Gambling Laws in Newfoundland and Labrador
Hello and welcome to this page discussing gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador. We will talk about the differences in Canadian gambling law and how they specifically apply to Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws. So, sit back and enjoy reading!
What Are Gambling Laws in Newfoundland and Labrador Like
If you know a thing or two about Canadian gambling law, you’d know that it differs in different provinces and this article will tell you why that’s the case. The focus of this article though would be the gambling laws of a specific Canadian province – Newfoundland and Labrador.
We will discuss in length gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the types of gambling that are legal in the province. We will also talk about the possibility of the Canadian province to change its existing gambling legislation.
History of Canadian Gambling Legislation
Canada has had quite the interesting history with gambling. To begin with, First Nations people have always played gambling games that are unique to the Americas and their native populations. One of them is Slahal and it’s still being played by indigenous people.
In addition, when Europeans came and settled in Canada they brought their own games with them. The French contributed a lot to the gambling games in Canada by bringing with them games like blackjack and roulette. This is the reason why nowadays many players in the country can enjoy some of the best roulette sites in Canada. For a while, there was no piece of legislation that allowed or prohibited gambling.
This, however, changed soon after Canada gained its independence in 1867. The Criminal Code of 1892, provided us with the first example of a Canadian gambling law, but this law unfortunately banned all sorts of gambling. Illegal gambling networks popped up almost immediately after.
Still, a few years later, charitable groups began conducting games to benefit various causes and the government officially excluded charitable gaming like bingo and raffles from the gambling ban. In addition, after a long and intense debate, Canada legalised pari-mutuel betting (betting on horse races) in 1910.
In the next few decades, Canada was looking into possible changes to its gambling policies. It even created a special commission to assess the matter and advice the government on gambling legislation. The commission’s finding must have been positive, because soon later, in 1969, Canada legalised the lottery.
Canadian gambling law changed even more drastically in 1970 when it opened the door for provinces to regulate their own gambling industries, essentially allowing them to legalise most forms of gambling. Even more freedom to do as they see fit was given to the provinces in the 1980’s.
For instance, Canadian provinces could even choose their own legal gambling age. In some it’s 18 years, in other 19, and in thirds, a mixture of both. The legal gambling age in Newfoundland and Labrador is 19 years.
Along with these new laws, the 1980’s saw Canada allow casinos to be built and it also legalises sports betting on a federal level, albeit only letting people place parlay bets. It was only in 2021 that Canada legalised single bets.
Newfoundland and Labrador Gambling Laws
In terms of gambling, Newfoundland and Labrador is in fact one of the strictest provinces in Canada and the history of gambling legislation, along with more contemporary opinions regarding gambling can easily show that. So, let’s unpack the strict gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To begin with, although pari-mutuel betting was legalised in Canada all the way back in 1910, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that Newfoundland and Labrador had a betting venue, known as the St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre. Due to lack of funding, this venue has been delapitating for decades.
In 1976, Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws relaxed a little bit. First, the Canadian province introduced its first lottery game and the same year the Alantic Lottery Company was established, which is a gambling provider that serves Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
While other provinces were quick to open land-based casinos in the 1980’s, Newfoundland and Labrador was not even entertaining that option. Still, the province introduced video lottery terminals or VLT (they can be video slots, video lottery, or keno) in 1991, but only venues with alcohol license could have VLTs on their premises.
It wasn’t long after that gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador changed and became stricter. In 1996, number of VLTs per venue was capped at five and in addition to that, the province decided that no casinos would be built on its territories.
The tendency to limit gambling and introduce even stricter gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador only continued. In 2005, the provincial government introduced plans to reduce the number of VLTs and even changed the VLTs software to slow down the gameplay.
To this day, there isn’t a single casino in the province and gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador still prohibit casinos. When local politicians were asked whether that would change, the response was negative.
Online Gambling Laws in Newfoundland and Labrador
Although gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador are quite adamant about land-based casino-style gaming, you can actually legally gamble online in the Canadian province. That is solely because of the Atlantic Lottery Company and their gambling website ALC.ca, a representative of the top-rated Interac casino sites in the country.
Initially, the website didn’t offer that many gambling options, mostly concentrating on lottery, but you can now bet on sports and even play casino games like poker and slots. This is so far the only legal and regulated online casino in Newfoundland and Labrador.
It might be a long time before Newfoundland and Labrador introduce best Canadian online casinos, but interestingly, it is not an offence for a Canadian to gamble at an offshore online casino, so there’s that.
Newfoundland and Labrador Gambling Regulators
There is currently one regulator of gambling in Newfoundland and Labrador – the Department of Digital Government and Service NL. The regulator is responsible for ensuring that everyone abides to gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, it hands licenses to venues that want VLTs and it checks the machines.
Popular Questions
Thank you for reading our article on gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador! We hope you found the article interesting and that you now know everything about Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws. Below, you can also find the most popular questions regarding the topic. If you have any other questions, ask away.
1️⃣ Are Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws strict?
This is a subjective question, but overall, yes, the Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws are rather strict. They have been ever since Canada allowed individual provinces to decide on their gambling future, and it seems like the situation has not changed that much in recent years.
2️⃣ What age does the gambling law in Newfoundland and Labrador allow?
The legal gambling age according to the gambling law in Newfoundland and Labrador is 19 years. Canadian gambling law allows the provinces to pick their own legal gambling age, so they differ in the different provinces. Make sure to check the local gambling laws before you visit a province you've never been to.
3️⃣ Does the Newfoundland and Labrador gambling regulation allow casinos?
Unfortunately, there are no land-based casinos in Newfoundland and Labrador, making it one of the only two Canadian provinces without a casino. Gambling authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador outright banned the building of casinos in the Canadian province, and it's unlikely for that to change in the next few years.
4️⃣ Can you gamble online in Newfoundland and Labrador?
Although Newfoundland and Labrador gambling laws are rather strict, you can Newfoundland and Labrador online gambling is allowed only on the legal and regulated website of the Atlantic Lottery Company. It is co-owned by three other Canadian provinces. You can buy online lottery tickets, bet on sports, and play casino games at ALC.
5️⃣ Who regulates gambling in Newfoundland and Labrador?
The main and only organisations for Newfoundland and Labrador gambling regulation are the Department of Digital Government and Service NL. The regulator ensures that everyone abides by gambling laws in Newfoundland and Labrador and that every operator within the province is properly licensed.