respectable betting sportsbook attached to ACR Poker and a somewhat anaemic internet casino. No extra bonuses are offered for them although the casino is a great place to practice video poker.

The $1,000 sign-up bonus is equal to 20% rakeback, but you can increase this number by obtaining 27% rakeback for the life of your account through us.

The Elite Benefits programme at ACR Poker is designed for VIP players. This plan gives you incentives to play regular poker games month after month that, in some cases, can reach as high as 60% rakeback equivalent. Read our guide to RB vs. Elite Benefits for additional insight on which arrangement is best.

Regardless of which of these you pick, you’ll be eligible for weekly rake races for your non-tournament play (The Beast for cash games and Sit & Crush for single-table tourneys). Redeposit bonuses are another way that the network rewards its loyal players.

If you take our word for it that the Winning Poker Network contains multiple sites that will suit most Canada-based players, then clear the cookies from your web browser. Visit the site through the above link and enter the code PRB10FREE in the registration form for a $10 no-deposit bonus.

To read about all the reputable Winning Poker Network companies and their reward programs first, we’ve compiled detailed reviews of them:

• Review of ACR Poker
• Review of BlackChip Poker
• Review of True Poker
• Review of Ya Poker

Play Texas Holdem Alongside Sports Betting at Sportsbetting.ag

Sportsbetting.ag is a poker site on the same Chico Poker Network as TigerGaming. Like its partner organization, SB.ag provides newcomers with a 100% up to $1,000 poker bonus that releases at a rate equal to 10% rakeback.

The poker section at SB Poker is identical to that at TigerGaming, so there's really no difference between the two operators when it comes to playing cards. Cash games, SNGs, fast-fold Boost Poker, Windfall tournaments, and multi-table tourneys are all the same between the two. 

Sportsbetting.ag may be the better choice if you enjoy other gaming besides poker. There's a sportsbook, racebook, casino, and Live Dealer casino in addition to the poker room. All of these same betting products exist at TigerGaming also, but there are more promos for these choices at SB.ag.

$5/$10 Pot Limit Omaha Ring Game at SB Poker

If you like to bet on sports, then a 50% up to $1,000 sign up bonus beckons (It increases to 100% up to $1,000 with crypto-currency). You'll get $25 free bets for props and In Play betting along with a $50 mobile free bet. Unlimited sports reloads of 25% up to $1,000 (35% up to $350 with crypto) are yours for the asking.

In the racebook, you'll be rewarded with a 7% rebate on your handle although certain types of wagers are excluded. There is a $25 free wager for betting on horses.

Casino promos include a 100% up to $1,000 bonus that players can use three times together with various time-sensitive reload specials, a Live Dealer free bet, and a weekly lossback rebate.

Of course, you'll be handsomely rewarded for your online poker play too. Besides the initial deposit bonus of up to $1,000, you can participate in various contests and missions, compete for your share of more than $15,000 in weekly leaderboard prizes, and try for a jackpot in lottery-style Windfall Poker.

As an all-in-one betting destination for Canadians looking for top-level poker sites, it's tough to beat Sportsbetting.ag, so sign up now by clicking through the button above. We've prepared a thorough Sportsbetting.ag poker review for more insight into this awesome destination for playing online poker.

Join Horizon Poker Online For High Value Bonuses

The Horizon Poker Network is anchored by Everygame, a trusted name in gambling in general for more than 30 years. It grants new players a 200% up to $1,000 bonus along with 25 free spins in the casino.

The bonus is worth different amounts depending on the variant you play, but it can be equal to up to 27% RB. In addition, you'll collect 36% rakeback for life when you register through our links.

Small Stakes Pot Limit Omaha Table at Everygame

There are usually no more than a couple of small-buyin SNGs running at a time, but the multi-table lobby is more active. Dozens of tourneys fire off each day, many of them with guaranteed prize pools. The most prominent weekly MTT is the Sunday Sundowner, which costs $100 + $10 to join and pays out $10,000 to the winners. Overlays in this and other tournaments are common.

In addition to poker, there are three separate casinos and a top-rated sportsbook.

