Is Online Gambling Legal in PEI?

Key takeaways

1. One legal online channel. Under the Criminal Code, only a provincial government may run casino-style games online. PEI does this through the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission, one of the four shareholders of Atlantic Lottery, which runs alc.ca.
2. 19+, and you must be in Atlantic Canada. PEI law bans selling lottery tickets to anyone under 19. To open an alc.ca account you must be at least 19, live in Atlantic Canada and be physically there when you register.
3. Help is free. Call the PEI Gambling Support Line at 1-855-255-4255 (toll-free). On alc.ca you can also lock yourself out for anywhere from 1 day to 36 months.

Why only the government can run online gambling

Online casino games are legal in Canada only when a province runs them, alone or jointly with other provinces. That is the effect of section 207 of the Criminal Code, which keeps computer-based games away from charities and other licensees; our Canada explainer walks through it. PEI runs its games jointly with the other three Atlantic provinces.

PEI’s Lotteries Commission Act is the provincial law that uses this power. It sets up the Commission and lets it, with Cabinet approval:

• run lottery schemes and pari-mutuel betting for PEI, alone or with other provinces; and
• sign agreements with other provinces to create a joint corporation that runs those games for all of them.

Atlantic Lottery is that joint corporation.

The Act doesn’t create a licence for private online gambling companies. A website that isn’t run by Atlantic Lottery isn’t PEI’s authorized channel, and PEI’s player-protection rules don’t cover it.

Atlantic Lottery’s role in PEI

Atlantic Lottery (legally the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, or ALC) says the four Atlantic provincial governments set it up “on behalf of all Atlantic Canadians.” Its four shareholders are the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission, the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

ALC says it has offered lottery games for PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador since 1976. It says its mandate is to provide “government regulated and responsible products” and to deliver “100% of lottery profits to our four provincial shareholders.” On the PEI side, the Act says the Commission’s net profits, after prizes and expenses, go into the province’s Operating Fund.

ALC’s work in PEI covers three areas:

• Online (alc.ca and app). The site’s menus list lotto, instant-win games, casino and Proline sports betting, and ALC calls itself “an operator of an online casino.”
• Red Shores. ALC runs the Red Shores Racetrack and Casino gaming floors in both Charlottetown and Summerside.
• Video lottery and gaming centres. PEI’s Gaming Centers Control Regulations (the official consolidation is current to July 19, 2014) let ALC operate electronic gaming devices in its own gaming centres. It can also place them in approved licensed premises, and on Northumberland Ferries vessels, under siteholder agreements.

Who can play online. An alc.ca account is for people 19 and over who live in one of the four Atlantic provinces, and you have to be in the region both to register and to buy a game. ALC verifies identity and residence for every account, and it won’t take deposits from, or pay out to, a bank outside Canada. (The exact wording of the terms is quoted on our New Brunswick page.)

Who regulates gambling in PEI

PEI has no stand-alone gaming regulator like Ontario’s AGCO. Two bodies share the job:

Body	What it is	What it does
Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission	A provincial corporation that the Lotteries Commission Act makes “for all purposes of this Act an agent of the Government”, with its head office in Charlottetown. It has three members: the responsible Minister, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Affordability, and one other public servant appointed by Cabinet.	Conducts and manages lottery schemes and pari-mutuel betting for PEI, mainly through Atlantic Lottery, and is PEI’s shareholder in ALC. The Auditor General audits its accounts, and it must send a yearly report to the Minister for tabling in the Legislative Assembly.
Consumer Services Section, Financial and Consumer Services Division	Part of the provincial government.	Issues lottery licences for charitable gaming events such as raffles, 50/50 draws and bingo. Only non-profit and charitable groups can apply. Contact: (902) 368-4550, toll-free 1-800-658-1799, licensing@gov.pe.ca.

The Act also shields the Government, the Commission and ALC from lawsuits over a person’s gambling. That protection was added in 2020. There is one exception: you can still sue ALC for proven losses caused by its negligence in running a game or taking a bet. Those damages are compensatory only, and class actions are barred.

Legal age

The legal age is 19:

• Lottery tickets (PEI law). Section 17 of the Lotteries Commission Act says no one may sell a lottery ticket or pari-mutuel ticket to anyone under 19, or buy one for them. Sellers must ask for photo ID from anyone who appears to be under 19. Fines go up to $2,000 for a first offence, $5,000 for a second and $10,000 for a third or later offence.
• VLTs and gaming devices. Under the Gaming Centers Control Regulations, siteholders may not let anyone under 19 play an electronic gaming device or pay them winnings.
• Atlantic Lottery and alc.ca. ALC says “You must be 19+ to purchase, play or redeem ALC products.” Its rules also say prizes “will not be paid to any individual under the age of nineteen (19) years.”

Self-exclusion and taking a break

On alc.ca. The same PlayWise tools apply across Atlantic Canada: weekly deposit, daily session and 24-hour wager limits, and a Take a Break button (on every wager screen and under My Account) that locks you out for 1 to 90 days or for 6, 12, 24 or 36 months. ALC says “a break cannot be reversed by you or by Atlantic Lottery.” Its Healthy Play Policy also signs every player out after 5 hours in a row.

