USA and Canadian Gambling in The Present and Future
The United States of America and Canada share the longest border of any two nations in the world. They share much in common, having played the first -ever international sporting event between two international nations. However, when it comes to the more complex regulations around gambling, there are differences.
Both America and its North American neighbour are hot spots for casino gaming and sports betting. Most Americans tend to prefer slot machines poker whereas almost 60 per cent of Canadians have a soft spot for lotteries.
As far as the thrill of the physical location goes, the gambling capital of the world is in Las Vegas. It is a site which attracts punters and tourists with its huge array of casinos. Canada also has a huge pull with its four land-based casinos in Quebec and strong wagering communities in Ontario and British Columbia.
The increasing proliferation of online gaming has also affected both countries in recent years. The U.S iGaming market is accelerating as the legalisation of online gambling and sports betting continues to roll out in different states.
In 2018 things changed hugely in respect of sports wagering in the United States. Up until that point, PASPA (The Professional Sports Protection Act) limited sports betting to one state, Nevada. The Supreme Court cleared the way for each state to decide if it wanted to legalise sports betting within their domain.
Canada has opened its markets too in recent times, changing the entire landscape. It may have a small population of under 40 million, but there is an emerging upsurge in online betting.
The legal, regulated iGaming market was launched in 2022. Before that, private operators were barred from direct entry into the market. The year before in 2021, single-event legalised sports wagering was introduced which has allowed provinces to regulate and tax these activities.
Previously, many Canadians were making bets through grey market operators or offshore providers that were unregulated in Canada.
The Top Takeaways of Canadian Gambling
- Online casinos and sportsbooks licensed in Canada
- Canada gambling regulations are governed by the Canadian Criminal Code
- Most provinces have gambling sites for residents but are not available to other non-local communities
- Players must be at least 19 years old to gamble online in most provinces, although in Alberta and Ontario, the minimum age is 18.
- Winnings aren’t seen as a regular income. The Canadian government doesn’t levy any taxes on winnings.
Canadian players also have access to better social promotions and bonuses than their American counterparts. Some of those platforms are listed on the Bonus.ca official website.
Top Takeaways of USA Gambling
The United States has a more disparate framework when it comes to legalised betting. There are many grey areas. The betting landscape is wildly different depending on location.
Only a select number of states have legalised online gambling (casino and sports betting). These are listed below
The States Where Sports Betting and Betting Online Are Legal
States Where Online Gambling (Casino Games and Sports Betting) is Legal in USA Delaware |
Michigan |
New Jersey |
Pennsylvania |
Rhode Island |
West Virginia Connecticut |
- Unlike Canada, any form of winnings from gambling is taxed. Online winnings must be declared on a special form which carries a 24 per cent tax charge.
- At the time of writing, there are just under 40 states that permit sports betting in some format. Approximately three-quarters of those have online sports betting via either mobile devices or websites.
- The federal rules are players must be at least 18 years of age. Several states have raised this to 21 years of age. This underlines the patchwork nature of regulations and differences within the complex framework of U.S. gambling.
Future Growth in USA and Canada
Online casinos, and gambling will most likely continue to surge, especially as it boosts job creation, technological advancement, tourism and tax revenues. In the future, the laws in Canada will need some revision as things continue to advance.
In the United States, the march of legalised betting looks set to continue with states like New York, and Iowa on the cusp of expanding and making regulatory changes. Advances in AI and free markets look set to continue this trend. That could affect the landscape across the whole of the country.
Both the United States and Canada will take gambling into a new age with the advance of technology and the use of customised, seamless and secure online platforms and land-based access. Ultimately, they offer different experiences that are dependent on state and provincial regulations.