Everygame has a diverse menu of promotions to cater to long-term Canadian clients. There's a $4,000 rake race every week, and because it pays 100 winners, you don't have to grind all day long to score a prize. Redeposit bonus codes – emailed to customers every month or two – let you recapture the same remunerative payouts as the first deposit bonus. A loyalty levels program adds free cash to your account as you pass certain point thresholds, and you'll collect gold chips while you play, which can be turned in for no-deposit bonuses.

To get started today at Everygame Poker, click on the button above. For more info on this company first, head over to our Everygame Poker rakeback review.

SwCPoker For Card Games With Bitcoin

SwCPoker is a direct descendant of Seals With Clubs, the first-ever Bitcoin poker site in the poker industry. Thus, SwC accepts deposits, pays out withdrawals, and hosts all games using this crypto-currency without touching fiat currency at any point. One million chips is equal to a single bitcoin.

Besides digital currency, the other distinguishing trait of SwC is the breadth of game variants offered. This gaming diversity extends throughout the cash game, sit-n-go, and tournament areas of the poker lobby.

SwCPoker Is One of the Few Sites for Open Face Chinese Poker

There's no first deposit bonus here, but plenty of promotions reward users for their play. No-rake micro-stakes games allow you to increase your bankroll if you're starting out with a small amount, and the opportunities don't end there - the same is true of the many freerolls held at SwCPoker. The Krill rewards program meanwhile delivers rakeback that gets higher and higher as you put in more lifetime volume at the tables.

This poker room prides itself on delivering the fastest payouts and aims to complete every withdrawal within 12 hours. There's no need to perform any account certification or identity verification process either because SwC believes that customers should not have to reveal their personal information before receiving their funds.

If playing at sites like SwCPoker is something that appeals, then click on the button above to open up an account. You can learn more about this operation with an honest SwCPoker review.

Nitrogen Sports For Canada

Nitrogen Sports Poker is another of the sites that deal exclusively in BTC for both cashier functions and gameplay. In addition to a poker room, Nitrogen also offers a sportsbook and casino, making it the only operator on our list that lets you bet directly with Bitcoin on all three of these forms of betting.

Nitrogen NL Hold'em Low-Stakes Game

As far as tournaments go, there are around a dozen every day, including at least one freeroll. Free credits come through the Nitro Rewards program, which gives you up to 50% rakeback returns depending on your monthly play volume.

You can begin playing at Nitrogen Sports Poker immediately by clicking on the above button. If you'd prefer to learn more about it first, check out our Nitrogen Poker review page.

PartyPoker In Canada

PartyPoker was once the most popular poker room on the internet. Even though it has dipped down a few notches in the size rankings, it’s still in the top 10 and going strong for Canadian players in 2022.

PartyPoker was a forerunner in the gamification of the industry with the inclusion of missions and achievements for poker players to unlock. This has kept the site soft although some savvy, experienced players don’t like this novice-centered approach.

With a deposit of $20 or more, you’ll get $30 in complimentary entries to try out the tournaments and lottery-style SPINS games. These tournament tokens don’t have any playthrough requirements associated with them at all! This bonus is the closest thing to no-strings free money you'll find, which compensates for its small size.

In addition, you’ll get mission rewards, like bonuses and tournament tickets for completing small tasks, plus a loyalty points program and store for choosing your own prizes.

On PartyPoker Mobile, All Your Tables Are Shown in Miniature on the Left

If a single table just doesn’t do it for you, then check out the multi-table tourneys instead. The weekly major is the Big Game on Sundays, which costs $5,250 and guarantees $500,000. However, you can buy in to several phases throughout the week to try to build up your chip stack and make it to the final on Sunday.

Annually, Party guarantees millions of dollars in its real money tourney series. For instance, the MILLIONS Online and Powerfest series generally award eight figures in prize money.

If you wish to explore the other types of online gambling offered eventually, then head over to the casino games section where there are recurring bonus offers, or back your favourite team in the sportsbook.

Go to our review of Party Poker to get more details on this iconic online giant among poker operators, or click the button link above to sign right up today.

PokerStars - Home Of Poker Tournaments

PokerStars is, hands-down, the largest internet poker room currently in existence. It has become highly acclaimed for its stable, feature-rich software, a plethora of game types, and Team PokerStars: a collection of notable pros that the room sponsors for various live events.

