# Section 207 of the Criminal Code and the 2021 single-event change > Sports betting in Canada runs through provincial systems under section 207 of the Criminal Code. Single-event bets have been allowed since August 27, 2021 (C-218). Source: https://reviewstandings.com/criminal-code-section-207-and-c218/ Updated: 2026-11-13 Canadian sports betting is legal only through the provinces: section 207 of the Criminal Code lets a province conduct gambling or license others to do so. Betting on a single sporting event has been allowed since August 27, 2021 under Bill C-218, except on horse racing. We found no federal regulator in our sources, so oversight and the list of lawful operators differ by province. ## What section 207 does Section 207 is the Criminal Code provision under which gambling is allowed when a province runs it, or licenses someone else to run it. That is why Canada has no national licence. Each province decides who may offer sports betting to people inside its borders. Horse racing sits in a separate regime under section 207(5), the pari-mutuel rules. We cover it only to say that it is not the same system as sportsbook betting. We summarise the provision and link the text on Justice Laws. Check the exact wording there before relying on our summary. **Takeaway:** a bet is lawful in Canada because a province allows the operator, not because the operator holds a national licence. ## What C-218 changed Bill C-218 amended the Criminal Code to allow a bet on a single sporting event. Horse racing is excluded. We have not yet recorded the text of the earlier wording with a source and a date, so we do not describe it here. **C-218 timeline · Justice Canada statement and Canada Gazette · checked 2026-11-13** | Date | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 2021-06-30 | Royal Assent to the Criminal Code amendments on single-event sport betting | Justice Canada statement | | 2021-08-27 | C-218 in force | Canada Gazette, SI/2021-56 | **Takeaway:** the 2021 change removed a federal barrier; provinces still decide who may offer the bets. ## Who regulates, by province **Provincial regulators and operators · regulator and registry pages · checked 2026-11-13** | Province | Body or bodies | Model | Minimum age | |---|---|---|---| | Ontario (ON) | AGCO; iGaming Ontario | Private operators registered with AGCO under an agreement with iGO | 19+ | | Alberta (AB) | AGLC; AiGC | Private operators registered with AGLC under an agreement with AiGC; market open since 2026-07-13 | 18+ | | British Columbia (BC) | IGCO since 2026-04-13; BCLC | Provincial operator (PlayNow) | 19+ | | Québec (QC) | Loto-Québec | Provincial operator, the only legal online operator we found | 18+ | | Manitoba (MB) | Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries | Provincial operator (PlayNow MB) | 18+ | | Saskatchewan, Atlantic provinces, territories | Not confirmed | Not confirmed as of 2026-11-13 | Not confirmed | Details for two recent changes are on the pages about [Alberta's market](https://reviewstandings.com/alberta-regulated-market-opens-2026-07-13/) and [British Columbia's regulator](https://reviewstandings.com/bc-igco-replaces-gpeb-2026-04-13/). **Takeaway:** where you are physically decides which operators are lawful for you, so check your own province's list. ## What we leave open Section 206 of the Criminal Code deals with advertising and publishing gambling schemes. We have not published an interpretation of how it applies to a comparison site, and we do not claim one here. A licence issued on First Nations territory, such as by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, is not a provincial authorization. We do not recommend brands that rely on it. Rules on advertising are covered separately: see [Ontario's athlete rule](https://reviewstandings.com/agco-standard-2-03-athlete-rule-2024-02-28/) and our [editorial policy](https://reviewstandings.com/editorial-policy/). ## How we checked 1. We read the Criminal Code provisions on Justice Laws and the Canada Gazette entry for C-218. 2. We read the Justice Canada statement of 2021-06-30. 3. We compared the regulator and registry pages of each province named in the table. 4. Anything we could not open stays marked "Not confirmed". ## Sources - [Criminal Code, section 207](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-207.html) - [Criminal Code, section 206](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-206.html) - [Canada Gazette II, SI/2021-56](https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2021/2021-09-01/html/si-tr56-eng.html) - [Justice Canada, Royal Assent statement on C-218](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2021/06/statement-by-minister-lametti-regarding-royal-assent-of-criminal-code-amendments-on-single-event-sport-betting.html) - [iGaming Ontario, regulated market](https://igamingontario.ca/en/player/regulated-igaming-market) - [Alberta registered iGaming sites](https://www.abigaming.ca/operators/registered-igaming-sites/) ## What changed - 2026-11-13: first version. ## Age and help 19+ in Ontario and British Columbia; 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec. Gambling involves risk. Play responsibly. Need help? See [help lines by province](https://reviewstandings.com/responsible-gambling/). Not an official site of any operator or regulator. ## FAQ **Is sports betting legal in Canada?** Yes, through the provincial system. Section 207 of the Criminal Code is the provision under which a province conducts gambling or licenses others to do so. Single-event sports bets have been allowed since 2021-08-27. **Is there a federal gambling regulator?** We found none. Oversight is provincial: AGCO and iGaming Ontario in Ontario, AGLC and AiGC in Alberta, IGCO and BCLC in British Columbia, Loto-Québec in Québec, and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries in Manitoba. **What did C-218 change?** It amended the Criminal Code to allow betting on a single sporting event, except horse racing. The bill received Royal Assent on 2021-06-30 and came into force on 2021-08-27, according to the Justice Canada statement and the Canada Gazette. **Does a licence from another jurisdiction make a site legal for Canadians?** Not by itself. Provincial authorization is what we check. A Kahnawà:ke licence does not replace it, so we do not recommend brands that rely on one. **Is this page legal advice?** No. It summarises public sources as of 2026-11-13 and links them. Check the wording on Justice Laws, and ask a lawyer about your own situation.