Should I speak with a tax professional about my online casino winnings and what kind of accountant handles these questions?

Canada's tax treatment of gambling winnings trips up a lot of players because the default answer — no, they're not taxable — is true for most people, but it comes with a real exception that's easy to stumble into without realizing it.

The general rule, and the exception that matters

Certain amounts are non-taxable under the CRA's rules, and lottery winnings fall into that category — you don't need to report them as income on your return. That same principle extends to most recreational casino winnings. The catch is the word "most." An individual's gambling activities can result in taxable business income if those activities constitute a source of income — that is, if the person is effectively carrying on the business of gambling.

Whether your activities cross that line is a question of fact, determined by examining all the circumstances and your entire course of conduct. The criteria the CRA looks at include the degree of organization in how you pursue gambling, whether you apply special knowledge or skill to reduce the element of chance, your intention (pleasure vs. a means of earning a livelihood), and the extent of your gambling activities including frequency of bets.

If you are in the business of gambling, the proceeds and losses are considered for income tax purposes — and this can include skill-based activities like poker when conducted in a sufficiently organized and commercial manner. For the vast majority of Toronto players who play slots, blackjack, or roulette recreationally on a licensed Ontario platform, the business-of-gambling threshold is a long way off. But if you're a disciplined, high-volume poker player who tracks results systematically and treats it as a primary income source, the picture gets murkier fast.

There's one more thing worth knowing: income earned on gambling winnings — for example, interest you earn when you invest the money — is taxable. So even if the original win is clean, what you do with it afterward can create a tax event.

Who to call, and what to look for in them

For a straightforward question ("I had a good run at slots, am I fine?"), a general CPA — a Chartered Professional Accountant — can give you a quick, reliable answer. In Canada, the CPA designation is the unified professional standard, covering what used to be separate CA, CGA, and CMA designations. Any competent CPA with personal tax experience can confirm the recreational-gambling baseline.

Where it gets more specialized is if your situation involves high volume, skill-based games, or you're genuinely unsure whether you've crossed into business-income territory. For that, look for a CPA who explicitly handles self-employment or business income questions, or one who advertises experience with CRA audit matters. Some tax lawyers also handle this territory, particularly if there's any possibility of a CRA inquiry. A tax lawyer's advice is additionally protected by solicitor-client privilege, which a CPA's is not — worth knowing if you're concerned about disclosure.

To find someone qualified, the CPA Ontario directory (cpaontario.ca) lets you search by specialty and location across Toronto. Look for someone who lists personal and small-business tax, or who has dealt with self-employment income classification — the legal question of "is this a business?" is exactly the kind of analysis they handle routinely.

One practical note: bring records. The CRA looks at factors like the type and frequency of gaming, the source of funds used to place wagers, and the frequency of wins versus losses. Your account history from a licensed Ontario operator is a clean, timestamped record of all of that — download it before your appointment.

If you're playing on a registered Ontario platform (look for the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos on the site), you're in the regulated market, which means your transaction history is documented and retrievable. That alone makes a tax professional's job easier. And if you ever feel like the volume of your play is becoming something other than entertainment, ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is there — no judgment, just support.