As part of the Toronto-based Stars Group, Pokerstars is a name every player looking for the best gaming experience should have high up on any list.

Something that you won’t find at most competing establishments is Home Games. These allow you to set up exclusive clubs with your friends for social poker tournaments and to play for cash at whatever stakes are appropriate for your group.

After joining the site, you can choose between two welcome bonuses. You can deposit $20 or more to get $30 in free Spin & Go and cash game tickets over a six-day period. Alternatively, you can fund your account with up to $600 over the course of three separate deposits to claim a 100% match that works out to 27% rakeback or more.

Pokerstars hosts the largest Sunday major tourney around: the $109 Sunday Million, a giant among poker tournaments which pays out at least $1 million every week. Many MTT fans appreciate the entire Sunday line-up and devote their weekend energies to playing in the Sunday Million, the $215 Sunday Warm-up ($750K Gtd), the $11 Sunday Two Hundred Grand, and some of the other contests in the robust online tourney schedule. PokerStars runs the WCOOP and SCOOP once a year each. These are the most prestigious events in the world, and both series were awarded more than $80 million apiece in their most recent appearances.

PokerStars Mobile Software

Click the link above to go directly to PokerStars. Or browse over to this PokerStars review to find out more about the $30 free or 100% bonus up to $600 deals.

Online Poker Canada - Poker Bonuses & Other Promotions

Bonuses and promotions from poker sites are always of interest to Canadian players. They're one aspect of playing that is always worth knowing about. These come in many different forms, from a real money sign-up bonus through to tournament tickets.

With the global appeal of the game, you'll find that most special offers are available to everyone and often in their local currency. So you should be able to deposit in CAD and, occasionally, accept specific offers for Canadians for this currency.

Of course, players in Canada can get the same levels of bonuses as anybody else; we've listed what's on offer from each of the individual poker site operators above. At this point, there are several sites with $1,000 bonuses, but the highest percentage match of these is the offer from Everygame at 200%.

Note that with many operators, you'll need to build up bonus points before the free cash from a deposit rewards program is released.

Although bonus offers can be classified as promos - and it's easy to see they can be valuable as long as you read and understand the terms and conditions (t&c) - some of the best promotions often come in the form of special events.

You'd have seen a great example of this in the recent Venom tournaments run by ACR Poker. Still, any Canadian poker players will find all new promotions of this type covered in depth on other areas of the site.

Deposits & Withdrawals On Canadian Poker Sites

FAQ - What is the best deposit method for players at Canadian online poker sites?

While there are ways to play games for free, the reality is that if you're keen to play online poker for real money, you'll almost certainly need to be depositing cash into an account. You'll want to be aware of the different banking options, the payment options you can use to transfer money, and perhaps more importantly how to get your poker winnings out when you've won!

Again you'll find the accepted payment methods listed out in our section on the individual sites and also in-depth in our reviews pages. Methods of depositing and withdrawing for each site are all explained in-depth, along with any minimum deposit stipulations.

In summary though, probably the best method is via an e-wallet money transfer using one of the common payment processors or by using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. However, Mastercard is a credit card company that will work and debit cards are always easy to use, too.

Bitcoin in particular is recognized for fast processing speeds and free payouts. In terms of getting your money where you want it hassle-free, both when depositing and withdrawing, Bitcoin is the way to go. It will save you from the large, upfront expense of requesting a cashout by money transfer and the delays sometimes associated with waiting for a check to arrive.

Remember you may need to go through a background check, but all poker rooms have customer service teams who will help with any problems with payments.

Provincially Run Online Poker Sites for Players

British Columbia and Manitoba operate an online site called PlayNow, and Quebec does the same with its effort, called Espace Juex. They provide poker access over the net and shared liquidity across the three sites. Meanwhile, Ontario plans to roll the game out on its PlayOLG^[1] site.

PlayNow Poker, One of the Government-Run Internet Poker Sites

The provinces with existing government-run virtual poker haven’t exactly set a new standard for the industry to emulate. Players complain about a lack of running games, software glitches, and poor rewards schemes. A close look at the lobbies and tables reveals that these card rooms are using the old software from the now-defunct Boss Media Network, which was notorious for its flaws and mediocrity even a decade ago.

