Alberta is one of those Canadian provinces that allows gambling in all forms. About 30 gaming establishments, including casinos, bingo halls, and sports betting clubs, are available across the province. Moreover, Alberta has its own regulated online casino website, where players can enjoy games from the comfort of their homes, which is a nice option during Covid-19 restrictions. Some casino enthusiasts are still wondering if casinos are open in Alberta. Well, this post will give you the answer and even more.
Top Online Casinos for Albertans
Leaping ahead, we’d like to tell you about various online casinos that are available for players in Alberta. The recommended casinos on our website are offshore platforms that offer thousands of games online. So if you want to shake up your play time with new games, bonuses, and treatment, try out some of the top casino operators in Alberta.
However, when it comes to gambling, Albertans have three options: play at local casinos, use the local gaming website, and play at offshore casinos. Let’s break each of them down below.
Alberta Casino Establishments
As we said, in Alberta there are about 30 places where you can gamble, spin slot machines, bet on sports, and even scratch off the cards. Most of them have kept their businesses during the lockdown, and now they welcome players again.
On March 1, 2022, the province entered the second step in reducing coronavirus cases and lifting public health measures. This step includes the capacity extension to all large entertainment venues (the restriction was also lifted at step 1). Besides, all public places have lifted closing time requirements.
Although masking requirements are lifted almost everywhere, it is still recommended to wear masks, especially when you are at a large public place like a casino. Besides, you may be required to provide a vaccination proof, so be sure to have it, just in case.
Playalberta.ca
In the province of Alberta, gambling is regulated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). The organization has its own local casino website — Playalberta.ca. Of course, it is regulated by AGLC. This fact gives players more trust to play on the website.
The casino offers games of different types: slot machines, table games, live dealers, sports, lotteries. Players can choose from 80+ slots, progressive jackpots, about 20 card games, including live dealers, various regional lotteries, keno, etc.
Sports bettors can place bets on the most popular sports such as hockey, football, soccer, basketball, boxing, and so on.
The casino website supports and encourages responsible gambling. It has its own GameSense platform that helps players gamble responsibly and prevent the addiction to games.
Since the casino website is local, the revenue goes to the Alberta communities.
Offshore Casino Sites
A wider choice of games is offered at the international casinos. Now, there are thousands of online casinos located overseas. They offer their services not only to Canadians but also to players all over the world where gambling is allowed.
Most offshore casino sites operate legally as they hold licenses from the governments where they are based. Besides, many operators acquire additional licenses from different countries. For example, a casino website can be licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) as the business is registered in Malta, and it can have a license from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). So the more licenses a casino has, the more trusted it is.
If you don’t trust offshore casinos sites, then you can pick the local Alberta casino. Or you can learn to choose online casinos right.
In general, international gambling platforms offer thousands of games, most of which are slot machines. But you can also choose from various live games and table games based on the RNG mechanism.
These casinos offer pretty much the same as Playalberta.ca, but they have way more gaming options. If you love sports betting, offshore sportsbooks also offer more sports to bet on. Aside from sports, you can place wagers even on political events like who’s going to be the next president of the US.
However, if you like buying lottery tickets, offshore sites are not the best option for you. Some of them have lotteries but very few.
Bonuses
Bonuses on offshore platforms deserve special attention. Their main purpose is to attract as many players as possible. But players also benefit from casino offers. Extra money and free spins make the gaming session longer so that a player can get enough gambling experience for the day.
Besides, bonuses increase your chance to win cash and withdraw it. Of course, players have to play games and complete the wagering requirements first, but if one gets lucky, he can cash out some real money.
Here are the most common types of bonuses you can claim at an international online casino:
- Welcome bonus. New players that have just registered an account can activate a welcome offer. Usually, it consists of a deposit match bonus and a set of free spins. The match bonus can double your deposit, so if you deposit $500, your total amount of money will be $1,000.
- No deposit offer. As a rule, no deposit offers are a part of sign-up promotions. When players register, they automatically receive a bonus without any deposit required.
- Free spins. It’s the most popular bonus for slots enthusiasts. Often, online casinos give a set of ten or a hundred free spins for certain online slots. The number of rewarded spins and their value depends on the casino.
- Cashback. Modern sites love giving players daily, weekly, or monthly cashback on losses.
- Reload bonus. It’s a deposit match bonus for existing players. Online casinos offer it to encourage players to gamble and keep their interest in games.
There are many different casino bonuses on Canadian gambling platforms. Choose your favorite casino and claim your best online casino bonus Canada!
How to Pick Casino Site in Alberta
If you don’t really want to travel to the nearest casino establishment and the local casino website doesn’t really suit your tastes, you’re left to choose an offshore site. But it can be a bit complicated because there are so many casinos, and some of them are not very reliable.
To make sure that your chosen platform is legit, you need to know how to choose it. Below, we’re giving you the guidelines.
Make sure the casino is reliable
When a casino holds a license, fairness certificates, and ensures the safety of players, it can be called a reliable casino. So the first three things you have to learn about your chosen casino are the license, certificates, security.
Usually, all of these can be found at the bottom of the main page of the casino or in the “About Us” section.
A license can be issued by the MGA, UKGC, Curacao, Kahnawake gambling Commission, and other regulators from different countries. Make sure the license is still valid.
Certificates of fairness can be issued by independent testing agencies such as eCOGRA and iTechLabs. But nowadays, more and more online casinos start using Provably fair technology that allows players to check the fairness of results at any time.
Most online casinos employ the best protective technologies on their websites. The most popular one is SSL encryption that protects players from fraud and third-party interference.
Test online games
Players come to online casinos to play games and win money. Surely, the games you play should suit your taste and skill. For example, if you are a poker player, you won’t be playing at a casino site full of slot machines. Or if you love slots, a casino that is focused on providing live games won’t suit you.
So choose a casino that offers your favorite type of games. And it has a lot of them.
Choose your bonus
As we said, bonuses can be different. Don’t pick a casino with the biggest bonus if you can’t afford it. Besides, choose bonuses according to your game taste. For example, if you are a slots player, you should look for the free spins bonuses. But if you are a sports bettor, maybe you’d like to get a free bet.
Don’t forget to read the bonus terms and conditions at this step. If the rules include high wagering requirements (50x and higher), small cap on winnings (like you can only cash out $30), and little-to-no contribution of your favorite games, then maybe you should look for a different platform.
Check other details
It can relate to your individual preferences in payout time frame, payment methods, VIP rewards, mobile compatibility, and so on.
For example, if it’s crucially important for you to receive withdrawals on the same day, then check out how long it takes to process a payout request. If you prefer playing on the go, then you need to find a casino that has its own mobile app or at least it has a mobile user interface.
All in all, determine your top priorities and choose a casino according to them.
Play Casino Games in Alberta
While some players prefer traveling to the nearest local casino resort, others like spending time at home in front of a desktop casino. Both types of players have one thing in common — their interest in real money games and entertainment. Just make sure to wear your mask when you go to the local casino. And make sure to choose the right casino if you decide to play games online.
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