5 steps to finding the perfect Canadian online casino

In recent times, there has been an enormous growth in the online gaming sector worldwide, and unsurprisingly the Canadian market has been no exception. According to the Canadian Gaming Association, the total yearly purchased services is about $14 billion and gross output $31 billion, with these numbers expected to rise in the future.

The recent growth in mobile gaming has undoubtedly given an added boost to the ever-growing popularity of Canadian online casino usage, granting players access to their favorite mobile bookmakers, poker rooms and casinos whenever they are. Unlike their predecessors, the brick and mortar casinos, online casino sites are well known for their generous bonuses and promotional offers.

However, with the increase in the number of online casino sites, operators have employed different techniques—using bonuses—to lure players to use their sites. It can be quite overwhelming, especially when you’re a newbie trying to figure out how to choose your first online casino. Before signing up, committing your cash and playing away, here are 5 steps to take before committing your money into a casino.

Step 1: Reputation


The first thing to consider while choosing an online casino is the website’s reputation—as the internet is crawling with scam sites and online thieves. Despite the risk involved in the gambling business in general, most online players can get oblivious of the added risks that don’t necessarily apply with traditional casinos.

All players should ensure that the casinos they are dealing with offer safety, security, and fairness in dealing with payments. The likes of 888 poker Canada are reputable enough to deal with your eyes closed because their website and games are developed with embedded security features including firewall protection and 128-bit SSL encryption, both designed to ensure maximum site security.

Surfing the internet for reviews can be one of the most comfortable method of researching a gambling site’s reliability and credibility. Reading different perceptions, biases, and standards of quality and customer service will help you average out the reviews, ultimately giving you a clearer picture of how credible the website is.

Step 2: Licensing and Regulations


Players need to verify that a gambling website possesses the necessary licenses and fully registered with the appropriate authorities. As a Canadian player, it is important to ensure the online casino chosen is licensed in a jurisdiction that makes it legal for you to play. Most likely, you will need a casino that is operated offshore to legally accept Canadian players without any infringements.

Michael Lipton, a lawyer and gaming law expert with Dickinson Wright in Toronto, said he doesn't see anything in Canada's Criminal Code that makes wagering through an offshore site illegal.

"As far as I'm concerned, you as a player aren't committing any criminal offence by being in a position where you are engaged with an offshore operator playing poker, playing slots, or whatever the case may be," Lipton said in a report.

Step 3: Games


Although every online casino offers the same popular set of games and a fairly similar gaming experience across all platforms, it’s still important to decide if the casino has the games that you would enjoy playing.

Also, almost all online casinos grants visitors access to the full gaming list—and an occasional free-mode—while some sites take it a step further by offering deposit-free bonuses, which grants players access to play a game or two of their choice before paying an initial deposit.

Step 4: Banking Options


Another important step to take when making a decision is the banking options provided by the online casino, as every gambler should have a preferred method of depositing their funds.


In the online gambling industry, credit cards are a ‘taboo’ and most banks decline transactions that utilizes them.  This has caused many players to switch to other payment methods to fund their accounts. Growing in popularity are digital wallets and reputable sites only redirect users to trusted gaming establishments that have multiple payment service providers like AmEx, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, or Neteller—and the ever-increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.


Step 5: Payout Time


After striking jackpot, the last thing that a player would want to experience is waiting weeks or even months for a payout.  It is important to factor payout time into your decision an not only play at a casino that only offers your favorite games but pays out as promptly as within reason.


While instant payouts—like at traditional casinos—are not possible at online casinos, reputable casinos offer a maximum of about 2 – 5 working day approval on withdrawals.

Mathieu Blake


Mathieu Blake - Internet Entrepreneur, loves technology, sports, the Montreal Canadiens, Poker, Poker chips, current events and travel. You will often find him Writing about different topics that interest him on websites and blogs. To submit an article, contact the website directly.