Guide

Poker With Crypto From Canada

Canada's Criminal Code lets each province run a lottery scheme, Ontario has licensed private online sites since 2022, and most players pay no tax on winnings.

The short answer

Section 207 of Canada's Criminal Code makes it lawful for a province to conduct and manage a lottery scheme under its own law, and Ontario has licensed private online operators since 4 April 2022. For the average player, gambling winnings are usually not taxed; for a professional poker player, The Canadian Press reports, they are business income.

From the sources at the bottom of the page. We are players, not lawyers; this page is what the law and our sources say, not legal advice.

At a glance

The law: Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes it lawful for the government of a province, alone or together with another province, to conduct and manage a lottery scheme in that province under the province's own law.
Ontario: iGaming Ontario, set up on 6 July 2021, opened the province's online market to private operators on 4 April 2022.
Tax: For the average person, lottery and gambling winnings are usually not taxed in Canada. For a professional poker player, who puts extra time and training into the game, The Canadian Press reports that the winnings count as business income.
The rooms: Canada is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica; neither is a licence from a Canadian province.

Section 207 and the provinces

Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes it lawful, notwithstanding the Code's rules on gaming and betting, for the government of a province, alone or together with another province, to conduct and manage a lottery scheme in that province under its own law.

Ontario set up iGaming Ontario on 6 July 2021 to oversee online gaming offered by private companies, and on 4 April 2022 it opened the province's online market to them.

Tax

For the average person, lottery and gambling winnings are usually not taxed in Canada, casino winnings included. It is different for a professional poker player, who puts extra time and training into the game: The Canadian Press reported in February 2026 that such winnings count as business income and are taxed.

What this means for a reader in Canada

Canada is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries. Both rooms' terms leave the law where you live to you. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica; neither is a licence from a Canadian province. In Ontario, the licensed private sites are the regulated way to play online.

Our strategy pages, the odds chart and the calculators are free to read anywhere.

Time zones

Toronto is UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 in summer, Vancouver UTC-8 and UTC-7. A 20:30 start on WePlay's GMT+2 schedule, 18:30 UTC, is 13:30 in Toronto and 10:30 in Vancouver in winter. The Tonight page shows every start in UTC.

What runs tonight at WePlay and Basepoker, in UTC.

Sources

Questions

Is online poker legal in Canada?

Section 207 of the Criminal Code makes it lawful for a province to conduct and manage a lottery scheme, and Ontario has licensed private online operators since 4 April 2022. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica.

Do I pay tax on poker winnings in Canada?

Usually not, for the average player. For a professional poker player, The Canadian Press reports that the winnings count as business income and are taxed.

Can I play on WePlay or Basepoker from Canada?

Canada is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, though WePlay may refuse players from any country. Basepoker's terms name no countries and say that being able to use the site from a country does not make it legal there. Both leave the law where you live to you.