It’s always pretty wild when you encounter something new and unknown. Sound familiar? It’s the point where you ask for help from professionals or people experienced in the question, don’t you? So, if you’re looking for a place to play for CAD, then this is the right place to be for you.
Legal, licensed, safe, enjoyable… Only such online casinos for Canadian players can be found on this site. Yeah, we know the issues inside out. Either newbies or experienced gamblers will find useful info that is bound to ease their burden of choice. Here we’ll share with you only accurate facts about iGambling and the casino service.
Besides, here you can pick up interesting things about the Canadian legal system, casino licenses, and discuss the nuances of real money play in the country to make your gaming action safe and problem-free. Read further and feel at home 🙂
Legal and Safe Gambling in Canada
For all seasons, Canadian gambling laws were very precise and strict. Only legislation changes in the 1970s relaxed the situation. What’s more about online gambling, there are lots of pitfalls. In brief, the main condition is that the online casino, wherever they are based and operated, should have a license and gambling is legal for the area.
The are several regulatory bodies that control and license the gambling houses in Canada:
- AGLC (the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission)
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission
- LGA (Manitoba Gaming Control Commission)
- Atlantic Lottery
- British Columbia Gaming Policy/Enforcement Branch
- AGCO (the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) and others
It’s a shame, but today many online casinos are illegal in Canada. According to the statistics of the Windor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and info from CBC News, Canadian players gambled up to CA$14 billion illegally.
It’s not only about criminal activity in the country, but it’s also about your safety. It’s so important to make the right decisions. Just because nobody wants to risk hard-earned money, just like that, without any guarantees. Would you? Then read further to find out how you can recognize a legal casino from the “dark” one.
The terms of getting an online gambling license are hard and quite expensive (the fee can reach upwards of $25,000, or even more in some cases). Some owners choose the easier, but criminal way of doing business. Selecting such a casino, you become contributory to the problem, but still an infringer. Remember that!
Omaha Casino Rating: Letters, Key Points, Tricks
What’s the difference between an avid player and newbie? The experienced gambler knows what details to check at first, and which are critically important when making a decision. That’s not you? No worries, because here we’re going to show you, what is what, to make you the real deal pro.
In case, you’re interested in a specific casino. The first thought will be to visit its official site, because there all the needed info lies. Here you should know where to look. It’s the main trick of the online gambling houses. Some vitally important information can be set in the most unexpected of places. That’s why, if you’re not being focused, you can fail to find it.
It’s our show time then! It’s for us, to write detailed reviews and set the ratings for online casinos to help simplify your life. Nowadays you don’t need to spend hours in search of terms, because we’ve done that already. You can visit the site and read the articles to be aware of software, restricted countries, bonuses, coupon codes, banking, games, conditions, license, etc. Learn about these aspects further 😉
Kahnawake Gaming Commission Sign
It’s time for a brief summary about the organization to make it all cut and dried. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established on June 10th, 1996. Only on July 8th, of 1999, the authority implemented the regulations about Interactive Gambling for the first time. It makes the Commission the earliest gambling jurisdiction covering the entire the globe.
Since then, this regulatory body steadily grants gambling licenses to organizations as for Internet gaming activity. Therefore over some brick and mortar establishments, such as 3 poker rooms located in Kahnawake. At last check, over 50 online gaming operators and 250 online gaming sites received the so-desired license of the Commission.
The jurisdiction has 3 members who work through a 2-year term and are appointed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. However, of course, it’s not isolated and the body cooperates with the Financial Services Regulatory Commission of Antigua and Barbuda and the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of the Government of Malta.
Still today, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is one of the main jurisdictions that controls and regulates the interactive and land-based gambling in Canada and in the rest of the world as well, by the way. So, if you find a logo of it on the website of the online casino, you can be sure that is reliable and trust-worthy.
Software – Does It Matter for Canadian Player?
Let’s start with that each casino is regulated by certain authorities and all its activities are under the legal jurisdiction of the territory. Due to that fact, not all gambling houses accept players from some locations.
Besides that, some software providers stop working with players because of the changes in some laws. As we already mentioned, Canadian legislation is rigid. However, in some ways it plays well into our hands, because it means that only the best houses can get a license to accept players from Canada.
Leading Companies Are Welcome
This is the very reason that all online casinos available for Canadian gamblers are powered by the leading companies in the field. Thus, you have a great opportunity to relish captivating games from such famous providers as Microgaming, Playtech, NetEntertaiment or RealTime Gaming, for instance. Each casino powered by a definite software has their own advantages to get playing for real. To ease the burden of your selection process, let’s find out more about each group.
Microgaming
We start with a software provider not by accident. Microgaming is the pioneer in the industry of interactive gambling. It was the first and remains the leader. Let’s get a closer look at it, and start from the very beginning.
