In 2015, a lucky Canadian playing the online casino game Mega Moolah hit a jackpot worth C$7.5 million. The story exploded throughout the country within days. Since then, online gambling has spread sporadically in Canada.
Online gambling is a legal grey area in the country. This means the federal government does not regulate online casinos. However, Canadians can gamble at offshore gambling websites.
What do Canadians look for in a good online casino?
1—Accepts Canadians
The first thing every Canadian looks for in an online casino is information showing the operator accepts Canadian players. It helps save time in the casino research process. You see, there are thousands of online casinos out there. And not all of them accept Canadian players.
Luckily, most casinos tell you outright whether you qualify to sign up for an account on their platform or not. In Canada, you need to be above 18 years to join the best online casinos.
Besides accepting Canadian players, some people check around to find out if a casino supports the French language. They also check support for Canadian dollars and local payment options.
2—Licensed and Secure
There are several ways to identify a genuine online casino in Canada. The first sign is a valid license from a recognized regulator like the Malta Gaming Authority, the UKGC, Gibraltar, Alderney, or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
In many cases, licensed casinos have secure websites. It’s a legal requirement and one of the conditions to earn a license from any respected regulator. For clarity, a secure gambling site needs to encrypt your data through SSL encryption—look for a locked padlock sign.
Besides data encryption, safety-oriented casinos have strict data protection policies. Importantly, they comply with GDPR and other data protection laws. Then there are tools to secure your account: a password, two-factor authentication and an anti-phishing code.
3—A Wide Variety of Quality Games
Nowadays, many casinos offer hundreds of games. As such, Canadians don’t need to worry about game variety. Instead, what people are more concerned about is the quality of a casino’s games.
The thing is, we all want to play top-quality real money online casino games. It doesn’t matter if you love slots, roulette, poker or blackjack. Every player wants to play the best-paying games, slots with 3D graphics, jackpots, bonus features and soundtracks.
If you’re a card-game fan, you want a casino with live dealer games. That way, you can play Texas Hold’em, blackjack and baccarat with your friends instead of computer bots.
If you’re new to online casino games, don’t get worked up on what specific slots and table games to play. Instead, play a range of games from well-known software developers. Renowned providers like NetEnt, Evolution, Playtech, Microgaming and Betsoft tend to produce high-quality games.
4—Bonuses and Promotions
When you think about it, bonuses are one of the first things people look for in an online casino. If an operator has some great offers, people will consider creating accounts. If the bonuses don’t look good, people head over to the next best Canadian casinos.
As a first-time casino player, look at the types of bonuses a casino is giving out:
- No deposit bonus
- First deposit bonus
- Weekly cash backs
- VIP rewards
- Loyalty program
If a casino has a no deposit bonus, ensure you can cashout the profits. Then claim the offer to get a feel of the gambling site. Use its no deposit bonus to get a first impression.
Next up read the terms of the site’s first deposit bonus. What’s the maximum you can withdraw? How many times should you play through the bonus before you cash out?
You see, the beauty of a casino bonus isn’t in using it to play slots and table games alone. It’s also important to have a fair chance to cashout bonus winnings. This can only be possible if a casino has fair bonus policies.
5—Mobile Responsive Website
If you’re like 87% of Canadians, you own a smartphone. Also, you use your iPhone or android device for social media, browsing websites and playing mobile games like Call of Duty and slots.
In light of that information, it’s important for a good casino to support mobile gaming. These days, operators don’t have to create separate apps for iOS and android devices.
Instead, they develop websites that can run on both cubicle computers and mobile devices. All you need is a browser and fast Internet to gamble through your phone.
Of course, mobile casinos aren’t created equal. While some of them have beautiful websites, others load slowly and can be a nightmare to navigate. Due to that, take time to learn about a site’s user-friendliness before you sign up for an account.
6—Fast and Convenient Banking
Another thing Canadians look for in an online casino is the convenience of depositing and withdrawing money. Most people casinos with instant deposits for all major payment methods.
If you wake up with the mood to play poker, you can add funds to your account and get into a poker tournament immediately. Luckily, the best casinos support fast deposits for e-wallets, credit/debit cards and cryptocurrencies.
The only requirement is to find a casino with your preferred payment options. If you like PayPal, look out for a good PayPal casino. If you would rather use Google or Apple Pay, find an operator supporting either payment company.
Away from deposits, many Canadians spend a lot of time finding casinos that payout fast. There are not many of them. Yet, everyone wants to receive their money quickly, even if it’s just $10.
What’s more, they want to withdraw money from casinos without paying exorbitant fees. As such, they always look for casinos with the lowest withdrawal fees and fastest payment times.
7—Good Customer ServiceWe can’t emphasize the importance of joining a casino with good customer service. Not only does it mean experiencing a wonderful time while gambling it also means getting help quickly when you need it.
