What Is the Stake Referral Code?
The Stake referral code is a short code you enter while creating your Stake account. It links your new account to a referrer and unlocks a set welcome offer. The Stake referral code we recommend for Canadian players is SHIMA. It gives you a 200% Bonus on a qualifying deposit plus 5% Rakeback on eligible wagers.
A referral code is not the same as a promo code or a bonus drop. You enter a referral code only once, during registration, and it stays attached to your account for good. That makes it the most important code you will ever type on Stake. If you skip it, you usually cannot add it later.
The easiest way to use the code is our Stake referral link. It opens the Stake registration page with SHIMA already filled in, so there is nothing to type and nothing to forget.
What You Get With Stake Referral Code SHIMA
Here is what SHIMA adds to a new Stake account opened from Canada:
- 200% Bonus: a deposit match worth up to twice your qualifying deposit, activated after your first deposit.
- 5% Rakeback: a share of the house edge on every eligible bet comes back to you, whether you win or lose.
- Rakeback you can claim whenever you like from the VIP section of your account.
- Full access to the Stake VIP Club: level-up bonuses, weekly and monthly bonuses, and reloads as you climb.
- The complete Stake casino, Stake Originals, live dealer tables and a sportsbook covering the NHL, NBA, CFL, MLS and more.
The 200% bonus boosts your starting balance. The 5% rakeback keeps paying for as long as you play. Together you get value upfront and value over time, which is why referral codes with rakeback are popular with regular Canadian players.
Is Stake Available in Canada?
Yes — Stake accepts players from most of Canada. Gambling in Canada is regulated province by province under the Criminal Code, and each province decides how it handles online casinos. Many Canadians play on internationally licensed sites like Stake, which operates under a Curaçao licence.
The key exception is Ontario. Ontario runs its own regulated iGaming market through iGaming Ontario and the AGCO, and Stake does not hold a licence there. If you live in Ontario, you cannot register or play on Stake, and using a VPN to get around this breaks Stake terms and can lead to your account and funds being frozen.
Where Canadians can use the Stake referral code
- British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
- Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador
- Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
- Not available: Ontario
Availability can change, so always confirm on the Stake site that your province is accepted before you deposit.
How to Use the Stake Referral Code Step by Step
Signing up takes about two minutes on desktop or mobile:
- Open the Stake referral link or tap any Claim button on this page.
- Click Register in the top-right corner of Stake.
- Enter your email address, a username and a strong password.
- Add your date of birth. You must meet your province’s legal gambling age.
- Expand "Code (Optional)" and make sure it reads SHIMA. Type it in if the field is empty.
- Accept the terms and click Play Now. Your account is created with the code attached.
- Verify your email using the link Stake sends you.
- Make your first crypto deposit and activate the 200% bonus from your offers.
Double-check the code field before clicking Play Now. Codes are case-sensitive on some forms, so enter SHIMA in capitals exactly as shown.
How the 200% Bonus Works
A 200% bonus means Stake adds twice your qualifying deposit as bonus funds. For example, if you deposit the equivalent of $100 CAD in crypto, a 200% match adds $200 in bonus value, giving you $300 to play with. Maximum bonus amounts and minimum deposits are set by Stake and shown when you activate the offer.
Like most casino bonuses, the 200% match comes with a wagering requirement. That is the total amount you need to bet before bonus funds and related winnings can be withdrawn. Always read the terms on the bonus screen so you know the requirement, the eligible games and any time limit.
Tips to get the most from the bonus
- Only activate the bonus when you are ready to play through it.
- Pick games that contribute 100% to wagering — slots usually count in full.
- Pick a deposit size you are comfortable losing, not the maximum match.
- Track your progress in the bonus section of your account.
How 5% Rakeback Works
Every casino game has a house edge — the small mathematical advantage the casino holds. Rakeback returns part of that edge to you. With 5% rakeback, a slice of the expected house edge on each eligible bet is credited back to your account, win or lose.
Rakeback builds up in real time as you play. You can claim it from the VIP tab whenever you like, and it lands straight in your balance with no wagering requirement on the rakeback itself.
