Northwest Territories Gambling Sites

Northwest Territories Gambling Overview

Gambling is legal in the Northwest Territories. However, there are no land-based casinos, poker rooms or sportsbooks, so you’ll need to play online.

Sport Select is the only regulated Northwest Territories online gambling site. However, the site’s sports betting odds are poor, and it doesn’t offer casino games or poker. For that reason, most Northwesterners use grey market gambling sites instead.

What is the Gambling Age in the Northwest Territories?

The legal gambling age is 19 in the Northwest Territories. Anyone aged 19 or older can buy lottery tickets, play at charity gaming venues or use the Sport Select site. You can also play online casino games, bet on sports, or play poker at grey market sites if you are at least 19 in the Northwest Territories.

Best Online Casinos Available in the Northwest Territories

We have reviewed the leading online gambling sites that accept players in NWT. After comparing their relative pros and cons, we determined that these are the top six sites for Northwest Territories online gambling.

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How We Evaluate Northwest Territories Online Casinos

We focus on several key factors when evaluating Northwest Territories online casinos. They include the bonuses, loyalty programs, the user experience, the payout speeds, the customer service and the general reputation of the site. These are the four main criteria we examine:

Availability in the Northwest Territories

First, we ensure each site is available in the Northwest Territories. That means Northwesterners must be able to access the site via their phones, tablets or computers from anywhere in the territory, without the need for a VPN.

Player Protections

We then delve into the security measures at each site. Our experts are looking for safe, trusted sites that deploy powerful encryption tools and multiple firewalls to keep players safe.

Canadian-Friendly Banking Options

Our reviewers assess the deposit and withdrawal options too. We are seeking Northwest Territories online gambling sites that support popular, secure methods like Interac, iDebit, Instadebit, Visa, MasterCard, Payz, MuchBetter and crypto.

Game Selection and Software Providers

We also break down the range of games at each Northwest Territories online casino. Our experts look for sites that host a large, diverse variety of slots and table games. They ensure the games are sourced from reputable providers. We also make sure that independent testing agencies have certified the games for fairness and accuracy.

Comparing Online Casinos and Sportsbooks Available in the Northwest Territories

Here’s a look at some of our top gambling sites in the Northwest Territories and how they compare:

Is Online Gambling Legal in the Northwest Territories?

Yes, online gambling is legal in the Northwest Territories. Anyone aged 19 or older can place online sports bets at Sport Select, a site run by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. The Northwest Territories legalized single game sports betting in 2021.

However, the territorial government doesn’t have its own online casino or poker room. That means you won’t find a local equivalent to PlayAlberta, British Columbia’s PlayNow, or Quebec’s Mise-o-jeu+.

Fortunately, Northwesterners can use a wide range of gambling sites hosted outside of the territory. They include TonyBet, Sports Interaction, Bodog, and Betway. There are no laws that would prevent you from playing casino games, entering poker tournaments, or betting on sports at those sites.

Several years ago, the provincial government in Quebec tried to block overseas gambling sites, but the superior court ruled it would be unconstitutional. Since then, bettors in Quebec have been free to use grey market gambling sites. This case provided a nationwide precedent, and no provinces or territories have tried to enact a similar ban since then.

Land-Based Gambling Options in the Northwest Territories

There are no land-based casinos, sportsbooks, or poker rooms in the Northwest Territories. The only physical gambling venues are bingo halls. They include Elk’s Bingo Hall in Yellowknife. New North Networks runs bingo games to support the Inuvik Native Band too.

Who Regulates Gambling in the Northwest Territories?

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) is the only gambling regulator in the Northwest Territories. MACA licenses charity gambling establishments, which can offer bingo, pull-tabs (also known as Nevada tickets), casino-style games and raffles.

Lottery licensing rests with 16 NWT communities. Retailers must contact their local community to obtain a license to sell lottery tickets.

There are no land-based casinos in NWT, so the territory doesn’t have a gambling control board or a gaming commission. Grey market sites are licensed in their home jurisdictions. For example, Betway holds a license from the Malta Gaming Authority. Meanwhile, Bodog and TonyBet are licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

Comparing the Northwest Territories’ Gambling Laws to Neighbouring Provinces and Territories

Neighbouring provinces offer more gambling options than NWT. For example, there are lots of land-based casinos in British Columbia, and some of them have poker rooms. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation has also developed its own site, PlayNow.

This site offers online casino games, sports betting, lottery games, poker and bingo. However, grey market sites offer more games and larger bonuses, so they remain popular in British Columbia.

In Saskatchewan, bettors can access a local version of PlayNow. SaskGaming, a subsidiary of Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan, also runs two and-based casinos. There are seven First Nations casinos in Saskatchewan too.

The provincial government in Alberta has launched the PlayAlberta site, which offers sports betting and casino games. However, the odds are unappealing, and the casino game selection is limited, so many players use grey market sites instead. There are several land-based casinos in Alberta too.

In the Yukon, the situation is very similar to the Northwest Territories. There is only one casino, Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall. Sport Select is the only regulated gambling site in the Yukon, so most Yukoners use grey market sites like TonyBet and Sports Interaction.

The Future of Online Casinos in the Northwest Territories

We do not anticipate any major changes to the Northwest Territories online casino market in the immediate future. British Columbia’s PlayNow site has expanded into Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but there are no plans to bring it to NWT.

Meanwhile, the territorial government probably lacks the means and the impetus to create its own equivalent site. It doesn’t enjoy the same sort of autonomy that provincial governments receive either, as NWT is more dependent on the federal government.

Ontario is the only province with a regulated market for privately owned online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks. Alberta has passed similar legislation, so it is expected to become the second province with a regulated market.

There’s a slim chance that NWT could follow suit. However, lawmakers have not proposed a similar law. There would also be significant legislative hurdles. As such, we expect grey market sites to dominate the Northwest Territories online gambling market for many years.

Please Gamble Responsibly in the Northwest Territories

Please enjoy Northwest Territories sports betting, casino gaming and poker responsibly. There are no guarantees that you will succeed, so don’t play with money you cannot afford to lose. Stick to a strict budget, take regular breaks, and enjoy Northwest Territories online gambling in moderation.

If you need support, call the local helpline on 1-800-661-0844. You can also visit these sites for more information:

Saskatchewan Gambling Legal Sources

Northwest Territories Online Casinos Summary

Northwesterners need to use grey market sites for most forms of online gambling. We have highlighted the top six sites for Northwest Territories online casino players, sports bettors, and poker players.

TonyBet, Sports Interaction, Bodog, Betway, Izzi Casino and PowBet are all established, trusted sites. They also offer large sign-up bonuses and have great selections of games and sports to bet on. For anyone looking to gambling in the Northwest Territories, these sites are the best.