Since Canada has given permission to offshore online casinos to accept Canadians, there appeared many casinos specifically designed for Canada. They offer to use the site with the Canadian English and French languages. Same with the customer support: operators speak English and French. Unfortunately, this is not an indicator of a good and trustworthy casino. The best Canadian casino in an online environment should not only speak two official languages but also be legal, secure, and provide a special service to the customers.
Best Online Casino Sites
There are several online casinos in Canada that can be called the best. The recommended casinos have licenses, ensure safety, give qualitative support, allow you to withdraw fast with your preferable method and reward with beneficial offers for any game you like. The best Canadian online casino sites are:
We recommend trying these international sites available for Canadians. Nevertheless, if you have found another attractive casino, check it for the below-mentioned characteristics, first. And just remind you to read the terms of the best Canadian casino before signing up so you could have no trouble while having fun.
What is the Best Canadian Casino Site?
How to identify the best casino of all on the Canadian market if there are so many of them? To be honest, it is very easy. The scams are seen right away. First, their website is usually not impressive, made carelessly. Second, they have ambiguous terms and conditions. In addition to that, check the feedback. Try to find the real comments about a casino. And last but not least, listen to your sixth sense. If the intuition tells you it is a fake casino, leave it for better. If these reasons seem too superficial for you, check the following points which are seriously relevant to an online casino of a top level.
Legality Proof
In online gambling world, all reputable casinos must have a so-called approval in the form of a license. The most famous licenses are issued by Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Kahnawake Gambling Commission (KGC). There are other licensees such as Curacao or Costa Rica jurisdictions. It depends on the casino and its company. This information is easily found on the website of an online casino. As it is something to be proud of and show to the public, online casinos aren’t shy to demonstrate it. So, if your online casino has a license, you can trust it and play games safely.
Security Service & Privacy
You would hardly find a casino that does not ensure security and privacy at all steps. Check the Privacy Policy to clarify how the casino treats the customers in terms of their personal information and banking. In general, all online casinos use cookies to collect information. This also excludes the probability of third party interferences.
As for security measures, reputable online casino Canada employs the best technologies to protect players on the Internet. In fact, the best security measure at casinos is SSL encryption, which is also used by the world financial institutions. So, once you open a casino site, you can have no doubts about your safety. All your personal information and banking details are protected by 128- or even 1024 bit encryption.
Customer Support
The best casino in Canada should definitely have a professional and friendly staff to figure out cases of customers. The service must be well developed, so players get the answers immediately, no matter what time of the day they ask for help. Pay attention to the methods of communication with the help centre and the time available to get support.
In most cases though, online casinos offer the round-the-clock support in live chat. However, to get an email from them, sometimes you can wait for hours. So, you should mind it while searching for the best casino site.
We listed the best sites below. However, if you don’t like them for some reason, here’s a piece of advice. When searching a casino, pay attention to the players’ feedback about customer support. Often, players leave comments about quick or slow support.
Payment Methods
This is an important issue when it comes to casinos. The best payout casino ought to have various methods for deposit and withdrawal. Often, many casinos suggest you deposit with 20 methods and withdraw with just 5. It is not fair at all. So make sure the casino you select has your preferable method for depositing and for payout as well.
The best banking options are the legit ones. For example, Visa and MasterCard based cards are the most trusted. However, we call your attention to e-wallets since they never make you wait for long. Payouts with e-wallets are instant. So, try to find the casinos which offer you some electronic wallets such as Neteller, Skrill, or PayPal.
Fast Payouts
There is no doubt, every player considers a casino the best one if it cashes out quickly and without problems. Find the payout waiting period and possible fees for your chosen method at the casino page regarding payments.
Once again, we repeat that the fastest options are e-wallets with up to 24 hour waiting period. But most of the times, you don’t wait for even 5 minutes. With debit and credit cards, your transaction can be processed within 3 days. And bank transfers take from 1 to 5 days, depending on which of them you use. Bitcoins are also processed quickly, however only a few casinos accept cryptocurrency payments.
Fast payouts also depend on the casino work. If the staff processes your request and verifies your account quickly, it’s a good site. But in some cases, you can wait up to 3 days when they process the transaction. And then a few days more when your banking service approves the payout.
Tip: to boost your payout, verify your casino account right after registration. Verification takes a few days. So, when the withdrawal time comes, you won’t have to wait until the end of verification.