Why any poker sites should still be using this archaic software in 2022 is beyond us.

For the majority of Canadian players, these small, creaky poker sites perhaps serve a function as secondary or tertiary destinations. They do have fishy games and the occasional lucrative promotion or two. For your daily play, though, you deserve better than to put up with the irritations and hassles of these uninspired offerings. Play at any of our recommended sites instead.

The Way Forward For Provincial Live Poker In Canada

The Government of Canada authorities are beginning to realize that single province-only gaming may be more trouble than it's worth. This is likely the motivation behind Ontario Premier Doug Ford's plans to begin licensing offshore gambling sites. At least that way, Ontario could derive some tax revenue without forcing citizens onto subpar, dated software platforms.

Latest Canadian Poker News

News about the game is often general rather than country specific, and you'll find various articles in our news section.

Most news for Canadians is likely to be around poker site offers or the performance of famous Canadian players like Daniel Negreanu, Mike Watson, Kristen Bicknell, Mike McDonald, Gavin Smith, Jaime Staples, and a number of other big-name players often seen in poker tournaments or high-value cash games.

While Negreanu is arguably the most well-known on the list, you can see it's full of prominent names who may one day be on a par with the legendary US player Phil Hellmuth.

Daniel “KidPoker” Negreanu

With this level of skill at playing online poker on display, it may not be long before another Canadian emulates the achievement of the 2010 Quebec-born WSOP winner Jonathan Duhamel.

For now, the biggest news for gamblers in general in Canada is around the legalization of sports betting. You'll probably already know that there are good signs that single sports betting is coming.

More About Canadian Online Poker Law

In case you still harbour any doubts or uncertainties about whether or not online poker in Canada is legal, we’ll go over the relevant provisions of the law here. The Criminal Code is a comprehensive set of laws that applies throughout Canada, and it deals with all manner of subjects, including property rights, illicit drugs, and contracts. The focus of our particular inquiries at present is 197 - Part VII - Disorderly Houses, Gaming and Betting^[2]:

201 (1) Every one who keeps a common gaming house or common betting house is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

Person found in or owner permitting use
(2) Every one who (a) is found, without lawful excuse, in a common gaming house or common betting house, or (b) as owner, landlord, lessor, tenant, occupier or agent, knowingly permits a place to be let or used for the purposes of a common gaming house or common betting house, is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

So it’s prohibited to run a “common gambling house” or “common betting house,” to allow one’s property to be used as such, or to be present in one “without lawful excuse.” This raises the question as to what exactly counts as a “common gambling house or common betting house.”

In adjacent parts of the Code, we find out that basically these establishments are those that encourage members of the public to place wagers either among themselves or with the “keeper,” i.e., manager or owner, of the place especially if there’s a fee or cut taken out of the wagers.

It’s important to realize that this refers to organizations that serve basically anybody who walks through their doors, not individuals who privately gamble on their own. So ordinary players at poker sites in Canada are totally safe unless they make the astonishingly reckless decision to start a business that encourages others to make bets over the internet while on the premises.

Effectively this gives us the answer to another common FAQ – “Is gambling at home illegal in Canada?”

The owners of offshore online poker sites are in the clear too because the regulations apply only to physical locations inside Canada that offer betting.

The only sticking point for you, as an individual, lies in the underage gambling rules.

Make sure that you’re above the legal age for real-money gambling before playing Texas Hold’em poker online or engaging in any other form of real money gambling for that matter. If you’re below the appropriate age, then you’d be breaking the law.

You have to be at least 19 throughout Canada to risk your cash at the virtual tables except in Manitoba and Alberta where 18-year-olds are permitted to gamble^[3].

Brick-and-Mortar Cardrooms For Canada Poker Players

FAQ - Where can I play live poker in Canada?

The paragraphs we’ve just discussed would seem to indicate that live casinos and cardrooms are out of the question. Anyone who has ever played in poker tournaments or at the cash tables at the Playground Poker Club in Montreal or Casino Niagara knows that this isn’t the case.

Playground Poker Club, Just Outside Montreal

The answer lies in the exceptions that are clearly delineated in the Code. One of them is in 197 (2)(b):

…no fee is charged to persons for the right or privilege of participating in the games played therein other than under the authority of and in accordance with the terms of a licence issued by the Attorney General of the province in which the place is situated or by such other person or authority in the province as may be specified by the Attorney General thereof.

