Best British Columbia Online Casinos in 2024

British Columbia is home to a thriving gambling market, steered by strong provincial regulation to guarantee only high-quality, reputable casinos thrive, coupled with industry-leading responsible gambling programs. From the top online casinos to dozens of land-based casinos, gamers are spoiled for choice in British Columbia!

British Columbia is one of Canada’s hotspots for casinos, with Vancouver, the Okanagan Valley, and Vancouver Island each growing into gambling hubs over the years. After legalizing gambling in 1969, the provincial industry opened up to online casino gambling in 2010.

The province hosts many land-based and online casinos, from the first ventures like Nanaimo Casino and The Great Canadian in 1986 to the most recent casino, Cascades Casino Delta, opening in 2022.

This guide is here to inform you of how gambling in British Columbia works, from mobile apps to legal regulations to taxation. Our experts have put together recommendations for the top casinos in the province worth checking out, so let’s explore what makes British Columbia great to gamble in!

Online gambling has been legal in British Columbia since 2010, when the province unveiled PlayNow, a government-run online casino, with others soon following.

Gambling in British Columbia is primarily regulated by the government-owned British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), which was founded in 1985 to oversee traditional lotteries in the province. 1997 saw the first slot machines in the province as land-based casinos expanded.

In 2004, the BCLC launched its own online gaming platform called PlayNow.com, which in 2010 became North America’s first website to play legal, regulated casino games; 2010 was when online gambling was legalized in British Columbia. 2018 marked another milestone as the BCLC spearheaded the introduction of live online casino games in North America.

The BLCL is supervised by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) of the provincial government, which is the top-level gambling regulator in British Columbia, also overseeing other licensed gambling in the province like non-profit fundraisers or horse racing.

British Columbia is home to Canada’s first permanent land-based casinos, which both opened in 1986: The Great Canadian in Vancouver, and Nanaimo Casino in the namesake city. Nowadays, British Columbia is home to over 36 land-based casinos and boasts over 1.2 million accounts registered at PlayNow.

Several First Nations territories in British Columbia operate casinos, including the Ktunaxa, Squamish, and Cowichan Nations. As well, the provincial government recently committed to sharing 7% of the BCLCs yearly revenue from gambling with First Nations communities, through to 2045.

In regards to online casino gambling, provincial law means PlayNow is the only online casino that can legally be based in British Columbia, though others can operate in the province. Gamblers must be at minimum 19 years old.

Historical Timeline

British Columbia has been running legal gambling operations in some form since 1969. The introduction of slot machines in the late 90’s and the legalization of online gaming in 2010 were big steps forward in the province’s gaming industry, always closely controlled by government regulators.

• 1969 – Federal and provincial governments of Canada first allowed to hold lotteries.
• 1974 – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba form the Western Canada Lottery Foundation (WCFL) to coordinate gambling operations.
• 1985 – Federal government passes full control of lotteries to provincial governments in exchange for profit sharing. British Columbia leaves the WCLF and establishes the BCLC to run local lotteries.
• 1997 – Slots machines first introduced in British Columbia, driving new land-based casinos to open and expand operations.
• 2004 – The BCLC launches PlayNow as a gambling services and info website.
• 2009 – GameSense program launched to inform players in British Columbia of gambling risks and provide responsible gaming tools.
• 2010 – Online gambling officially made legal by the BCLC. PlayNow begins hosting online casino games.
• 2018 – In partnership with Evolution Gaming, the BLCL introduces the province’s first live online table games.
• 2021 – Single-event sports betting legalized in Canada.

Free Play in British Columbia

You can enjoy free games anywhere they’re offered in British Columbia—the province allows free play in both its land-based and online casinos.

Many casinos offer demo play of their games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and others, without asking you to wager real money. You’ll be able to try out new game mechanics to find the perfect fit for you without breaking the bank.

As well, British Columbia casinos are able to award players free spins and other free play promotions, so you can enjoy a few rounds on the house worry-free.

There are a few indicators of quality that you can look for when considering a new online casino. No casinos will tick every box, but we want to see a few make-or-break factors that guarantee a great player experience! Our experts have scoured all the casino wesbites available to British Columbian players to find the highest-quality casinos.

When our reviewers tackle a new casino, we pretend we’re average players, opening new accounts, browsing the games library, and sorting through banking methods with help from the customer support. We look for four factors when grading a casino, which you can also use to find premium British Columbia online casinos:

• Does the games library deliver on both quality and quantity?

You know your own favourite games best, so check if the casino offers them. A good variety of games is always a good sign, mixing slots with table games, including a live casino that uses live croupiers to up the ante.

• Are the bonuses and promos tempting offers with minimal requirements?

Look for high-value bonuses that shower you in free spins or bonus credit. The best casino websites will have low or no wagering requirements on these bonuses!

The most important bonus is the welcome bonus, which should kickstart your gambling session with a big, splashy reward. This is a good indicator if a casino will be generous or stingy with future bonuses.

• Is banking fast and secure, with a good selection of payment methods?

When it comes to banking, the more payment options the better. Interac is often the easiest method for players in British Columbia, but also having the choice of using credit cards, e-wallets, or cryptocurrency is always nice.

And check that you’re getting instant withdrawal, so you can access your winnings sooner! You don’t want the casino to charge for transactions, so read up and ensure there are no banking fees.

•  What’s the overall customer experience, with a focus on ease-of-use and aesthetic appeal?

Particularly for players in British Columbia, 24/7 customer support is crucial. Many casinos operating out of Europe close their support service mid-afternoon in PST, so round-the-clock access to support helps you easily resolve any issues.

