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Introduction to Online Gambling in Canada

The online casino industry is growing by leaps and bounds each year. Its revenues are massively swelling swiftly, as experts predict that it will not only soon be a worthy contender to the land-based sector but that it will likely overtake it. It is an unarguable fact that people these days crave convenience, and that is something that gambling sites in Canada provide, which is why they are exploding in popularity.

Gambling online in Canada lets you focus on your wagering with no distractions at user-friendly platforms. Many players now prefer testing their luck this way instead of visiting brick-and-mortar venues due to the slew of online gambling Canada promos that they can claim at internet hubs and the gaming variety they can experience at them. Plus, the reel-spinning mega prizes at online gambling sites in Canada are now comparable to those available at Las Vegas’ hottest establishments. Therefore, there are fewer and fewer reasons to leave your home if you want to see if you are in Lady Luck’s good graces.

To sum up, if you want to get rewarded for your betting activity, and enjoy games that stretch beyond the casino classics, consider online gambling in Canada. Please know that when people use the term online gambling sites in Canada, they are unlikely to be referring to operators based in the country. Instead, they are more likely to be talking about online casinos that accept Canadian residents. From a player perspective, it makes no difference from what territory these operators run their business. What matters most is that they supply quality online gambling to Canada’s citizens via the magic of modern technology. Nothing else.

Where to Find the Best Online Gambling in Canada

Naturally, we would first recommend that you look through the list of best online gambling sites in Canada that we have put together. In our humble opinion, these are the best platforms in the digital sphere for your online gambling Canada needs. We have a team of experts on staff that have years of experience in internet betting, and they have put all their knowledge to good use by selecting what they believe are the best online gambling sites for Canada’s residents here.

Below, we explain how our veteran players have made their picks concerning their top online gambling real money Canada platforms that you can enjoy. Note that we transparently list all of our assessment criteria, so you have the option to reevaluate our selection yourself and reach your conclusion regarding if the platforms we have featured offer premium online gambling in Canada or not?

The term – online gambling Canada has a massive Google search volume.  Digital wagering has recently picked up sizeable traction. So, many shady operators are trying to use clever SEO tactics to get you to think that they offer the best online gambling for Canada’s players. However, that may prove to be merely a ruse. Thus, the most advisable course of action about online gambling in Canada is to lean on the educated options of interactive gaming professionals. Still, we are not discouraging you from researching online gambling sites in Canada and picking one you think best suits your needs. That is entirely your decision, and if that is the path you wish to take, we support it. However, we advise caution, as there are many unlicensed gambling sites for Canada’s residents that are up to no good.

How We Aggregate the Best Online Gambling Sites in Canada

As promised, here are the standards that we use as a measuring stick to figure out what online gambling Canada platforms are promising future interactive gaming homes and which are duds.

In all honesty, almost all gambling operators use a similar formula when crafting their portfolio of platforms, including their best online gambling Canada sites. There is a limited supply of software available to facilitate gambling operations to run over the internet. Thus, big-name brands buy the same few solutions and tweak them to suit the audience they target.

That said, there are massive differences between platforms advertising themselves as the best online gambling sites in Canada. We divide our judgment criteria into two categories by level of importance. These are the chief and subordinate things to look out for when eyeing a gambling online Canada site.

Main Criteria

The main four things you have to pay attention to, and the ones we most focus on when reviewing gambling sites in Canada, are:

Gaming License

Every online gambling Canada interactive hub should have permission to operate legitimately from a reputable regulatory body. We will get more into this field later on. For now, you must understand that dangers lie when playing at unlicensed sites, as overseeing bodies vet their approved operators for financial stability and game fairness.

Clear T&C

All of Canada’s online gambling platforms detail their practices on their terms and conditions page. So, we only aim to list ones that do so clearly. Vague stipulations can lead to many headaches. Look to play only at sites that outline, in detail, what they will do in any scenario, and how they will do it. Trust us. It will save you a ton of future hassles if that is the case.

Reputation

If an online gambling Canada casino has been around for some time, it would have undoubtedly attained some semblance of a reputation in this industry. That entails past player experiences that describe the procedures that an operator in question utilizes, which can help you predict future behavior. We try to only focus on gambling sites for Canada’s residents with reputations of always paying out wins while featuring top-notch security.

Data encryption

We are not sure that we should even list this one, as you would be hard-pressed to find online gambling sites in Canada that do not use information ciphering technology. Still, to be 100% sure that your information is safe in the hands of your chosen online gambling Canada operator, look for a small lock icon in your browser’s address bar. It signifies the use of SSL or another type of data encryption.

