Best Online Casinos Canada

Most Popular Games at Online Casinos Canada

Gambling statistics indicate that the most popular games at online casinos across Canada parallel the most popular games available at land-based casinos across Canada. Statista indicates that the Canadian gambling industry is heavily slanted in favor of casino and lottery games, with video lottery terminals (VLTs) making up a sizeable minority of revenues generated.

Information from Ibis World (2014 through 2019) indicates industry growth grew at a steady clip of 0.1% at that time. While gambling demand has diminished at land-based casinos, growth at online casinos has risen.

Ibis World estimates that the size of the Canadian gambling market is valued at $15 billion, with 41,884 employees. The Canadian gambling industry is largely based in several provincial authorities, namely Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia.

A report compiled by the University of Calgary in Canada (released in 2015) evaluated the country’s preference for specific games, and based on the number and dispersion of these gaming facilities, one can extrapolate important data:

• Ontario has 75 bingo facilities or designated areas for bingo, leading the country, with Québec second in line.
• In terms of casinos, there are tribal casinos and non-first nation casinos. Ontario and Québec lead the way with 8 casinos and 6 casinos respectively.
• Electronic gaming machine venues, notable casinos with slots games are prolific across Ontario and Québec.
• Fantini Research indicates that Ontario, Canada leads the nation in terms of gambling revenues. Overall gambling revenues in Canada grew at a rate of 4.90% in 2017 at C$17.303 billion. The data shows the strongest growth from casino gaming terminals, followed by VLTs, and to a lesser degree electronic bingo games.

Data compiled from online casinos offering games to Canadian players indicate that the following gaming variants are most popular:

• Video slots games
• Progressive jackpot games
• Blackjack, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker

Customer Support for Canada Online Casinos

Canadian online casinos are renowned for their high levels of customer support and service excellence. Legal-age Canadian players expect highly attentive customer support for all types of questions, queries, and complaints. For the most part, online casinos comply.

Casinofy gives kudos to those operators offering a variety of different contact options. These include the following:

• Live chat functionality with a live agent, not a bot
• FAQ section with a wide range of questions and answers
• Multi-language support for players (English and French essential)
• Social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn
• Dedicated telephone numbers for quick easy communication with support staff
• An online casino blog where interactions between players and casino staff are possible
• Online contact forms with quick and easy options for attaching documents and sending to casino representatives

Casinofy tests the quality of customer support at online casinos in many ways. We submit queries to the support representatives via online chat, online contact forms, and email. If responses are slow in coming, or the feedback is unhelpful, we automatically reject those online casinos from the best online casinos in Canada. Excellent customer service is non-negotiable.

Canada Online Casino situation – Statistics and Projections

Currently, the law as it stands in Canada leaves online casinos in a grey area. For starters, there is no Federal legislation permitting online casino gambling. It is typically left up to individual provinces across Canada – 10 of them – to decide for themselves how they wish to proceed on the issue of online casino gambling.

There are Native American casinos in tribal lands across Canada, and they have it within their purview to push forward with online casino gambling rules or restrictions as they see fit.

Regardless, Canadian players are not prohibited from participating in online casino games. The law does not proscribe online casino gambling, but it is incumbent upon individual players to carefully source their chosen online casinos. That’s where authorities like Casinofy come into the picture.

We steer players in the direction of safe and secure online casinos with full licensing and regulation at reputable authorities. The objective is to protect the players’ right to play, but to do so in a safe and secure way.

Canada Online Casinos Responsible Gambling Protocols

• Responsible gambling protocols warrant a zero-tolerance policy towards underage gambling. The legal gambling age at land-based casinos across Canada is 19.

• Online casinos must provide valuable information on the topic of problem gambling. This entails access to local authorities which can help with gambling addiction. In Canada, the Canada Safety Council serves as one of these authorities by providing valuable information to players who may have gambling problems, or are headed in that direction. There are many authorities for gambling assistance in Canada, including the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission Helpline, the British Columbia Problem Gambling Information and Referral Service, The Québec-Gambling Help and Referral, the Saskatchewan Problem Gambling Helpline, and the Nova Scotia toll-free gambling helpline, among others.

• Online casinos offering their services to Canadian players must also make it a point to allow for self-exclusion, and a cooling-off period. To this end, it must be easy for players to self-exclude, or to close their accounts. Online casinos that make it difficult for players by facilitating online gambling and encouraging online gambling through aggressive marketing are expressly excluded from our list of reputable online casinos in Canada.

• Responsible gambling operations are also easily identified by way of seals of approval from accredited authorities. Reputable software providers typically align themselves with responsible gaming providers featuring independently audited game results, reliable payment processing, and stellar reputations. It is always a good idea to independently crosscheck licensing and regulation, RNG certification, and player approval ratings of online casinos.

Regulatory issues and Canadian online casinos

The Canadian government held a position unfavorable to gambling activity for many years. Canada is a Parliamentary Democracy that operates within the constructs of a Federal Parliamentary Government.

There are 10 Canadian provinces, including 3 territories in the northern part of the country. These provinces include Saskatchewan, Québec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia.

Currently, digital casino gambling (slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, et al) is ‘regulated’ by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC), and the Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba.

Other games like poker are regulated by the Gaming Control Branch of the Department of Public Safety in New Brunswick, the Consumer Affairs Division, Consumer and Commercial Affairs Branch of Service in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in Northwest Territories, the Alcohol Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division of Service Nova Scotia, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

With limited official Canadian licensing and regulation over online gambling activity, our research is confined to figures released by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Authority which indicated a net profit of $2.49 billion for the fiscal year 2017/2018. Bricks and mortar casinos across Canada are contributing less to overall gambling-related revenues, as online casinos rapidly encroach into their market share.

Casinofy research indicates that this is part of a broader global trend, with newly-regulated markets indicating strong growth in online casino gaming. HLT Advisory, with the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) provides additional data to supplement the findings.

The rapid adoption of mobile technology across Canada, particularly Android and iOS devices, and the widespread use of Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G technology have popularized online casino gambling across Canada.

Canadian online casinos a.k.a. online casinos that provide services to Canadian players are generally licensed outside of Canada by reputable authorities like the MGA, the UKGC, the Government of Gibraltar, the Government of Curaçao, Antigua and Barbuda, and other countries, territories, and jurisdictions where online casinos are licensed.

Casinofy serves as your go-to resource for all online casinos that offer online gaming services to Canadian players. While Canada does not sanction online casinos from within the country, no actions are taken against players who participate in online casino games with foreign-based operators.