As well, while most online casinos in British Columbia are mobile-friendly, a dedicated mobile app is worth looking for. Only the biggest casinos have their own apps, so this can help you pick out the industry-leaders

Sites to Avoid

When you playing at a casino, you want to be confident your personal info is secure and that your deposits and wagers are honoured. Dishonest casinos can set unfair odds to hike their profits, and often delay or deny withdrawal requests to players can never cash out.

To avoid this, be sure you don’t play in unlicensed casinos. In real money casinos, you want to trust the casino won’t rip you off or sell your private data, and a valid license is proof of a casino’s legitimacy and security. Canada has several trusted bodies that issue licenses, including the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

A legitimate license also proves a casino had been investigated and cleared of illegal practices. Unlicensed casinos can serve as fronts for money laundering schemes or can aid in tax evasion. These crimes sully the reputation of a casino, and are found alongside other suspicious behaviour such as cheating players.

A good bonus promises extra cash and free games for players, starting with a big welcome bonus to draw you in. Our favourite British Columbia casinos offer the best bonuses around, but here’s a full guide for what to look for when scoping out a casino’s bonuses:

• Free Spins – These bonuses let you play slots games for free, which can mean a tidy profit for lucky players. Look for casinos that let you use free spins on whatever slots you choose, instead of limiting you to just a select few games.
• Deposit Matching – Featured in many welcome bonuses, deposit matching rewards you with bonus credit scaled to your deposit. The best deposit matching bonuses match 100% or more of your deposit to double or triple your cash!
• Cashback – Losing streaks can bite, so cashback that pays you some of the money you’ve lost wagering is a great solution! Many casinos hide this behind the upper tiers of their VIP program, but some casinos guarantee weekly cashback payouts to all players
• Reload Bonus – Reloads help you top up your account with some bonus deposit matching as a treat. You’ll typically see around 50% matching on reload promos redeemable on a certain day or on the weekend.
• VIP Programs – These are what really make deluxe casinos stand out. Showering loyal players with generous bonuses is a great way to build the player-casino relationship, and allow players to rack up dozens of bonuses throughout a year. Many VIP programs also reward high-rollers with higher wager limits, personalized bonuses, and priority service.

Canada, including British Columbia, typically shies away from casino apps. What you’ll find plenty of are sportsbook apps, which are readily available on both Apple and Android from recognizable casino brands.

British Columbia’s premier sportsbook app is through PlayNow, though it’s only available on Apple devices. The PlayNow app carries the same promises as the site—legal, regulated betting for the province.

If you want to play slots or table games on mobile, there are still some options. Only big-name casinos get their apps listed on the official app stores. Trusted casinos in British Columbia like Spin Casino and PlayOJO offer high-quality mobile apps for you to take your gaming on the go.

Almost all casino websites operating in British Columbia have mobile-optimized website layouts and games collections. This means you can play from the web browser on any Apple or Android device while also saving on storage space by skipping the app download.

Players will be overjoyed to hear that your casino winnings are non-taxable in British Columbia! Whether from online casinos, land-based casinos, or other betting like lotteries or horse racing, the province doesn’t consider winnings to be a regular source of income, and there are therefore exempt from income tax.

There are a few niche cases where taxes still apply to gambling: when you opt to invest your casino winnings, you’ll still need to report that money as investment income. Also, professional gamblers declare their winnings as regular income.

You’ll also need to report any interest you collect from casino winnings, which is taxed somewhere between 5.06%–20.50% depending on which of the seven tax brackets you fall into.

British Columbia has a thriving responsible gaming program through GameSense. Run by the BCLC, GameSense evolved from a province-wide self-exclusion program during the 90s before expanding in 2009. Since then, many other gambling organizations including Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and MGM Resorts International have adopted GameSense, a testament to the program’s quality.

• GameSense program (1-888-795-6111)
• Game Break self-exclusion tool (1-866-815-0222)
• GameSense info resources

Through “Game Break” via GameSense, players in British Columbia can self-exclude from all gambling in the province, online and offline, choosing a period between 6 months to 3 years for their exclusion.

The GameSense site also has many excellent resources to self-test for addiction, strategies for honest gambling, and bookable advisors who work with players to sketch out an addiction treatment plan.

Most responsible gaming tools in British Columbia are multilingual for added accessibility. Across the province you can find a mix of solutions, so everyone can find the right tools for them. These include in-person or online resources, religious or secular support groups, anonymous consultations, and filtering tools to limit access to gambling websites.

Brick-and-mortar casinos bring a host of amenities to spice up your gambling, like world-class restaurants or live stage performances. And of course we can’t forget the thrill of scooping up handfuls of coins from a slots jackpot as fellow players stare with jealousy. These are just a few of the premier land-based casinos we recommend you try in British Columbia!

Grand Villa Casino

Located in Burnaby, this is one of the closest casinos to Vancouver, and naturally draws in tons of Vancouverite players. Grand Villa hosts 67 live table games, plus video table games, slots, and lavish high-limit private rooms dedicated to each game. You’ll also find the Atlas restaurant here, a surf-and-turf eatery famous for their mesquite-coal oven that imbues every dish with smoky goodness.

Playtime Casino

On the east shore of Okanagan Lake in sunny Kelowna, you can try Playtime Casino, one of several locations across Canada. Featuring over 400 slots, you have a range of stakes to pick from as well as a mid-arcade bar for snacks and drinks. Poker is also popular at Playtime, which awards a $500k jackpot for losing with a four-of-a-kind or better, taking the sting out of a frustrating loss.

Elements Casino

With several locations in British Columbia, but the largest in Surrey, Elements Casino is a provincial staple. The Surrey venue includes the Homestretch bar, an expansive restaurant with huge bay windows overlooking the casino’s horseracing track. Other ways to play include live and video table games, alongside 500 slots machines and hosted Bingo events!