If recent industry reports are anything to go by, the popularity of online casinos has never been higher. In fact, online casinos have become so popular that in the next four years, the global casino and gambling market is expected to hit a total valuation of $82bn.
For an industry that has often struggled to gain mainstream coverage or acceptability, this is a fairly staggering feat and speaks to the unprecedented levels of popularity that online casinos have experienced in recent years.
For Canadian casino fans, this industry shift has been no different. Recently, we have seen a slow but steady move away from the traditional locations where casino games were typically found — most often in physical casinos — to an increasingly diverse array of digital casino platforms.
According to reporting by CBC, the shift to online casinos has recently accelerated with new provincial players looking to enter the online casino market. One example is the Atlantic Lotto, who view the current commercial landscape in the casino industry as the perfect time to enter into the market. In Prince Edward Island, the potential profits that might be earned from regulating online gambling have already been earmarked for a variety of projects within the province, with mental health charities identified as potential recipient.
Clearly, the casino landscape is rapidly changing across Canada. However, in terms of actually accessing new and exciting online casino games, what is the current regulatory landscape looking like for Canadians? Is it as simple as typing this Canadian online casino name into Google and following a ‘Click Here’ link, or does it take a little bit more time to find the right platform?
Source: riverscasino.com
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Are online casinos legal in Canada?
Up until fairly recently, there were widespread, harsh restrictions on how Canadians could access casinos. These were typically limited to in-person settings, with the number of locations tightly controlled.
However, as of several years ago, the regulatory landscape in Canada has changed significantly. Thanks to a push by former governments to ease restrictions, people across Canada can enjoy their favorite casino games without ever leaving their own home!
Currently, gambling in casinos — whether in-person or online — tends to fall under either First Nations or provincial law. Provincial law leaves the regulation of online gambling up to provincial or territorial governments, which explains the differences between provinces.
For an online casino to operate legally in Canada, it will need to receive a valid license from either a provincial gambling authority or a First Nations authority — such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
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Are online casinos popular in Canada?
Although online gambling is a relatively recent technological innovation, Canadians have nevertheless picked up this new pastime with great enthusiasm. While many individuals still choose to head to a physical casino, virtual casinos are becoming increasingly popular.
This has been helped, in no small part, by the liberalization of gambling laws across Canada. This has allowed online casinos to set up and offer their services to customers in a safe, tightly regulated environment.
Additionally, the rise of smartphones and mobile internet have also aided the transition towards online casinos. In fact, most online casino gaming is conducted from a mobile device these days.
The revenue generated by both physical and online casinos has also been important at the provincial level. Here, taxes levied on casino revenue have been an important source of income for provincial powers.
Source: Medium.com
Finding online casinos in Canada
As online casinos have become more popular, it has become increasingly difficult to choose from all the available options. With so many online casinos in operation these days, sometimes a Google search can only get you so far.
Nevertheless, for Canadians looking to find a new online casino to game with, there are a number of options available.
Firstly, you can check what casinos are listed with your provincial gambling regulator. They will usually have an up-to-date list with all of the licensed casinos who can operate within the province, which will provide an overview of what options you have available to you. Choosing a fully licensed casino is always preferable, so this is a solid option.
Secondly, you can also use a review aggregator website. These are essentially online review websites that categorize and rank online casinos according to criteria such as trust and safety, game selection and bonuses. By reading these reviews, you will get a sense of what casinos are worth playing with and which you should avoid.
Source: filmdaily.co
Choosing your casino game
The last decision you will need to make — which is arguably the most difficult — is what online casino game you want to play. Although this decision is ultimately a personal one, there are nevertheless a few criteria you should keep in mind to help you make your decision.
For example, you might choose a game based on how much time you have to play in a given session. Longer gaming sessions are well suited to more strategic, drawn out games like poker. While shorter gaming sessions are perfectly suited towards games such as slots, roulette and blackjack, which have a fast pace of play. Another factor to consider is how much money you have to play with. Slots are the perfect game for a smaller bankroll, as you can typically wager in very small increments. You might also choose a game based on the pace of the play and the playing style, and whether you prefer more strategic games or more fast-paced ones.
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Online casino gaming safely in Canada
Once you have found an online casino you would like to gamble with, it is important to check that they are fully licensed to operate as a casino.
You should always make sure that the casino you want to trust your money with has received a license from a local regulatory body. This ensures that not only will the casino in question comply with industry standards of fairness and that they must handle your accounts funds in a certain way, it will also ensure you have recourse if anything goes wrong with your account.
This might be, for example, be the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which is empowered to issue licenses to casinos in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
Other regulatory bodies are empowered to regulate the gambling and gaming industry in Canada at the federal level. This includes the Canadian Gaming Association which is a national trade association representing operators and suppliers in Canada’s gaming, sports betting, esports and lottery industries.
