Best Canadian Online Casinos

Is online casino legal in Canada?

Since there are no Canadian laws to address online gambling, most experts say that you can’t break the rules by placing real money bets on the internet.

There are some world-class casinos that offer online gaming to Canadians, including Jackpot City, run by Microgaming/Digimedia. Microgaming have been making online games for as long as online casino has existed (they developed some of the first ever casinos, back in the 1990s)

So, whereas Canada has legalized most types of land-based casino games, online gaming has not yet been fully regulated. It appears that all this means is that Canadian companies are not allowed to offer online casino games. As a result, the entire market for online casino in Canada is run by the off-shore market.

Is Online Gambling Regulated in Canada?

Canada has one of the best regulatory bodies for online casinos licensing and ensuring fair play - the Kahnawake Commission. How is this possible, you may ask, when the Canadian Government doesn’t regulate online gambling?

This anomaly is possible due to the fact that the Kahnawake Commission is run by an Indian reservation. Because of this, it has a sovereign legal entity and is not bound by Canadian law. So it is in Canada, but it is not Canada and therefore has the right to regulate and licence offshore online casinos and Sportsbooks.

What age can I play at Canadian online casinos?

Because there is no Government regulation of online gambling in Canada, it is presumed that the general minimum would be 18, as would apply to brick-and-mortar casinos. Each gambling website will have their own terms and conditions, so you might find that some of them prefer to accept players only over the age of 21.

What games are available at Canadian online casinos?

Canadian casinos online offer a wide variety of games to play. The most popular games are the slot machines, which are available in all the casinos. You will also find a wide range of video slots, as well as table games. Table games will include blackjack, craps, roulette, various poker games and baccarat. Live casino games are also available at most casinos, including the Microgaming casinos.

Do Canadian casinos offer live dealer games?

Yes. Many online casinos, including those that accept Canadian players have a live casino. Microgaming casinos, like Jackpot City offer the following live games

For Poker enthusiasts there’s a choice of:

• • Classic 3 Card Poker
• • Caribbean Stud Poker
• • Live Casino Hold’em Poker
• • Live Dealer Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker
• • Classic European Roulette
• • French Roulette
• • Immersive Roulette
• • Speed Roulette
• • Double Ball Roulette
• • Dual Play Roulette range of live games, including
• • Baccarat
• • Blackjack (classic)
• • Party Blackjack (lower limits than classic)
• • Live Dream Catcher (a game with a spinning wheel, very similar to Wheel of Fortune)

Which payment methods do Canadian gaming sites accept?

Nearly all good casinos for Canadians accept debit cards like VISA to make a deposit and many of them accept credit cards like American Express and Mastercard. The best methods, though, tend to be e-wallets, because they are much quicker, easier and carry far lower charges.

For many players, Interac is the best Canadian deposit method at the moment. As far as banking options go, it’s hard to beat Interac because it is incredibly fast and reliable for Canadian Dollar deposits.

Other than that, Bitcoin is becoming very popular with many casinos and is probably the fastest of them all. The main obstacle to using Bitcoin to make deposits (and quick cash-outs too), is setting it up. Setting up Bitcoin can take a bit of effort, but the casino will help you through the process and once it is done, it’s so easy that you never want to go back to old-fashioned methods.

How fast do Canadian online casinos pay out?

In general, Canadian casino pay out reasonably quickly, although there is certainly room for improvement. Many casinos state they payout in 48hrs, but in reality, it is usually 96hrs (4 working days), so if that 96 hours spans a weekend (non-working days), or a bank holiday, it could take as long as a week

The speed of payout depends, to some extent, on which payment method you use and also, how much the withdrawal is for. Withdrawing more than $4,000 per week can be difficult, but is possible if you use e-wallets, which are much easier and faster than using debit card or bank transfer.

Payments of major jackpots often have their own terms and conditions attached. For example, a win of $1million may take some time, over instalments. The good news is that the best casinos love their jackpot winners, because they are great marketing for them. This means you will get paid, even if it does come through in instalments.

What styles of slot machines are available to play online?

Online casinos now offer just about every style of slot you could imagine. That includes the old-fashioned 3 reel games, like Double Diamond and 12 Times Pay, the classic 5-reel mechanical reel slots like the original Quick Hit series, as well as video slots.

Online video slots often have multiple paylines and the gameplay includes bonus rounds, free spin rounds and scatter symbols, as well tumbling reels, pick and choose games and awesome movie clips. Whatever type of video slot machine you like in Vegas, or your local casino, there will be a version online.

The only two game types which appear to be under-represented online are 1) Japanese pachinko slots and 2) UK Pub fruit machines. These slightly obscure slot machines are very difficult to emulate on a small screen.

For the UK games, it’s because the game machines are enormous and offer so many features, there is no way to fit it all onto even the biggest 17” screen, never mind a mobile phone. In the case of pachinko, you cannot really emulate the ball bearings whizzing all over the place and the atmosphere that generates. However, never say never - these games may be coming to a screen near you sometime soon - we hope so, because they are great fun!

What are the top online slots in Canada?

