Opening an Account From Canada: A Checklist Before You Sign Up

The sign-up form takes a couple of minutes. The checks worth doing before it take a few more and save most of the problems we hear about. This page is a neutral checklist. It does not walk you through any operator's form, because forms change, and it does not mention promotions, because we do not advertise them in Canada.

Step 1: know your province's position

Online gambling in Canada is organised by the provinces. In Ontario, regulated sites are registered with the AGCO, contracted with iGaming Ontario and listed in iGaming Ontario's public directory; they also show the iGO logo. Alberta has legislated a regulated model of its own. In the other provinces the provincial lottery corporation's site is the regulated option, and an operator with only a foreign licence is not authorised in any province. Check where the site you are about to join stands before you hand over personal details.

Step 2: check the age requirement

Every site requires you to be an adult, and 18 is the absolute floor you will see in our footer. Provinces can set their own minimum, so the age that applies to you may be higher. The operator's terms state its requirement; a site that does not ask about age at all is a warning sign.

Step 3: use your own, accurate details

Register with your legal name, your real address and an email you control. Accounts are tied to identity checks later, and a mismatch between the details you enter and your documents is the most common reason a withdrawal is held up. Never use someone else's account or let anyone use yours.

Step 4: expect identity verification

Regulated operators verify players, and most others do too before a first withdrawal. The documents accepted are set by the operator, so read its verification page rather than relying on a general list. Doing verification early, before you have a balance you want to withdraw, takes the pressure out of it.

Step 5: set limits before the first deposit

Find the deposit, loss and session limits in the account settings and set them while you are calm. Lowering a limit usually takes effect quickly; raising one often has a waiting period, which is the point. Decide a monthly amount in CAD that you would spend on any other entertainment and use that.

Step 6: understand self-exclusion

If you are registered with BetGuard, iGaming Ontario's centralized self-exclusion program, regulated Ontario sites should not let you play for the term you chose. In other provinces self-exclusion is handled by the operator or the lottery corporation. If you have excluded yourself before, signing up elsewhere to get around it is a sign to talk to someone; our self-exclusion page lists the options.

Step 7: read the terms that matter

Before you play, read three parts of the operator's terms: the rules on dormant accounts and fees, the withdrawal conditions and the complaints procedure. If the terms do not name a regulator or a dispute process, you know how much protection you have. Our complaints page explains what to do if something goes wrong, and our review lists the other checks we suggest.

Frequently asked questions