Online Casinos in Toronto

Due to the fact that Toronto doesn't have a casino within city limits, it was one of the first major cities to establish a seriously dedicated online player base back in 2006. Since then, countless petitions for casino construction have been filed as well as bills concerning online gaming regulation.

Slot machines have been added to racetracks, but a fully-fledged casino still has not been built within city limits to date, so online gambling continues to be one of the biggest venues for players stationed in Toronto. Players have a wide variety of options with OLG endorsed venues for additional security and peace of mind.

History of gambling in Toronto

The history of modernized gambling in Toronto starts on May 17, 1975. That’s when the newly formed OLG (then the Ontario Lottery Company) released its first lottery game to the public, Wintario. Wintario ran from 1975 until it was discontinued in 1996 after paying out over CAD 1.1 billion in winnings. Prior to the OLG’s formation, one of the biggest venues in the city was Woodbine racetrack, which has been in operation since 1881.

Now the city is considered to be the home of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. In 1994, one of the largest track reconstruction projects ever took place at Woodbine, resulting in three new tracks for harness, thoroughbred, and turf racing.

In 2000 with the help of the OLG, Woodbine opened a new entertainment facility with a 57,000 square-foot slot machine floor, restaurants, bars, and a second-floor grandstand. Woodbine is still a must-visit stop for passionate players and tourists and should not be missed on Montreal’s vacations.

Now the OLG has multiple divisions that include games from lottery jackpot draws to scratch-offs, sports betting, casinos, slots, and even E-bingo. Woodbine racetrack and casino near Toronto are some of the closest in-person gaming available to city-dwellers and tourists.

Laws Regulating Gambling in Toronto

The laws for gambling in Toronto laid out by OLG are fairly standard for most of Canada. The minimum age for things like lottery drawings and scratch-offs is eighteen. But to patronize a Toronto casino or parimutuel parlors like the Blue Heron or OLG Casino Brantford, players must be at least 19 years of age.

Interestingly enough, casinos can employ workers under the age of 19, and that would grant them access in the context of work, but not outside of working hours. OLG holds all gambling venues to their Rules of Play and Operation standards. Any venues found skirting the standards face heavy fines and the possibility of losing their license.

Toronto has had to battle scandals involving convenience store clerks stealing winning tickets from customers and claiming them as their own. In one instance, the $250,000 winning ticket of an 82-year-old man went unpaid for four years due to a convenience store clerk’s theft and OLG’s lack of enforcement response.

Spurred to action, the OLG has mandated new security measures to protect lottery customers, which range from customer-facing ticket check displays to special music being triggered by winning tickets. Since 2008 all lottery tickets have required a signature, including digital ones.

Getting Help For Problem Gambling in Toronto

Players concerned that their gaming habits may be growing out of control or putting stress on their finances may enter into a voluntary self-exclusion program organized through OLG.

The self-exclusion program allows players to register themselves into a database that will be used to deny them access to OLG regulated venues in-person, online, or if desired, both. Players can choose a self-exclusion of six months, twelve months, or an indefinite period.

After the passage of their term, they can choose to submit a formal return to the play request, but it must be approved by OLG for reinstatement to occur. OLG is also legally allowed to request a player’s financial records and other documentation when making their decision.

While not entirely unusual, OLG’s program has been cited as controversial due to its use of facial recognition technology that gives gaming venue cameras the ability to match your face with a database, allowing casinos to escort you off-premises.

There’s another issue: a study conducted by OLG in 2015-2016 found that less than 40% of gamblers were aware of the self-exclusion program, only 26% were aware that responsible gaming resources are available at all Ontario gaming sites. The program faces criticism for failing to reach more problematic gamblers.