Playing Bingo online in Canada legally

Playing online Bingo in Canada is quite common and many people do so. There are innumerable websites that offer online bingo which makes it necessary to be careful about which bingo sites are safe to play on.

This guide has been written with the objective of providing a better understanding about things that need to be considered when deciding to play online bingo if you are a Canadian resident.

Currently there aren’t any Canadian bingo sites that are licensed. However there are a number of commissions and regulatory authorities which provide licensing for sites that offer online gambling. There are those bodies that offer players protection and there are those that do not offer the same level of protection.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Contents

The following section contains a number of questions that players usually have when they start playing online bingo with real money.

What are the jackpots that are available?

Two kinds of bingo jackpot games can be usually found on the Internet. The first type is a jackpot with a fixed value. The other types in games of bingo are called progressive as the value keeps growing until a player wins. These games have players call out bingo within a given number of balls for winning the jackpot.

Can I be sure that online bingo games are fair?

Websites that have a license from their respective gaming jurisdictions can be trusted to have fair bingo games. These jurisdictions carefully evaluate the games and the random number generators that govern each game and then confer their licenses to these websites. Make sure that you are playing on a licensed website.

When should I ideally play bingo during the day?

Bingo websites are constantly active. If you are looking for games with higher payoffs, log in during the busiest time of a day which is usually evening. With more players participating, the prize will have a higher value.

How can I claim my prize playing online bingo?

You don’t have to worry about sending a notification when you form a winning pattern. The software being utilized on the platform is fully capable of detecting the patterns. The program will be constantly tracking your tickets and will call house when you win.

What is Pre Buying bingo tickets?

Most bingo websites allow for players to pre-buy their bingo cards. The reason for this is that if you aren’t available or online later on when a jackpot game is happening, you will be entered in the game automatically. As mentioned earlier, the software will keep track of your tickets and wins.

How old do I have to be to play bingo online?

Canada has three territories and ten provinces. Every single one of them have different laws regarding how old a resident has to be before he/she can start to gamble. The laws governing this are very strict; websites always determine the age of whoever signs up with them. Upon signing up, websites initially attempt to determine your age automatically. However if that doesn’t happen, you have to provide documentation that proves your age.

What are the kinds of bingo that are available online?

There are three kinds of bingo games that have the most popularity. These are 75, 90 and 80 ball bingo games. 80 ball bingo gets you the quickest action and the number of playable games in a given session is highest.

However if you play the 90 ball bingo, these games give three prizes per game. All these games also give big jackpots and are also considered as bingo jackpot games.

Do I have to pay tax on my bingo winnings in Canada?

In Canada gambling winnings and winning acquired from games of chance are not subject to tax laws. The only instance of gambling taxes is when gambling companies have to pay the government. The people themselves do not have to pay. Canadian residents can rest easy and even have the option of reclaiming some tax amounts if they have won money in a US casino.

Can I play bingo on my phone?

You have the option of downloading Bingo apps for your smart phone and playing from there. The availability of options is the same as that on bingo websites.

What is the cost of online bingo cards?

This depends on the website that you go to for playing. The prices of bingo cards can vary very significantly. However usually all online gambling websites offer free bingo games as well as well as bingo games with very low stakes. Players can buy cards for as low as a single cent. Some websites offer promotional deals as well in which a free card is offered along with a single bought card.

LEGAL LICENSING JURISDICTIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH

UK Gambling Commission

Betting and wagering on websites that have acquired licensing from the UK Gambling Commission is almost always hassle and problem free. If there are any problems, Commission representative are extremely cooperative in helping players out.

Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner

The Commissioner is responsible for regulating and overseeing all gambling and sports betting companies that are Gibraltar based and is one of the most well reputed gambling authorities in the world.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission

A gambling website that holds a license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission is usually extremely trustworthy. The Commission is one of the oldest and most reliable ones in the business.

Isle of Man Casino Control Commission

This is another Commission that has an impeccable reputation in its overseeing and regulation of gambling companies and websites that it has conferred a license onto. A website with their license is completely safe and players can trust the integrity of the games.

OTHER GAMBLING JURISDICTIONS

There are two licensing authorities whose websites players should avoid as a matter of safety. Players will have no recourse if they encounter problems playing on websites with these licenses. These are the Antigua Directorate of Offshore Gambling and the Government of Curaco.