CABegin with three details: the province you are checking, the exact website address and the company named in the operator’s terms. A familiar brand name or licence badge is not enough to establish that all three belong together.
This guide covers source-checking for Ontario and Alberta, with official starting points for British Columbia and Québec. It is not a complete legal assessment of every Canadian jurisdiction or a certification of any WagerSift partner.
Record the website before searching for the brand
Copy the domain from the address bar, including any regional subdomain. Then find the operating company in the terms or legal footer. Keep the source address and the date beside your notes.
A brand can be more visible than its company name. Conversely, a company entry does not explain every website carrying a similar logo. Look for an explicit connection between the record, the entity and the domain you would use.
If a link changes domains, check the final address separately. Do not assume that information about the starting domain automatically covers the destination.
Ontario: use the directory within its stated scope
The iGaming Ontario operator directory lists websites offered by regulated operators contracted with iGO. The page separately explains that OLG.ca operates under the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s conduct and management.
Look for the exact site, then compare its operator with the company named in the site’s terms. A similar name is a lead to investigate, not a match to record as confirmed. Use the official directory itself rather than a search-result excerpt of an old list.
Alberta: distinguish registration from the operating arrangement
AGLC’s iGaming information describes two requirements for operators: AGLC registration and a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation. One should not be silently treated as proof of the other.
Use the AGLC registrant search to investigate the company and any published trading name. Read the registration class as well as the name; a record concerning another role does not establish an operator’s status. Keep any unresolved connection to the actual website in your notes.
British Columbia and Québec: consult their own sources
BCLC describes PlayNow as British Columbia’s only legal online gambling platform. Loto-Québec identifies its own gaming website as the only legal gaming website in Québec.
These are jurisdiction-specific statements from the respective public operators. They are not reasons to treat “outside Ontario” as one uniform market. For a province or territory not covered here, find its current official information before drawing a conclusion.
What if you cannot find a matching name?
An unsuccessful brand-name search leaves a question unresolved. Try the exact operating entity from the terms and check whether the source uses a trading name or a separate website list. Do not substitute a company with a vaguely similar name.
For example, suppose a footer identifies Example Gaming Ltd, while a record names Example Services Ltd. This is a hypothetical illustration, not a finding about a real operator. The shared word does not prove that the two companies are related or that the record covers the website.
The same care applies to an overseas licence. A foreign record may help identify a company or domain within that authority’s scope. It does not, by itself, establish a Canadian provincial approval.
Keep a useful checking record
| Save | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Province and date | Makes clear what you checked and when |
| Exact website and final destination | Prevents one domain being mistaken for another |
| Company named in the terms | Gives you an entity to investigate |
| Official source and matching entry | Lets you revisit the actual evidence |
| Any mismatch or missing connection | Stops an unresolved question becoming a positive claim |
This process helps organise evidence; it does not guarantee operator performance or resolve legal uncertainty. Once the website check is complete, research the payment route separately. For a wider research path, return to the Canada hub.