At Red Shores. Both Red Shores locations (Charlottetown and Summerside) have a PlayWise Hub with on-site PlayWise Advisors. Contact them at (902) 620-4267 or playwiseredshores@alc.ca. Red Shores’ Break in Play Program lets anyone take a break from the gaming floor at both locations: a short break of 30, 60 or 90 days, or a long break of 6, 12, 24 or 36 months. To enrol, speak to a PlayWise Advisor.

Where to get help in PEI

• PEI Gambling Support Line (toll-free): 1-855-255-4255. Health PEI says you’ll speak with a trained professional who can point you to in-person counselling, Gamblers Anonymous, SMART Recovery and other supports. They can also refer you to Addiction Services. ALC lists the same number as PEI’s gambling helpline.
• Provincial Addictions Treatment Facility (Mount Herbert): (902) 368-4120, toll-free 1-888-299-8399. Addiction Services offers screening and assessment, counselling (individual, group and family) and referrals, including to credit counselling. There are also offices in Souris (902-687-7110), Montague (902-838-0960), Summerside (902-888-8380) and Alberton (902-853-8670).
• Gambling support groups. Health PEI lists weekly Thursday groups in Charlottetown (161 St. Peter’s Road, Suite 120; call 902-368-4287) and Summerside (Prince County Hospital, 65 Roy Boates Avenue; call 902-888-8380). Call ahead to check times.
• Mental Health and Addictions Phone Line: 1-833-553-6983. Health PEI says trained mental health professionals answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Open Access Counselling. Health PEI says you can speak with a mental health or addictions counsellor with no appointment or referral. Check the listed clinic hours before you go.
• Health information: 811. Emergency: 911.

What changed recently

• July 10, 2026: Atlantic Lottery said the federal anti-money-laundering agency FINTRAC issued it an administrative monetary penalty of $212,025 for three compliance violations. ALC said the findings were “administrative in nature” and involve no allegation of money laundering. It paid the penalty rather than appeal, which ended the examination.
• 2026: An amendment (2026, c. 11) updated the Lotteries Commission Act’s references to the Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Affordability. The official consolidation is current to May 29, 2026.
• No move to an open market. Alberta opened a regulated iGaming market to registered private operators on July 13, 2026, following Ontario. PEI has not. As of September 30, 2026, the official sources we checked show alc.ca as PEI’s only legal online channel. We will update this page if the province announces a change.

Are gambling winnings taxed?

For most people, no. The Canada Revenue Agency says you do not have to report “lottery winnings of any amount, unless the prize can be considered income from employment, a business or property.” Interest or other income you earn from investing winnings is taxable.

Practical next steps

1. Stick to alc.ca or the Atlantic Lottery app. Nothing else is PEI’s regulated channel, and you lose ALC’s limits and complaint route elsewhere.
2. Decide your limits first, before your first deposit, not after a bad night.
3. Want a break from Red Shores too? Ask a PlayWise Advisor there about the Break in Play Program; an alc.ca break doesn’t cover the gaming floors.
4. Worried about yourself or someone else? Call the PEI Gambling Support Line at 1-855-255-4255.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in PEI?

Yes, but only through the province. Atlantic Lottery’s alc.ca and its app are the legal online option. They run on behalf of the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission and the other Atlantic provinces. No private operator is licensed to offer online casino games or sports betting in PEI.

What is the gambling age in PEI?

You must be 19 or older. PEI law bans selling lottery tickets to anyone under 19, and gaming-centre rules bar under-19s from electronic gaming devices. Atlantic Lottery requires players to be 19+ for all its products, including alc.ca.

Who regulates gambling in PEI?

The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission, an agent of the Government under the Lotteries Commission Act, conducts and manages provincial lotteries and gaming, mostly through Atlantic Lottery. Charitable lottery licences (raffles, 50/50s, bingo) are issued by the province’s Consumer Services Section.

Can I use alc.ca if I’m travelling outside Atlantic Canada?

Only within the region. A trip to Halifax or Moncton is fine, but once you leave Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador you can’t buy alc.ca games, even as a PEI resident.

Can I be charged for using an offshore gambling site in PEI?

In law, a player can be. Section 207(3)(b) of the Criminal Code makes taking part in a lottery scheme that no province authorizes a summary conviction offence. Offshore sites, including those licensed by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission in Quebec, are not PEI’s authorized channel, and Atlantic Lottery’s tools and complaint process don’t apply there.

How do I self-exclude from gambling in PEI?

Online, use “Take a Break” in your alc.ca account to lock yourself out for 1–90 days or for 6, 12, 24 or 36 months. For the Red Shores gaming floors in Charlottetown and Summerside, enrol in the Break in Play Program (30, 60 or 90 days, or 6, 12, 24 or 36 months) through a PlayWise Advisor at (902) 620-4267 or playwiseredshores@alc.ca.

Where can I get help for problem gambling in PEI?

Call the PEI Gambling Support Line at 1-855-255-4255 (toll-free), or Addiction Services at 1-888-299-8399. Health PEI also runs weekly gambling support groups in Charlottetown and Summerside. For 24/7 support, call the Mental Health and Addictions Phone Line at 1-833-553-6983. In an emergency, call 911.

This page explains the law and isn’t legal advice. Last reviewed September 30, 2026, against the Government of Prince Edward Island, Justice Laws, Canada Revenue Agency, AGLC and Atlantic Lottery sources listed below.