The company was established in 1994. Since that time it has created over 850 casino games with 1,200 variations, 350 of which are designed for mobile devices.
Also, the company works with Rabcat and is a co-founder of Quickfire, MGA and even eCOGRA. Yes, the group has serious value. Just imagine, you can experience all that… Choose online casinos powered by the provider and revel in all the goods.
Playtech
Playtech is one of the leading providers in the field. The group designed over 500 games for branded online casinos. The company is well-known also thanks in part to unique licenses.
The group offers you the opportunity to revel in games created with the agreement of such popular movie and entertainment brands as Marvel, HBO, NBC Universal, MGM to make your gambling experience even more action-packed.
Besides, Playtech releases over 50 games per year and other content from Ash Gaming to your pleasure. Gamblers from Canada are welcome to enjoy all that at the online casinos running on the platform.
RTG (RealTime Gaming)
Another top-rated software manufacturer is RTG. This company was launched in 1998 and was highly popular among US players. Today Canadian gamblers can relish over 150 enticing casino games that also are designed for various mobile devices.
So that you are free to use not only desktop versions to play entertainment from the provider, but also bet on the move, via gadgets powered by iOS and Android. Beyond this, RealTime Gaming is famous for its huge collection of progressive games. If you are a fan of such types of amusements, then gambling houses of the provider is the best choice.
NetEnt
NetEntertainment is one of the pioneers of interactive gambling. Launched in 1996, this company has been on the market for 20 years already. Now over 100 online world’s casino operators use the software.
Today you can try your luck playing 200 high-level casino games at trustworthy gambling houses. Besides, only in 2014 the gaming system got 21.4 billion gambling transaction. The numbers speak volumes, don’t they?
Casino Formats
The technologies are ever-evolving. Gamblers are becoming ever more picky. Some time ago, it was enough to return to brick and mortar casino to get risk. However, today Canadian players are spoiled by a wide variety offered.
That is the motivation for casino developers to be always working in progress. Thanks to that, you have an overwhelming capability to gamble via your PC or any mobile device. For both cases, you can either download a special program or play through the browser. Every option is equally safe, because the encrypting mechanisms used for the protection are the same across the board.
Download or Flash – Who Is the Winner?
It’s such a frequently asked question, about what desktop format is the best for playing. The answer is… Both. The main pros are that nowadays it’s enough to have the single account to gain access to casino entertainments such as flash and downloadable versions.
The issue becomes important only in cases where you are a Mac owner. In this case, you have no choice, but for use instant variant of the casino. All other customers can install the free casino software and get the whole collection of games at their disposal, just like that.
Mobile: Instant or App?
The same story is the case when you choose gambling on the go. Almost all modern Canadian casinos on the net provide you with a mobile format. Thanks to up-to-date HTML5, all games are as good or even better, as their desktop analogues. Players are free to play via phones or tablets powered by Apple, Android, Blackberry, Windows.
As in those cases, here you have a choice as well. You are free to install a special casino application or play thru the mobile browser. It’s like using Facebook: you can use the browser, but the application is even more handy. For the first option – installing, you can:
- use the direct link from the casino site
- scan the QR-code to get the link to program
- visit the Apple Store, Play Market, etc. to download the app
Moreover, in some cases, you can install on your device not the whole casino, but a specific game only. It’s not widespread now, but it can be found at some casino brands. Yep. The last word is yours – choose the most convenient way just for you, especially since a single account is enough for using all the pros 😉
Games Collection: from Slots to Poker
There is one key detail to pay attention to when choosing an online casino for real play: the games collection offered. The range of entertainments can be 100 different amusements, so the selection can reach up to 600 items. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
At this point, everything depends on the software provider. In the aspect Microgaming is the unquestionable leader. This company offers a really outstanding range of entertainment for any preference. If casinos powered by other groups have a less number of amusements, it doesn’t mean that they are beneath taking notice.
Usually, modern online gambling houses have several variations of highly popular games like video poker, slot machines, roulette, craps, baccarat, blackjack, but provide options for unique entertainments as scratch cards, keno, etc., to meet the demands of avid players as well.
With that said each manufacturer has their own unique features to test out. For example, Rolling Reels in slot machines of Microgaming, Lucky Blackjack at Playtech, Touch games of NetEnt, Progressive entertainments by RTG, iSlots by Rival and so on. Choose what matches your heart’s content to relish your time.
Casino Bonuses – Profits for Canada
One more advantage online casinos have over the offline establishments is the chance to benefit with special bonuses provided. Have you ever heard of such promotions like: “Try our games for free for your first hour at the casino?” When coming to the brick and mortar? You can easily find this by choosing interactive gambling as your pastime.