Casino Promotions
The best casino in Canada is the one offering the best promotions for Canadian players. In general, welcome package includes a match bonus or some extra spins. Here’s a brief description of standard welcome package:
- Match Deposit Bonuses. When you make your first deposit, you can claim a welcome deposit bonus. Usually, it’s a percentage of money according to your deposit. For example, if the casino offers a 100% match bonus of up to $500, it means that your deposit will be doubled. If you deposit $500, you’ll get an additional $500 totalling to $1,000. In case you deposit a minimum deposit, let’s say $10, then your total balance will be $20.
- Free spins. Sometimes casinos reward players with free spins even without deposit. When you sign up, you can receive 10 free spins on a specific game. However, some Canadian sites offer free spins in addition to deposit bonus.
There’s one crucial thing to know about promotions. Almost all of them, especially sign-up bonuses, have wagering requirements. It means that you need to wager a certain amount of money to be able to withdraw your bonus money winnings. For example, if the bonus terms state that the $100 offer is subject to 30x wagering requirement, then you will have to wager $100 x 30 = $3,000.
That’s why, before claiming any bonus, we recommend looking through its terms and conditions. If wagering requirement is about 20x, 30x, or 35x, it’s a nice, acceptable offer. However, when the requirement is over 50x, we don’t recommend claiming it unless you are a high-roller.
Games Collection
Unconditionally, the top 10 Canadian casino sites offer to play any type of game. There should be an unlimited collection of online slots, card games, table games, and live dealer’s games to satisfy everyone’s taste. However, the number of games isn’t the most important part here.
Variety of games matters more because a casino can be full of many games but from one category such as slot machines. It’s much better for online casinos to have different categories, including slots, table games, some live games, and so on to fit players’ tastes.
If you open a casino lobby and see different game sections like hot, live, slots, progressive jackpots, blackjack, poker, and all the other subcategories of games, then you are in a good place where casino site cares about customers.
It’s also crucial for casinos to offer reliable game providers. The most famous developers are NetEnt, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, PlayTech, RTG, and of course Microgaming with its amazing Mega Moolah progressive slot, which is present at almost all casinos.
Mobile Compatibility
Nowadays, many players prefer mobile devices to computers. The tendency is also seen in gambling. Because players feel more comfortable playing via smartphones on iOS and Android, online casinos have updated their sites for the mobile version, and also developed mobile apps. In mobile casinos, you will find the same games and the same functions. So, mobile version will be even better for real money winning because you can play games anywhere.
Canadian Gambling Legislation
Many players, especially those who only think about taking up gambling online, are not really sure if it’s legal in Canada. Generally, the answer is positive, you can gamble online in Canada. However, if we look at the specifics, the question of legality entirely depends on the province.
Over the years up until 1985, gambling in any form was prohibited on the territory of all Canadian provinces. You could only bet on horse races and take part in lotteries. In 1985, things changed. The law allowed individual provinces to take full control over gambling on their territories. However, today only Canadian government can legally own and operate online casinos based within the borders of the country. This also applies to the real gambling venues which obey the Canadian gambling laws, as well.
Canadian residents cannot operate and base a gambling site in Canada. But the offshore based online casinos are accepted. So, if we return to the question of legality of online casinos, the answer is only offshore licensed gambling sites are legal. As a new player, you can easily stumble upon a scam casino which only pretends to be a safe casino operator. But this issue is discussed above. All the information on how to identify a fair casino and a fraud was mentioned previously in this post.
As for sports betting, in Canada it was legalized back in the 90-s. However, if you are eager to bet on sports, you should know that Canadian legislation only allows making parlay bets. Though all Canadian sports bettors are looking forward to hearing the desired news about the acceptance of Bill C-218, which will legalize single-game sports betting in Canada.
Gambling in Canadian Provinces
Every Canadian province features luxurious casino venues with thousands of slot machines, table games with professional dealers, and video poker machines. As we mentioned above, every province can make their own set of rules for gambling industry. Often, their legislation can relate the legal age for betting and gambling.
For example, in Alberta province, a person at the age of 18 can start gambling online, in land-based casinos, and betting on sports. But if you are in British Columbia or Quebec, you can only visit gambling venues and sites once you turn 19. And Ontario province feels like a home for gamblers because there are 72 brick-and-mortar casinos with thousands of options for players at the age of over 18.
Regulation of Gambling
Over the past three decades, the online gambling industry has risen quickly all around the world. Along with this, the casino operators realized the real necessity of following the operational standards. Players became smarter too. Now, before joining any virtual establishments, especially connected with money, a smart person will make sure it’s licensed and safe.
