Poker in Canada: Ontario's regulated rooms and the rest of the country
Canada is two poker markets in one country. Ontario built its own regulated online market in 2022 through iGaming Ontario, and GGPoker.ca — together with WSOP.ca on the same software — is licensed there. Ontario players get a room that sits under provincial regulation, with segregated player funds and local dispute resolution.
Outside Ontario, the only provincially sanctioned online poker comes from the lottery corporations, and there is little of it. For everyone else our partner ClubWPT Gold offers sweepstakes poker: no purchase necessary, Gold Coins to play with, Sweeps Coins redeemable for prizes.
Live, Canada punches above its weight: Playground in Kahnawake outside Montreal, the Fallsview and Great Blue Heron rooms in Ontario, the River Rock in Richmond, and a national record of producing world-class players — Daniel Negreanu, Jonathan Duhamel, Timothy Adams, Kristen Foxen.
Play online from Canada
ClubWPT Gold
ClubWPT Gold is a sweepstakes poker platform available in most US states and in Canada. No purchase necessary; Gold Coins are for play and Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes where permitted.
Play at ClubWPT Gold →GGPoker
Home of the WSOP Online, GGPoker runs the biggest guaranteed tournaments and the busiest cash games online. Locally licensed skins (GGPoker.uk, GGPoker.de, GGPoker.nl, GGPoker.ca in Ontario) serve regulated markets.
Play at GGPoker →Is online poker legal in Canada?
By province
Top players from Canada
All players| # | Player | Hometown | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | Toronto, Ontario | $60,666,565 |
| 2 | Daniel Dvoress | Toronto, Ontario | $55,050,886 |
| 3 | Sam Greenwood | Toronto, Ontario | $39,409,852 |
| 4 | Mike Watson | Toronto, Ontario | $38,609,970 |
| 5 | Kristen Foxen | St. Catharines, Ontario | $19,238,670 |
| 6 | Jonathan Duhamel | Boucherville, Quebec | $18,009,548 |
| 7 | Sorel Mizzi | Toronto, Ontario | $14,467,043 |
| 8 | Mike McDonald | Waterloo, Ontario | $13,392,437 |
| 9 | Alex Livingston | Halifax, Nova Scotia | $10,163,832 |
| 10 | Alan "Ari" Engel | Las Vegas (born in Toronto) | $10,133,718 |
The Ontario market
Ontario is the only province where private operators can be licensed. GGPoker.ca player pools are ring-fenced to Ontario, which means smaller fields than the global site but a fully regulated room. Sweepstakes sites, by contrast, do not serve Ontario at all.
Everywhere else
Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and the Atlantic provinces run online poker only through their lottery corporations (Espacejeux, PlayNow, PlayAlberta). ClubWPT Gold is available to residents of the other provinces; open your province page for the current status.
Poker winnings are tax-free in Canada for recreational players. The age to play is 19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play GGPoker from Canada?
In Ontario, yes, on GGPoker.ca — the iGaming Ontario-licensed site. Elsewhere in Canada GGPoker's global site historically accepted players, but our partner listing follows the operator's current published availability; check your province page.
Is ClubWPT Gold available in Ontario?
No. Ontario's regulated market excludes sweepstakes operators. Ontario players use GGPoker.ca or WSOP.ca.
Are poker winnings taxed in Canada?
Not for recreational players — windfalls are not income under Canadian tax law. Professional players who play as a business may be assessed differently.