Top Online Casinos For Canadian Players

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Top Online Casinos in Canada: What you Need to Know

Although it seems like there’s a casino popping up on every corner, sometimes you may not want to leave your house. You can still roll the dice, spin the wheel, or flip a card all from the comforts of your own home. That’s because the top online casinos in Canada are making that possible for every citizen. With online gaming, you can play whenever you want to, whenever you feel like it.

Despite an estimated 1200-1400 different places to game online for Canadians, there’s only a few that rank the best. Before you dive in, here’s a few quick facts about the industry and some helpful tips.

A Brief History

Gambling in Canada was outlawed in the 1800’s but that slowly began to change by the next century. In 1969, the Canadian government finally amended the Criminal Code from 1892 because they saw a huge value in lotteries. Both the federal and provincial government took interest in the winnings to fund special projects. In fact, the very first lottery was used to raise capital for the 1974 Olympics in Montreal.

So, gambling was now seen in a more positive light by the government. As time went on, the provinces were given the right to run more lotteries that included horse racing, video slots, and casinos. Each province determined their own rules for gambling.

In 1985, major changes continued as provincially-licensed premises introduced video-based gambling machines into the mix. This was the birth of online gambling and the start of the digital gaming experience for Canadians. It wasn’t long before the top online casinos in Canada were established.

By the year 2004, B.C. was offering online lottery tickets and sports betting. 2009 saw the introduction of poker, bingo, and other online casino games. Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario also followed suit. A survey conducted in 2007 showed that only about 2.3% of Canadians reported participating in online gambling, yet Manitoba alone reported spending $37 million a year in online casinos.

On the East Coast, the Atlantic Lottery Corp. came to oversee bingo and online lottery tickets for the Maritime provinces. By now, almost every province in Canada offers online gambling, except for Saskatchewan.

Laws and Regulations

There is nothing in Canada’s Criminal Code that states online gambling is illegal. If the offshore site is legal, then so are your activities. As a player, you aren’t committing any criminal offense by engaging with an offshore operator playing slots, poker, or any other game in an online casino.

Gambling in Canada is seen as a provincial concern, so if you are not sure about your province, it’s best to double check. There was only one case in legal history of someone being prosecuted for online gambling, and that was a million-dollar company. Starnet was also involved in other nefarious activities like money laundering, which makes the case complicated.

To this date, the RCMP has never brought a legal case forward against any offshore gambling operator. Although there is always a possibility for everything, doing so would not only take extensive resources, but involve complicated extradition. It’s simply not feasible.

The Current Market

The Canadian Gaming Association conducted a recent study on legalized gambling and found that gaming generates over $16 billion in revenue every single year, with just under $9 billion being redistributed back to the government. This money also goes to charities, community programs, and other positive initiatives.

This means that gambling is now the largest single financial contributor to the entertainment sector in Canada. The economic impact cannot be ignored. Gaming is a key part of Canada’s hospitality industry.

Unlike the United States, advertising is allowed. So, you will often see ads all over the country for things like free-play poker sites and casino buy-ins. As more provinces move into regulated gaming space, there is a possibility the provinces will join forces to create one national online casino.

However, international sites have a decade-long start and are much more experienced when it comes to the online gaming industry. And with payment options in the hundreds, there really is no benefit to playing the way the province tells you to.

Payment Options

Canadians have some of the best payment options for online gambling in the world. Twice as many as their southern American neighbors. The following are some ways in which you can cash in and get to gaming in minutes:

Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards

E-Wallets

Bank Transfers

  • Wire transfer
  • eCheck
  • Bitcoin

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Keep in mind there are hundreds of sites available to help you manage your finances online.

Brand Trust

As a Canadian gamer, you can always game within your province, but you’ll be missing out on everything a well-established brand has to offer. We know all the twists and turns of the online gaming industry. That’s because it’s our passion.

CasinoIntensity is a watchdog that gamblers have trusted since 2006. We perform thorough market research that will keep you up to date and informed on all your gaming needs. Our trusted team of professionals are here to answer any questions you may have, at any time. When you’re ready to start winning, check out our trusted sites above. They feature some of the top online casinos in Canada. Good luck and happy gaming!