Since Microgaming first started making slots for Canadians online, their games have consistently been the most popular. The all-time favourite games, by a long way, is Mega Moolah, which has huge jackpots. In recent times, someone in Canada won C$16,496,347.95 playing Mega Moolah at Jackpot City.

The top ten slots for Canadians online are:

• Mega Moolah (Huge Jackpots)

• Break da Bank

• Major Millions

• Mermaids Millions

• Thunderstruck

• Avalon II

• Game of Thrones

• Immortal Romance

• Playboy Gold

• Lara Croft Temples and Tombs

Although the best online slots are generally made by Microgaming, it is worth trying out the games by NetEnt, Cryptologic and Playtech, because they are wonderful too. There are also lots of new slots developers for online gaming in Canada.

These new software developers include QuickSpin, Play’nGo, Yggdrasil, Evolution Gaming, Red Tiger, Betsoft, Push Gaming, Pragmatic Play, NoLimit City, Foxium, Ash Gaming, Kalamba Games, Gaming Realms and Elk Studios. Phew, that a lot of games!!

Ontario Casino Gambling

Ontario has two of the most famous casinos in Canada, which are 1) Casino Niagara and 2) Niagara Fallsview Casino, both of which are based next to Niagara Falls. Casino Niagara has over 13,000 Slots, whilst Niagara Fallsview has over 3,000 slots to play.

Ontario also has a superb Caesars Casino, in Windsor, just across the river from Detroit, USA. Caesars has over 2,600 slots and a huge number of table games available to play. Perhaps the most impressive of all Ontario casinos, is the Casino Rama Resort. Situated on the shores of Lake Simcoe, Casino Rama has over 25,000 slots and games to play in their casino lobby.

Alberta Casino Gambling

Alberta is a Canadian casino hotspot, housing some of the most impressive casinos in the country. It is second only to Ottawa in the number of casinos, housing 27 of them in total. Many of the casinos have plenty of slots and games available to play - a lot of them with 500-1000 slots in them. The biggest casino in Alberta is Native American River Cree Resort and Casino, which has 1100 slots and gaming machines, 24/7 poker, bingo and 40 table games.

British Columbia Casino Gambling

On the Wet Coast of Canada, British Columbia has an impressive array of casinos and gambling resorts. With over 15 in total, some of the casinos are of a good size, with over 500 slots. Three of the casinos, (Grand Villa Casino Burnaby, River Rock Casino Resort and Cascades Casino Resort Langley), each have over 1000 slots, as well as table games, poker, table games and sportsbooks. You can also find a nice range of dining options, as well as spas, pools and other resort features in British Columbia casinos.

Saskatchewan Casino Gambling

There are a number of excellent casinos in Saskatchewan, that are big enough to make a trip really fun. In total the region has 9 casinos, the biggest of which, Casino Regina, is an excellent slots casino (over 1,000 of them), as well as offering table games, video poker and excellent dining options.

Manitoba Casino Gambling

Gaming in Manitoba is pretty well catered for, with 8 casinos in total. Three of Manitoba’s casinos are of a good size (South Beach Casino and Resort, McPhillips Station Casino and Club Regent Casino, with 600, 800 and 900 slots respectively).

You will also find that the larger of Manitoba’s casinos offer sportsbooks, table games, video poker and live poker as well as shops and restaurants to give that resort experience.

Quebec Casino Gambling

Quebec houses 10 casinos and is proud to offer Canadians the biggest casino in the country, which is the ‘Casino De Montreal’. This casino has an impressive 300,000 square feet and holds over 3,000 slots in its lobby. On top of that, this casino has over 100 table games and 25 poker tables. It’s the nearest thing to a major Las Vegas casino that can be found in Canada.

Only slightly behind Casino de Montreal, in terms of size, is the wonderful Casino Lac-Leamy at Hilton Lac-Leamy, which has a beautiful lakeside location and resort features, including pools and cinemas. In terms of gaming, Casino Leamy offers almost 2,000 slots and all the table games and poker you could ask for.

New Brunswick Casino Gambling

There are just a few casinos in New Brunswick. There were six of them at last count, based in five different cities. The casinos are generally small - for example, Grey Rock Casino in Edmunston would be typical, with just 160 slot machines

Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador and Prince Edward Island Casino Gambling

Nova Scotia has a surprising number of casinos, with 11 of them at last count. Some of them are a reasonable size. For example, Casino Nova Scotia Halifax has over 500 gaming machines, as well as table games and live poker tables.

The region of Newfoundland and Labrador has two small gaming destinations - one racetrack and one bingo hall, but no slot games, or table games.

The province of Prince Edward Island has just two very small traditional casinos (branded as ‘Red Shores’) and a few bingo halls.

Northwest Territories, Nunavut & Yukon Casino Gambling (The North / Northern Canada)

Out of all the regions in Canada, the North offers the least, in terms of a land-based casino offering. These regions combined, only have a single casino, which is Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall. The casino is found in the legendary Dawson City, made famous during the Klondike Gold Rush. The casino is also Canada’s oldest, running since 1971. so what the region might lack in numbers, they certainly have in historical significance.