Secondary Criteria

Once we, and you, move past the four aspects listed above, the following few elements that demand analysis are:

Game Selection

You sign-up with a Canadian online gambling hub to play its games en route to real money prizes. Most Canadian players search for interactive gaming platforms that accept them using phrases like online gambling real money Canada casinos. You must settle on a wagering home that features at least a few hundred titles you can bet on, as that ensures that you are unlikely to get bored any time soon when betting.

Promotions

Promos are the backbone of all gambling sites in Canada. We will get into them in-depth below. For now, know that you should only register with an operator that provides a wealth of them upon sign-up.

Customer support

Unfortunately, you will undoubtedly face problems on your online gambling Canada journey. That is why you need to have a knowledgeable support staff on standby that can assist you in resolving all your issues stemming from your use of an online casino’s service. 24/7 live support is a must these days.

UX Design

Simple navigation is essential in any online service, including online gambling sites in Canada. You want to pick a platform where you can seamlessly move from one section to another in seconds. Our list of the best online gambling sites in Canada features such options.

Payment methods & procedures

Money transactions at gambling sites for Canada’s citizens can make or break the wagering experience. Therefore, it is vital that the one you select features many payment options and has low Know Your Client requirements. If it does, that guarantees that you can quickly get united with your prizes.

Mobile compatibility

Identical to data encryption, virtually all gambling online Canada hubs boast excellent mobile compatibility. They may not all have dedicated software, but in the HTML5 era, that is no longer necessary.

How We Compile Our Final Rating

Once we look over all the things mentioned above and a few others, we rate a casino in each category. Once that gets done, we tally up the numbers and come up with a final score. If it is above a specific number, we feature that platform on here. We will not tell you exactly how our rating system works, but we can assure you that we have spent some time developing it. You are free to come up with yours, and via the criteria listed above, try to figure out on your own which are the best online gambling sites in Canada.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Canada

The gambling industry in Canada has a complicated history. Initially, the Great White North had nothing against anyone testing their luck on games of chance. Yet, at the end of the 19th-century, it reversed this position, only allowing charitable raffles. It wasn’t until 1985 that gaming machines became legal, and in the early 1990s, specific provinces passed casino legislation. Today, 89 land-based establishments exist in the country.

However, when it comes to online gambling in Canada, things are a bit muddier. Per law, online gambling in Canada is legal if such websites get operated by a provincial government. The country’s Criminal Code defines hosting a gambling platform on the territory of Canada as illegal. Each province has permission to pass laws that legislate gambling “through a computer” if its government runs the operation. A Canadian individual or company cannot do so.

The provincial gaming authorities in Canada are:

  • Alberta – Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
  • Ontario – Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
  • New Brunswick – New Brunswick Gaming Control.
  • Nova Scotia – Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division Service of Nova Scotia.
  • British Columbia – BCLC.
  • New Foundland – Service NL.
  • Prince Edward Island – Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission.
  • Manitoba – Liquor and Gaming Commission of Manitoba.
  • Saskatchewan – Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
  • Quebec – Loto Quebec.

The Kahnawake Mohawk Nation is a native tribe whose territory stretches on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. It has several self-governing territories within Canada’s borders. Kahnawake is one of them, and its Kahnawake Gaming Commission got established in 1996 and was one of the first ones of its kind in existence. It supplied gaming licenses to a slew of the internet’s original gambling sites for Canada’s and the world’s population. Tribes do not have to adhere to federal or provincial laws regarding betting activities. They can make their own.

That means Canadian players are free to play at Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s sites or platforms licensed by foreign regulators. There is no history of authorities prosecuting anyone that has chosen to do so. Canadians face zero legal risks by playing at offshore gambling online Canada casinos.

In short, the answer to the question – is online gambling legal in Canada is yes. Its associated caveat is that Canadian players can only enjoy gambling online in Canada at offshore platforms or ones licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

Regulation of Offshore Online Gambling for Real Money in Canada

Since we got the is online gambling legal in Canada problematic out of the way, let us dive a bit deeper into these foreign online gambling real money Canada hubs we mentioned in the subheading before this one. In essence, they are betting platforms with a base in another country that still get classified as Canada’s online gambling sites because they accept its residents, allowing them to play real money games.

The online gambling industry came into existence in 1994, when Antigua and Barbuda passed the Free Trade and Processing Act. At that time, this Caribbean nation was the only digital regulator on the planet. Nevertheless, it took two more years before the internet’s original online casino got up and running. Once that happened, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission stepped onto the scene, and Curacao’s government decided to profit from this fledgling sector. In the few years that followed, and at the start of the 2000s, several other prominent regulators of online gambling sites for Canada’s citizens appeared. These included:

  • eGaming Curacao.
  • Gaming Curacao.
  • Panama’s Gaming Control Board.
  • Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association.
  • Alderney Gaming Commission.
  • Malta Gaming Authority.