Informational and financial safety has become the main priority for many people. To attract players and maintain them, online casinos had to obtain licenses and recognition of regulatory bodies.
However, when you play at offshore online casinos, you have a risk of being deceived, scammed of money, and subjected to other cyber crime. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it can be the reason to hate gambling. On the contrary, if you are having fun at an offshore licensed casino, then you are sure to be protected by regulatory bodies if an unwelcome situation happens.
To operate online gambling venues, a network of regulatory bodies around the world was created. They govern both land-based and online gambling, regulate their fair play policy and security measures to protect both operators and their players.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
In Canada, there is one such regulatory body named Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) which operates within the Canadian borders. KGC is a reputable authority that verifies and issues licenses to online casinos based outside of Canada. It was established in 1996 to ensure a suitable environment for gambling venues in the North American region. But not a long time ago, other jurisdictional bodies appeared in this region due to the changes to the online betting legislation in the United States.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission governs online and offline gambling operations working on the Mohawk Territory and all over the world. The worldwide network of gaming commissions made this possible to spread the KGC’s standards over online casinos around the globe.
The KGC’s guidelines must be followed by the casino operators licensed by Kahwake GC:
- Provision of fair and safe online gambling
- Exclusion of any relations between casino operators and criminality.
- Implementation of responsible gambling protocols. Thus, operators must prevent under-aged and vulnerable gambling from problems related with games.
- KGC licensed casinos must treat their players fairly. If customers feel they aren’t treated right, they can contact KGC regulators.
KGC casino players can benefit from the following:
- Fair gaming software. KGC casinos should provide only fair and regulated games from licensed software providers. All games and their random number generator mechanisms must be verified and constantly tested.
- Quick payouts. KGC online casinos must keep with the international standards relating to winning payouts. These include quick payouts without holds for longer time than it should.
- Resolution of problems and disputes. The KGC regulator employs a dedicated officer for dispute resolution who investigates all complaints from customers.
- Security of information. The gambling sites secure all the valuable data and money with the help of 128-Bit SSL Multi-layer encryption. Therefore, any information leakage is impossible.
Verdict on KGC Casinos
Having said that, Kahnawake Gaming Commission is still not the best one in the world because they don’t have the strictest regulatory standards compared to other regulatory bodies like Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. However, it’s better to play at a KGC licenced casino than at a non-regulated site. So, there is nothing bad with KGC casinos. They are still licensed and must obey the regulations unless they want to pay big fines and be suspended.
Problem Gambling in Canada
Canadian legislation allows gambling in any form. You can go out to the nearest casino venue or launch games right from the comfort of your home. This is only up to you. But with this plethora of games and amazing bonus offers, different promotions and tournaments that online casinos offer their players today, online gambling has become the biggest leisure pursuit for Canadians.
For some players, it might be fun and easy, but for others it’s a bit of a growing problem. Anyone can easily cross the line between fun gambling and problem gambling. From games once a week to gambling addiction is just one step.
Licensed online casinos consider every possible gambling problems and addiction symptoms, so they give players a chance to fix their situation by limitations and self-exclusion. If you gamble at a less reputable site, they will encourage you to play more with bonuses and special promotions. And they will not support your recovery.
As a problem gambler, you can always get help from independent organizations that support and guide the players to better life. If you feel like you or someone you love is suffering from the gambling addiction, then you should check out the nearest organization that helps to fight the addiction.
Help for Canadian Gamblers
Depending on the level of your addiction, you might need different supportive measures. If you are just in the beginning of the addiction, then various practices and limitations will help and you’ll be having fun with games again. If you undergo a severe addiction, then the following anti-addiction organizations will be your solution:
- ProblemGambling.ca offers a broad range of information and resources which you might need to take your addiction under control.
- ConnexOntario is a free 24/7 service which includes support and counselling sessions.
- GamTalk is a community that supports and aids people with gambling issues.
Conclusion
Online gambling requires much responsibility from players’ side as well as from casino operators. If the gambling services were provided wrong and unfair, it may lead to different consequences. So, we encourage our readers to play at the licensed and regulated casinos only. Don’t forget to check up on all the mentioned points that must belong to reliable casino sites. Make use of our recommendations and casino reviews to find the best Canadian online casino site suitable for your style of play. Play responsibly to ensure you have only fun and entertainment when you gamble. Consider all the signs of problem gambling and try not to fall into addiction easily.
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