“Operating a gaming company, or even hosting a tournament, online or otherwise, is illegal under the Canadian criminal code. According to Canadian law, provinces were given the exclusive right to operate gambling schemes, including lottery tickets and casinos.
However, there are certain exceptions to this rule. One is that provinces can issue licenses to charitable and religious organizations to hold certain gambling events.
“It’s [poker] used as a charitable tool, you know, to raise funds for many charities. It’s probably one of the most popular tools today used almost anywhere in Canada,” Lazarus said in an interview following his presentation. “There are many institutions today that are using it; Hillel has had a tournament; the Jewish General Hospital is having a tournament, and they’ve been very successful because the game of poker is probably one of the most popular games that exist today on the planet.”
Poker Cares: Charity Poker News and Events 