We see that proper licensing for poker operators removes the illegality of owning or operating a common betting or gaming house. Again, this applies only to persons actually running an offline facility for accepting and paying out bets within Canadian borders. It does not apply to people, groups, or real money online poker sites outside the country that conduct their activities through the internet.

Online Poker Canada - Taxes & Taxation

One of the issues you might be wondering about is your tax liability in Canada. The two biggest FAQs we'll answer here are:

• Are online poker winnings taxable in Canada?
• Is gambling income taxable in Canada?

Gambling Tax Rules In Canada

The tax rules surrounding gambling for real money - whether on poker sites or other betting sites - are explained on the Canadian government's website^[4]. However, some of the details are quite intricate.

It's straightforward though: Winnings from online Canadian poker sites are completely tax-free for almost everyone. Actually, this is not just true of profits you derive from a game of online poker. There are no taxes on casino games payouts, winning sports bets, big racetrack scores, lotto jackpots, bingo paydays, or any other types of gambling success.

The only exception is if you’re engaged in gambling as a business. Even if you're one of the professional Canadian poker players, however, law court rulings have set the bar very high as to what constitutes playing as a business venture.

In the case of Radonjic v. Canada Revenue Agency^[5], a Coquitlam, B.C., poker player sought to overturn a CRA decision that he was not entitled to a refund of the taxes he paid on his winnings over a period of several years. The court sided with Mr. Radonjic, finding that he didn't owe any income tax on his earnings and ordering that the money he paid in taxes be restored to him.

This taxation environment makes Canada one of the most favourable jurisdictions for players, miles ahead of the States where winnings are taxed just like any other income. For more information, you can consult a CPA or tax lawyer.

Problem Gambling - Help For Canadian Poker Players

Any form of gambling comes with risks. There's always the risk of losing money, as there is in any form of betting, although we know that where poker is concerned, there are good chances of winning for skilled players.

The biggest risk though is that of addiction and compulsive gambling behaviours. There's a possibility of becoming addicted to the thrill of the game-play, the elation of winning, and the chasing of losses.

This is one of the reasons some countries pass legislation for a law to restrict gambling for residents. With no such restrictions or legislation in place for poker players in Canada, it's down to you to watch out for any danger signs.

Fortunately, help for problem gambling is widely available. Check out these resources if you think you need some support.

• Gamblers Anonymous
• Responsible Gambling Council

Online Poker Canada – Summary

If you're in Canada and want to play, online poker is legal for Canadians, and there’s no reason for you to avoid playing at the poker tables other than to watch out for the issues that might come with problem gambling. The legal climate is very permissive, the law is clear, and the tax consequences of winning a bundle in poker games are practically nonexistent. All good reasons for the online poker market to continue to thrive in Canada.

Because you have many great online poker sites such as 888Poker, Pokerstars, PartyPoker, Pacific Poker, and Bodog clamouring for attention from players, you can be choosy and pick your destination for games from the cream of the crop. Once you've chosen, there are plenty of options to get the game variety that suits you, payment methods that work, and poker bonuses that increase your bankroll.

Find a reliable room from among our list of the best legal Canadian poker sites, make your first deposit (remember to check the t&c), and get your deposit bonus. You can begin building up bonus points at the top sites in Canada with great customer service support for real money today.

Pay particular attention to playing with the best poker strategies, and there are good chances to win. Pay particular attention to basic play such as how to act when you're the dealer on the button and what tells to look for in an opponent, and you could be on the way to some winning opportunities. Canada has some great past and present players. You could be the next Canadian to play poker online and do well in a major competitive event.

References For Players

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Lottery_and_Gaming_Corporation
• http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-47.html#h-69
• https://www.onlinecasino.ca/legal-gambling-ages
• https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/technical-information/income-tax/income-tax-folios-index/series-3-property-investments-savings-plans/series-3-property-investments-savings-plans-folio-9-miscellaneous-payments-receipts/income-tax-folio-s3-f9-c1-lottery-winnings-miscellaneous-receipts-income-losses-crime.html#N1032F
• https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2013/2013fc916/2013fc916.html