It is paramount to differentiate between these organizations and country-specific regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Swedish Gambling Authority. Bodies like the latter two monitor operators that offer services to their residents exclusively. You may see a gambling online Canada site with a UKGC license, but know that this regulatory body cannot assist you in any way. It only looks after Brits. If an online gambling real money Canada platform has a UKGC or SGA license, it for sure also has another one from one of the international overseers listed here. Those let that specific operator supply his Canada online gambling services to North America’s Hat.

It is paramount to note that these international regulators are super credible, as they have been active in this sector for over two decades. Thus, when it comes to security measures, theirs are comparable to those mandated, for example, by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

How Canada Invented Online Gambling

As mentioned, the online gambling sector got its start in 1994 with Antigua and Barbuda’s Free Trade and Processing Act coming into power. That same year, Microgaming came up with the first online casino software. Though, the initial internet gaming platform launched in 1996, InterCasino. Toronto-based company CryptoLogic was behind it and the first payment processing solution for gambling sites in Canada and the world.

CryptoLogic got founded in 1995 by the brotherly duo of Mark and Andrew Rivkin from the basement of their parent’s house. These two computer wizards created a subsidiary company named WagerLogic, which handled the licensing of their gaming and payment software solutions. CryptoLogic began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1998, on the NASDAQ in 2000, and the London Stock Exchange in 2003. In 2012, CryptoLogic got acquired by the Amaya Gaming Group. Its headquarters are now in Dublin, Ireland. While this company does not have the stroke and importance it once did, it remains the founder of online gambling for real money in Canada. It laid the foundation for the original slew of online gambling sites in Canada and the entire globe.

Signing Up for Online Gambling in Canada

To start your online gambling Canada adventure, you will need to perform the following steps:

  1. Select a casino from our list of best online gambling sites in Canada.
  2. Find the Register/Join Now button on its title page. Press it.
  3. Complete a one or multipage registration form that your chosen gambling online Canada platform provides you.
  4. Verify your newly created account by clicking on a link your online gambling real money Canada site sends to your email inbox.
  5. Deposit funds in your account.
  6. Pick a gaming genre and a specific title, and start playing.

That is about it. If you go through the instructions above, you should be up and running, gambling online in Canada in less than five minutes. Concerning signing up with the best online gambling sites in Canada, we cannot think of any common pitfalls worth mentioning if you have decided to partner with a trustworthy operator of services relating to online gambling in Canada.

Funding Your Account at Gambling Sites in Canada

When you have settled on one of the best online gambling sites in Canada, we feature, or, you have found one on your own, you will need to fuel your casino balance to kick things off and start wagering. To do so, you must perform these actions.

  1. Press the Deposit button in the top navigation bar on the home page of your chosen Canadian online gambling platform.
  2. Alternatively, you can reach the necessary page by accessing this option via your account drop-down menu.
  3. Choose your preferred transaction option.
  4. Complete the steps required, inputting your relevant payment information.
  5. Enter your desired deposit amount.
  6. Confirm that you want your specified transfer to go through.

As a rule of thumb, all deposited funds should immediately land in your online gambling Canada site’s balance.

Withdrawing Cash From Online Gambling Sites in Canada

Taking out winnings from your online gambling Canada platform is one of the most satisfying things ever. It is a process where you get joined with the fruits of your labor. To experience this joy, you must:

  1. Go to your profile page for gambling online in Canada.
  2. Navigate to its banking section.
  3. Select – withdrawal.
  4. Pick what method for removing funds you wish to utilize at your online gambling real money Canada site.
  5. Input your desired withdrawal sum.
  6. Verify your transaction.

We touched on Know Your Client procedures above. These are mandatory anti-money laundering measures that each best online gambling Canada site must implement. They entail you supplying documents that prove your identity, which have to get looked over and verified by your chosen operator. You cannot enjoy the best online gambling in Canada and your associated winnings stemming without first completing this process.

Withdrawal times depend on your selected method and the processing procedures of the online gambling Canada platform you are playing on for real money.

Canadian Payment Methods for Online Gambling

Naturally, you can use popular credit/debit card options and e-wallets at online gambling Canada sites. That means that PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard are viable options for Canadian online gambling. However, what makes this market unique is despite there being no home-grown online gambling sites in Canada, the country has multiple native payment options for Canadian gamblers. You can use some or all of these at the best online gambling Canada platforms. They are:

  • Citadel – Citadel Commerce is one of the most established payment processing brands in the e-commerce sector. It facilitates payments directly from a bank with no account creation.
  • Instadebit – Instadebit is a bank-based payment that is super popular with interactive Canada online gambling hubs.
  • Interac– Interac is a network that connects enterprises and financial institutions, letting them conduct electronic financial transactions. Pretty much all online gambling sites for Canada’s citizens allow it.
  • iDebit – iDebit is an online banking payment method that lets you transact directly from your internet banking account.
  • Much Better – MuchBetter is a money transfer app and e-wallet. It is a distinctly Canadian product, which online gambling Canada platforms that cater to younger audiences offer.