What welcome bonus offers can I find at Canadian online casinos?

All good Canadian online casinos offer welcome bonuses to new players. Most of the time, this takes the form of a matched deposit bonus. With this sort of bonus offer, the casino will match your initial deposit, so for example, if you deposit $100, they will give you $100 extra to play with (a 100% deposit match).

There are of course terms and conditions attached, so you don’t take the money and run immediately (the casino would go broke). This means you have to stay and play with the money for a certain value of wagers (for example, a certain value of spins, if you play slots). Usually this value os set at around 30-40x the value of your bonus and deposit. Once you have played through that value of spins, or bets, you will be free to cash-out.

Are there terms and conditions attached to a deposit bonus?

Yes. The main thing to know about a casino bonus is that you will need to play-through the value of the deposit (+bonus) a certain number of times before you can cash out. However, it is worth checking the T&Cs in more detail, because some games may not count toward the wagering requirements.

Most good gambling sites do not have too many exceptions for games, but many of them will exclude video poker and a few other table games. So, it is worth doing a little research and asking the customer support, if you are unsure.

Also, you might find that the bonus limits the amount you can bet per spin during the play-through, or there might be a time limit. Often the best way to find out the answer to these questions is to ask customer support: 1) which games are excluded from play-through; 2) is there a time limit and 3) are three nay other terms worth knowing about, in order to complete the play-though

How can I get a reload bonus?

Once you have made your first deposit and played the games, you might be looking to make another deposit to take advantage of another bonus. Being offered a bonus to reload is definitely not something you should worry about, because casinos love to keep players loyal to their brand and so are always offering re-loads.

Sometimes the reload bonuses are actually better than the original ones, because the casino knows you are a genuine player and they want you to stay. If at any stage you don’t have a bonus to take, then you can alway contact the customer support vis infant chat and ask for one - they will be more than happy to help you out

Are no-deposit bonuses worth taking?

If you are looking to a way to make money for nothing, a no-deposit bonus is unlikely to work, but if you would like some fun and a chance to try real money games for free, they are worth a go. The reason that you are not likely to win any money on a no-deposit bonus (or a free-spin bonus), is that the terms and conditions are, these days, always massively skewed int he casino’s favour. So much so, in fact, that the chance of taking home any money from one of these bonuses, is almost zero.

Which casinos offer the best bonuses for Canadians?

The best online casino bonuses for Canadians have historically been offered by Microgaming casinos. In particular, the casinos run by the company called Digimedia are good, because the bonus terms and conditions are fair and clear and the casinos allow fast cash-outs, if you do win and have completed the play-through terms.

The top Canadian online casinos for bonuses are as follows:

Jackpot City Casino

All Slots Casino

Spin Casino (used to be called Spin Palace)

Mega Casino

Do VIP get Better Bonuses than Penny Slot Players?

So one thing that is quite incredible about online gaming is that ALL players get treated the same when it comes to bonuses. That is, all players get access to the best bonus offers, including reload bonuses and cash back offers.

One thing that the high rollers do get, if they are really depositing a lot, is quite similar to Las Vegas though. That is, the ‘High Limit’ players get gifts (Jackpot City, for example, would buy these player amazing gifts, like Rolex watches, or send them on gaming vacations where they get to mix with other top players and enjoy free luxury resort pampering).

So in that respect, online is similar to Vegas - in Vegas, it is common for the biggest players, or regular players to get treated to the very best free rooms, special comps, flights, meals etc. As well as extra cash to gamble with.

How do I Make a Deposit to Play Real Money?

The top ten methods that casino players in Canada use to make a deposit at an online casino, are as follows:

• VISA (debit card)

• Mastercard

• Interac

• Other Debit Cards and Credit Cards (for example, American Express)

• Skrill

• PaySafe Card

• Bitcoin

• Neteller

The most popular option right now, is Interac, which is a wonderful e-wallet method that is fast and reliable, but there are many others.

Other very popular methods include iDebit (free deposits), Citadel (an excellent e-wallet), ecoPayz (very popular payment system in Canada) and Wire Transfer (not used very often, but still can be a good option). Players in Canada also love to look for Paypal, but this is no longer an option, due to regulatory changes.

How do I Cash Out Winnings from a Canadian Online Casino?

If you are one of the lucky players to win real money at an online casino (and play through the bonus terms, if you took a bonus), then cashing-out is easy. That is, it’s easy if you choose a trusted, reputable online casino that has a good reputation for fair-play, like the ones we list at the top of this page.

These days, things have changed and most player prefer to cash out to an e-wallet. Back in the day, though, cashing out was mostly performed using direct transfer to a bank account, or to a debit card, or via check. These methods are still available and used, but they are not the best way to do it.

Bitcoin for Deposits and Cash-outs

Another method that is becoming more popular, is Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is by far the most reliable and also, the quickest way to deposit funds and cash-out your winnings when you play online casino. It is especially useful in countries where there is no proper regulation (Government-define) for casino banking. For example, in the US or Canada.

Not all online casinos accept Bitcoin yet, but if you are comfortable with using it, then it is recommended, because it is so quick and reliable.