Online Gambling in Prince Edward Island: Laws and Regulations
Prince Edward Island may be the smallest Canadian province, both surface and population-wise, but gambling is alive and kicking. Many PEI (Prince Edward Island) residents enjoy various forms of gambling, as it is entirely legal to gamble on Prince Edward Island.
Namely, under section 207 of Canada’s Criminal Code, all provinces and territories were empowered to set their gambling laws pursuant to the Criminal Code. The PEI took advantage of the opportunity and brought a series of regulations under their 1976 Lotteries Commission Act, allowing for the legalization of casinos, bingo halls, and lotteries.
In this article, we will explore all legal forms of gambling in PEI and focus in particular on the legality and position of online gaming.
Top 3 Online Casinos in Prince Edward Island
PlayOJO Casino
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Cardano accepted
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Gambling Laws in Prince Edward Island — Historical Overview
Gambling in PEI has a long history that can be traced back to the times of the first settlers. The first organized and allowed forms of gambling were seen between 1906 and 1925 with lotteries and on-track betting organized by the agricultural fairs.
Significant shifts in government policies in PEI came with the Criminal Code of Canada and the 1976 Lotteries Commission Act. With this Act, the government of PEI formed the Lottery Commission as the regulatory body in charge of organizing and operating all gaming activities within Prince Edward Island.
Later that year, the four Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador and their Lottery Commissions established the Atlantic Lottery Corporation as the crown company in charge of providing all gaming programs, such as lotteries, scratch cards, casino games, sports betting, and all other kinds of electronic gaming.
With the 1978 Provincial Super-Loto Regulations, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation was granted permission to offer state lotteries like the Super-Loto to people of PEI and other Maritime provinces.
In the late 80s, a rise in illegally operated video poker machines was seen across PEI. The government set a series of regulations to combat it from 1991 to 2005, culminating in The Gaming Centre Control Regulations Act. With this Act, the whole VLT operating jurisdiction entirely belongs to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
Further changes were seen in the 2008 government strategy aimed at reducing the number of VLT sites by 50% across the entire island as a way of curbing illicit gambling and gambling-related issues.
The number of VLT terminals will also be decreased by 20% from the current 386 available Video Lottery Terminals.
What Forms of Gambling Are Legal in Prince Edward Island?
The majority of available forms of gambling are legal in Prince Edward Island if offered by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and its partners. The following forms of gambling are legal and widespread throughout PEI:
- Casino Gaming: Casino gaming is permissible and takes place in two Atlantic Lottery facilities: Red Shores Racetrack and Casino located in Charlottetown Driving Park, and Red Shores Summerside. At Red Shores gambling hub, you can enjoy over 200 slots, a variety of table games like roulette, baccarat, live poker games, and live harness racing events. The Red Shores Summerside facility is equipped with around 40 gaming machines, simulcast racing, and horse betting.
- Virtual Lottery Machines: in PEI, there had been around 85 licensed operators of about 385 VLT machines and terminals before 2008 when the government decided to cut their number in half. The VLTs are similar to slot machines, but with a centralized system controlled by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. This system keeps track of the size of jackpots, and the average payouts players can expect range from 80 to 90%.
- Sports betting: Sports betting is entirely legal and operated by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation with its Proline betting system. With Proline betting, all PEI residents aged 19 or more are allowed to place parlay, moneyline, spreads and totals bets on different kinds of sports and pari-mutuel horse racing, and even bet on fantasy games.
- Lottery: Lottery games are also legal forms of gambling. The lottery is managed and offered by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. Other charity organizations can also apply for a lottery license from The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission.
- Bingo: Bingo belongs to the charitable gaming section regulated by the PEI Consumer, Labor and Financial Services Division within the Environment, Labor and Justice Department. Eight bingo halls are operating in PEI, offering different types of bingo games and scratch cards.
Is Online Gambling Allowed in Prince Edward Island?
The gaming scenery gets more complicated when online gambling on Prince Edward Island is concerned. Under the Canadian Criminal Code and Lottery Commission Gambling Act of Prince Edward Island, online gambling is only legal when offered by a licensed operator, which is, in the case of PEI, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
At the moment, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation only offers a variety of ProLine betting, keno, and lottery games in their online gaming catalogue. For online casino games and poker, you will have to opt for offshore online casinos and poker sites.
This is more than a viable option, as no law or regulation prohibits PEI residents from accessing offshore casinos and betting sites. These casinos might not be licensed and regulated in Canada, but they are free to accept players from PEI and the rest of Canada. The legal restrictions refer to advertising their services to Canadians and other such details that only apply to operators, and not you as a player.
So, if you are after thousands of slots, poker, and other table games like roulette, craps, baccarat, and blackjack, you can go to offshore casinos without any fear of legal persecution from the PEI authorities.
Tips for Choosing an Overseas Online Casino
Although you can freely access overseas casinos from Prince Edward Island, caution should be exercised. The following are some of the tips you should have in mind when choosing your next online playing ground:
- Go for online casinos licensed and regulated by reputable gaming jurisdiction agencies. Online casinos that hold licenses from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Alderney Gambling Control Commission, or Malta Gaming Authority are considered fair and secure, as these regulators insist on strict regulations that protect players from any fraudulent behaviour.
- Choose casinos with gaming catalogues from renowned software producers. Casinos that work with Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Evolution Gaming, and other big names of the industry will have vast gaming options and top jackpots.
- Search for casinos with the biggest bonuses and promotions. Starting a gaming adventure with a casino that offers a high welcome deposit, no deposit, reload, and cashback bonuses is always the right choice. It will maximize your playing potential and the possibility of winning big.
- Choose an online casino with a 24/7 customer support team, preferably via Live Chat. You want to have the right kind of support in case you encounter any technical issues or have any legal inquiries.
FAQs
Online casinos licensed and regulated by reputable gaming jurisdiction are safe and fair. They employ top-level security protocols and usually have stamps of approval by independent auditing agencies like eCOGRA.
Online gambling in Prince Edward Island is legal when conducted through the Atlantic Lottery Corporation site. There, you can only access online lottery, keno, and sports betting. However, no laws prohibit you from gambling in offshore casinos.
Winnings acquired through online and offline gambling are not taxable.
There are two land-based casinos and racetracks in Prince Edward Island: Red Shores Racetrack & Casino in Charlottetown and Red Shores at Summerside.
All players who wish to gamble in Prince Edward Island need to be over 19 years of age.
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Author: Tom Wilson
Chief editor and creator, Tom drives the direction of CanadianCasinos.ca with the goal to provide the best and most honest resource for online gambling enthusiasts in Canada