If a digital casino markets itself as the best online gambling site in Canada, it is not unfathomable that it should feature all of the methods mentioned above in its payment arsenal. We have come across a few such digital hubs for gambling online in Canada. We even list a few in our list of the best online gambling Canada sites.

Promotions for Gambling Online in Canada

All bettors know that casino promotions are the bread and butter of Canada’s online gambling sphere and every other. They are the principal marketing tools that online gambling sites in Canada utilize to snag new users and keep their existing ones happy. The most common such deals you will get offered by online gambling real money Canada platforms are:

  • Deposit match bonuses – These get incorporated into welcome packages that aim to get you off on the right foot with an operator. They match your deposited cash up to a specified amount, using a pre-determined percentage.
  • No deposit promos – No deposit bonuses give a small amount of free-play funds upon registration without you having to fund your online gambling Canada account whatsoever.
  • Crypto-specific offers – Many of the best online gambling Canada platforms stimulate cryptocurrency use by providing crypto-exclusive deals.
  • Loyalty perks – Most websites that offer gambling online in Canada have multi-tiered loyalty systems, which you can rise through via your betting activity. Each tier should unlock a level-up bonus and other tier-specific benefits.
  • Rebates – You may know of online gambling Canada rebates as Cashback or Rakeback deals. They are offers where your chosen casino refunds you a portion of your incurred losses on a weekly or monthly basis.
  • Free spins – Free spins are complimentary reel rotations that Canada’s online gambling platforms give out. They supply them as either stand-alone or paired promos. Almost always, they get handed out on high variance slots.

Standard Bonus Terms for Online Gambling in Canada

No promotion marketed by any online gambling real money Canada casino is stipulation-free. They all have their terms that determine their attractiveness. The four most essential ones to keep in mind when analyzing deals supplied by the best online gambling Canada sites are:

  • Turnover – You may have heard of this condition under its equally common term – wagering requirement. It tells you how many times you have to wager your deposit sum before you can remove any winnings stemming from your use of bonus funds.
  • Max bet limit – Canada’s online gambling bonuses will not make you rich because each has a max bet restriction that caps their prize potential.
  • Deadline – Know that you face time restrictions regarding completing each deal’s wagering requirement. The higher the turnover is, the more time you should get to fulfill it.
  • Game contribution – All gaming genres contribute differently to wagering requirement completion. Their contribution percentage should get outlined in each online gambling Canada bonus.

Why Gambling Online in Canada Makes Sense

Let us face facts, online gambling in Canada makes perfect sense for you and anyone else considering looking into if good fortune is on their side. It is a far superior betting option than playing at physical venues because it gives you:

  • Convenience – You can access the best online gambling Canada platforms anywhere at any time.
  • Lower expenses – It saves you money on transportation you would spend to visit brick-and-mortar establishments. Plus, online gambling sites in Canada feature low-limit games that you are unlikely to find in the physical world.
  • More promotions – Most interactive online gambling Canada hubs greet you with a deposit match deal and allow you instant access to their VIP program. Thus, if you want to start gambling online in Canada, you instantly begin doing so with some free-play cash, with looming loyalty perks that reward you for your patronage.
  • Gaming variety – Yes, gaming establishments in tourist hot spots may feature thousands of games, but most of these are the same products. Platforms that offer the best online gambling in Canada have thousands of different titles on hand that you can play whenever you see fit. The diversity they offer is unbelievable and was unimaginable just years ago.

There are many reasons why Canadians should bet over the internet and only a few why they should avoid doing so. If you thoroughly went through our guide regarding Canada’s online gambling sphere, you should grasp how to pick a platform, register, and begin your journey into the wild world of online gambling for real money in Canada.

Online Gambling Canada FAQ

International regulators monitor the activities of the best online gambling Canada casinos. These include eGaming Curacao, the Malta Gaming Authority, and Panama’s Gaming Control Board.

Absolutely. Canada’s online gambling sites offer a wealth of promotions. Naturally, there is a difference between how many the best online gambling sites in Canada provide and what is on hand at mediocre ones.

Yes. You can also use the American dollar and many other currencies at platforms for online gambling accepting Canada’s residents. Many also allow digital coins for gambling online in Canada.

If gambling sites for Canada’s residents have credible gaming licenses, know that all their featured products get tested by independent agencies that guarantee the randomness of their results. Thus, no one can rig games at the best online gambling Canada sites.