The bonus is a one-time boost, but rakeback lasts for the whole life of your account. If you plan to play on Stake regularly, the rakeback is often worth more than the welcome bonus over time.
Depositing on Stake From Canada
Stake is a crypto-first casino, so you deposit using cryptocurrency rather than a Canadian bank card. That sounds complicated, but it only takes a few minutes once you have done it once.
The usual way Canadians fund a Stake account
- Open an account on a Canadian-registered crypto exchange (FINTRAC-registered platforms are the safest choice).
- Fund it in CAD using Interac e-Transfer or a bank transfer.
- Buy Bitcoin, Litecoin, USDT, Solana or another coin Stake supports.
- On Stake, open Wallet, choose Deposit and copy your deposit address for that coin and network.
- Send the crypto from your exchange to that address. Most deposits arrive within minutes.
Litecoin, Solana and USDT on fast networks usually confirm quickly with low fees, which makes them popular with Canadians making smaller deposits. Always match the network on both sides — sending a coin on the wrong network can mean losing it.
Stake also lets you view your balance in CAD, so you can track how much you are playing with in dollars rather than in fractions of a coin.
Withdrawing Your Winnings
To withdraw, open Wallet, choose Withdraw, pick your coin, paste your exchange or wallet address and confirm. Stake processes most crypto withdrawals quickly. Once the coins reach your exchange, you can sell them for CAD and send the money to your bank with Interac.
Set up two-factor authentication before your first withdrawal. Stake may also ask you to complete identity verification (KYC) for larger withdrawals, so have a government ID ready to avoid delays.
Are Stake Winnings Taxed in Canada?
For most people, no. Canada generally treats gambling winnings from recreational play as windfalls, so they are not taxable income. Professional gamblers who play as a business can be treated differently.
Crypto is a separate matter. The CRA treats cryptocurrency as a commodity, so selling or trading coins can trigger a capital gain or loss if the price changed while you held them. Keep a record of your deposits and withdrawals, and speak to a tax professional if you are unsure.
The Stake VIP Club
Your wagers count toward the Stake VIP Club from your very first bet. Ranks run from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Obsidian. Each rank unlocks extra rewards such as level-up bonuses, weekly and monthly bonuses and reloads.
Signing up with SHIMA gives you 5% rakeback from day one, on top of everything you earn through the VIP Club as you climb.
Games You Can Play With Your Bonus
- Stake Originals: Dice, Plinko, Crash, Mines, Limbo and other provably fair in-house games.
- Slots from top studios like Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City and Push Gaming.
- Live casino: blackjack, roulette, baccarat and game shows with real dealers.
- Sportsbook: hockey, basketball, football, soccer, UFC, tennis and esports.
Hockey fans in Canada can bet on NHL games all season, including the Canucks, Oilers, Flames, Jets and Canadiens, with live in-play markets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to enter the code. Use our referral link so it is filled in automatically.
- Creating a second account to use another code. Duplicate accounts are banned and can be closed.
- Using a VPN from Ontario or another restricted area. This can lead to frozen funds.
- Sending crypto on the wrong network. Always check the network before you send.
- Ignoring the wagering requirement. Read the bonus terms before you activate it.
Play Responsibly
Gambling should be fun, not a way to make money. Set a budget before you play and stick to it. Stake offers tools such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion in your account settings.
If gambling stops feeling fun, free and confidential help is available across Canada. The Responsible Gambling Council (responsiblegambling.org) has resources for every province, and most provinces run their own 24/7 problem gambling helplines.
Is the Stake Referral Code Legit?
Yes. Referral codes are an official Stake feature built into the registration form. Entering SHIMA links your account to our referral and applies the offer. It costs you nothing extra and does not change the odds of any game.
In short: open our Stake referral link, confirm the code SHIMA, and you will start with a 200% Bonus and 5% Rakeback on your new Stake account.
Want more detail? Read our Stake guides for Canada on bonuses, rakeback, crypto deposits and the VIP program.