It’s an advantage created for real money players only. There are 2 main types of casino bonuses to handle:
- Free or No Deposit bonus
- Cashable or Deposit promo
The first one is quite rare, simply because there is no fee needed to get the promotion. The second kind is given on top of your replenishment made. Also each type has several variations as well. In this way, you can relish Free Cash, Free Spins, Match % Bonuses, Loyalty Rewards and others.
However, it makes no difference what kind of bonus you claim, simply because there is something special about meeting face to face. It’s requirements like wagering, cashout limits, games allowed to play, and other crucial terms and conditions that need to be specified.
You’re free to check the information on the site of the online casino, as well as using the easier mentioned like reading reviews where all these aspects are described in great detail.
ABC of Real Money Play Aspects
So, if you are going to bet a few Canadian dollars at online casinos, then there are some key aspects you should bear in mind, and pay attention to before the final decision. Seeing the bright banners with attractive offers and luscious promises, you can easily get lost and overlook very important moments.
It sounds wacky, but generally the most important information like license, reports about the payouts, RTP (Return to Player), security, terms and conditions, etc. is placed at the bottom of the casino site. You can scroll down to find, or read, articles on our site to get the data. That’s one more reason why detailed reviews are a great help in selecting the gambling house for making bets in cash.
License
So, in the context of real money play at online casinos of Canada, the first thing to check out is the license. As we have already discussed, it’s a guarantee for your safe gambling experience. Now it’s the Kahnawake Gaming Commission which can grant 5 types of the licenses:
- IGC – Interactive Gaming License
- CPA – Client Provider Authorization
- KPL – Key Person License
- Secondary CPA – Secondary Client Provider Authorization
- PRL – Poker Room License
All online Canadian casinos on the net are required to have the first type of license. You can check the info directly on the official site of the gambling house, or by reading reviews. The easiest way is to check our list of casinos, because all of the included can boast of such a guarantee 😉
Besides the Kahnawake, gambling houses can have the required license of other, also reputable, authorities that have a strong reputation in the iGaming Business as well. So, finding the logo of Government of Gibraltar, UK Gambling Commission, Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority, and others, you can be sure that the casino is trust-worthy and legitimate.
Casino Banking in CAD
As a rule, online casinos with a strong reputation take care of their customers all over the world. This is especially when it comes to banking. It can’t but hearten Canadian players. That’s why you will find the most flexible and convenient payment methods for the region. Credit or Debit Cards, e-wallets, prepaid vouchers, etc. All that you wish!
Another pleasant thing, is that all money transactions are available in CAD. All you need to do is to look through the list of methods in the casino cashier and pick the most suitable one to replenish your account and then withdraw your funds with minimum effort.
Besides that, almost all payment options for Canada are fee-free. It means that you’re not going to pay any extra credits to the service for transferring your funds to the casino account nor to your bank balance. When making a choice, pay attention that not every method works in both directions when depositing and cashing out. Double check the information before making a final decision.
Though there is a wide choice, there are some methods which are favored by Canadian players. The most popular method is via credit cards, because they allow making a direct transaction to the online casino. Other methods on demand are Instadebit and UseMyBank, which are based in Canada. Further comments are unnecessary 🙂 The list is long and the most important criteria of the payment choice is safety and comfort.
Instant Deposits
Players from Canada can enjoy instant deposits with the tried-and-true banking methods including the most popular ones. So to be calm, and live without worries, gamblers can use such reliable services as Visa, MasterCard, Instadebit, Citadel, eCheck, EcoPayz, EntroPay, PaySafeCard, Neteller, Skrill (Moneybookers), Instant Banking, Direct Bank Transfer, UseMyFunds, Ukash, iDebit, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, PayPal and lots of others.
No matter what method you choose, there are some terms and limitations applied to each option, of course. For example, there is a minimum size of inputs to make. As a rule, it’s about CA$10 or more. You can specify the info in the casino cashier.
Fast Withdrawals
When dealing with withdrawing your cash from the casino account, everything is not so bright. Just because the list of banking options for the goal is not as varied as for depositing. In addition, the time required for the process in some cases can take up to 3 business days. Of course, that depends on the choice made.
However, you will still have several really trustworthy options to use for getting your credits in your hands. So, feel free to use credit cards as Visa, MasterCard, web-wallets as Insadebit, Moneybookers/Skrill, Neteller, EcoPayz, EntroPay, PayPal, iDebit, POLi and others.
Here you should also remember about some additional requirements to meet. First and foremost, it applies to the size of the sum to cash out – it’s always limited. There is a minimum, which is about CA$10, and the maximum sum you can withdraw is up to CA$5,000 at one time, as an example. Make note of this when choosing the method for getting your real money winnings in your hands.