The iGaming industry is experiencing a lot of changes in Canada. With Ontario legalizing gambling recently, and even establishing their own licensing organization, a lot of Canadian provinces are thinking about hopping on the bandwagon. However, as of 2024, the laws in Canada are very strict. In this article, we are going to take a look at Canada’s gambling laws, as well as the different online gambling options for gamblers.
Canada Gambling Laws
In most of Canada, companies are not allowed to offer online gambling services to Canadian residents. However, that doesn’t mean that Canadians don’t have any online gambling options. For one, there are no laws barring citizens from gambling online. Which means, many of them can access online casinos headquartered outside of Canada.
Offshore casinos are gambling websites whose headquarters exist outside of Canada, but they offer their services to Canadians. Most of these gambling websites are headquartered in European countries like Malta and Cyprus. Players may also find casino websites located in the Caribbean, who have a great tract record with the iGaming industry.
Of course, there is also Ontario, which has recently legalized online gambling, and even established a licensing organization. Ontario laws have made it illegal to access any gambling websites, outside of the ones approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Now that we are aware of the laws, it is time to address the different gambling options for Canadians.
Classic Online Casinos
Classic online casinos are the ones most of us are familiar with. They are websites that feature video versions of the most popular games, such as slots, blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Online casinos first appeared in the 1990s, but only recently have they attained worldwide popularity. In 2024, online casinos have used the advancements in technology to make their websites a lot better for newcomers. One of the ways in which they’ve done so is by incorporating livestreaming.
- Live Casinos
A sub-category of online casinos, live casinos can often be found on the main page of any gambling website. As the name suggests, they feature live dealers, who use live streaming to broadcast themselves to a chat. There are plenty of gambling sites with live dealers on casino.com, so if you like what you hear, check them out.
Live casinos combine the best of both worlds. They are easily accessible and simple to play, like most online gambling games. On the other hand, you get the face-to-face experience and camaraderie of land-based gambling establishments, that many miss when playing online.
Mobile Casinos
Classic online casinos feature all of the games you could ever want. The one thing they lack is the ability to access them from anywhere, at any time. After all, you have to use a PC to play at an online casino. Nowadays though, we all have our personal miniature computer, that we carry around in our back pocket. iGaming companies are striving to keep up with the advancing technology.
Hence, mobile casinos have come into existence. These kinds of apps are especially popular in western countries like Canada and the United States. You can visit most online casinos nowadays, and download an APK app, so that you can access the website from your smartphone whenever you want. Many websites have cut straight to the chase, and simply made their website mobile-friendly.
Mobile casinos feature most, if not all of the games you are likely to find at the website’s PC version. Poker, blackjack, and slots are the most popular options. However, a recent trend is Vegas solitaire, which allows players to bet on a new kind of solitaire, designed specifically for gamblers. Games like these, and much more are now available at your fingertips.
Crypto Casinos
The so-called “crypto fad” has proven to be something a lot bigger. The market continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, and cryptocurrencies are becoming part of the mainstream. With the digital assets being so entrenched in our society, it is unsurprising that cryptocurrency has become a popular transaction option at many online casinos.
Online casinos now embrace Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and other big name coins. This has made transactions a lot easier (and cheaper), and has also widened the appeal of online casinos. But, what about the folks who like to gamble with obscure cryptocurrencies? The digital coins that many of us aren’t even aware of? Well, for them, crypto casinos are an alternative option.
Crypto casinos are exactly what they sound like – gambling websites that operate solely on cryptocurrency. The benefit here is that transactions fees have been all but eliminated. Not only that, but anonymity is almost a guarantee. The downside, of course, is that gamblers have to deal with the volatility inherent to the crypto market.
The one thing to be vary of when gambling with crypto is the licensing. A lot of crypto casinos go through the legal process of acquiring a license, which proves they’ve been reviewed and approved by the top gambling authorities. However, many of them operate unlicensed and outside the law. These websites are best avoided, as they are often untrustworthy at best, and outright scams at worst.
Popular Games to Play in Canada
Now that we know all of the different styles of online casinos available to Canadians, it is time to discuss the various gambling games popular in the country. Many who know a lot about gambling can probably, already predict which games are going to appear on this list.
- Online Slots: the most popular gambling game in the world, slots dominate both land-based and online casinos. They are simple, easy, and fun to play. Slots famously require no skill, which is why they are so popular.
- Online Roulette: the game most closely associated with casinos is roulette. The black and red board has been used a symbol for gambling for centuries, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see it on the list.
- Online Blackjack: finally, we are taking a look at blackjack. The game has the best player odds out of any other casino game, so its popularity is a no-brainer.