This page will provide an overview about playing online casino games for real money in Canada, including information about the legal situation.
There are a multitude of fantastic online casinos operating in the Canadian market. Much like in Australia, the Canadian government has actually been fairly lenient towards online gambling. Canadians love to gamble online so much so that provincial casinos have also tried to make a name for themselves in the Canadian online casino market. In 2010, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to open an online casino to its residents.
These gaming sites are competing with a lot of great existing privately owned Canadian-friendly online casino websites, so the Canadian online casino player is spoiled for choice in where to play. Canadians have had access to hundreds of other online casinos thanks in large part to The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), a governing regulatory body which is based in Canada (Mohawk, a Native American territory of Kahnawake).
The KGC was established in 1996, they’ve literally issued hundreds of online casinos licenses, but it’s also their responsibility to regulate interactive gaming. They’ve been doing this for longer than any other regulatory gaming authority anywhere in the world. Other countries also run similar gaming commissions, including Gibraltar, Malta, Isle of Man and UK gambling jurisdictions.
Most Canadian online casinos have supplemented their offerings with games from major casino software developers like Microgaming and Playtech, so you’ll get access to the very best casino games in terms of gameplay and graphics, and if you’re looking to mix it up your play time even more, be mindful of the fact that new games are added often.
The main focus at Canadian-friendly online casinos is on the online slots games. You get to play all the latest and best video slots titles and some great progressive jackpot slots as well, meaning you get the chance to spin the virtual reels to win life-changing amounts of money. Not only that, these casinos are able to offer higher payout percentages on their online slots games due to the much lower overheads compared with traditional gaming venues.
Players can also expect to play table game favorites such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Sometimes online casinos will also offer live dealer versions of these table games, featuring real croupiers and dealers, as well as a live chat box to communicate with the dealer and other players, which emulates the real casino experience.
In addition to the wide range of great games, online casinos that are accepting Canadian players offer new players huge incentives to join. These incentives benefit new players who are learning the ropes of the casino and the games offered, and they usually come in the form of a welcome bonus package. As soon as you make your first real money deposit, the casino will match that deposit up to a certain amount, so you’re essentially getting free money to gamble with.
With so many great Canadian online casinos to choose from, there’s no excuse for choosing an online casino with horrible software. Doing so will frustrate you to no end, and only make you wish you had picked another casino to play your favourite online casino games for real money.
If you’re from Canada, you want to play in Canadian Dollars (CAD), so you don’t have to worry about paying any foreign currency conversion fees. We understand the importance of this too, which is why our reviewers have found the top sites to gamble on if you reside in Canada.
For Canadians, there isn’t anything in Canadian legislation that makes wagering on different online casino games for real money, whether within provincial borders or through an offshore site illegal. Players should look at the legalities of the offshore online gambling sites that are accepting bets from Canadians.
With due diligence to ensure that you’re gambling on a licensed and reputed online casino, you should have nothing to worry about. Now that more provincial casinos are entering the online gaming sector, it remains to be seen whether there will still be as much leniency for offshore operators accepting players from Canada.