Best casino sites in Canada

Population: 38 million
Active Players: 12 million
Currency: Canadian Dollar(CAD)
Regulated Gambling Products: Casino, sports betting, horse racing, lotteries – different from one province to another
Operator Types: Land-based and online licensed casinos [only in Kahnawake], offshore online casinos
Designated Authority: Each of the ten provinces has a local gambling authority. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the only one issuing licensed for online casinos
Status: Grey market – licensed and offshore operators coexist 

Many things come to mind when you think of Canada. It could be the Niagara Falls, maple syrup, amazing landscapes and of course hockey if you’re a sports fan. The Northern-American country has the world’s 9th largest GDP and a very high standard of living. Therefore, it’s no wonder that a big portion – over 30% – of its adult citizens engage weekly in various forms of gambling. 

Not surprisingly, Canada is home to the oldest operating licensing authority – the Kahnawake Gaming Commission that is responsible for issuing licenses for land-based and online casinos in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. As for the rest of the country, each of its ten provinces treats gambling according to its own rules. However, land-based and online gambling is legal across the country, and none of the provinces has specific laws for online casinos.

This means that if you are looking for an awesome online casino, Canada is an ideal place to be in. You have access to both local and international operators and are free to pick the best according to what you consider as top-class.

Did You Know That?

• The legal gambling age in Canada is 18
• Over 30% of Canadian citizens gamble every week
• Gambling is legal in the country although online gambling isn’t regulated
• The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is responsible for issuing licenses for online casinos in Canada
• The Canadian Gaming Association was established to help the industry advance

Casino Sites in Canada

Players only want to enjoy the services of the very best online casinos. Canada is the ideal jurisdiction if you want to enjoy top gambling services as it provides players with access to both local and offshore operators. Let’s take a look at both sets of online casinos and assess their pros and cons.

Legal Casino Sites in Canada

When talking about legal online casinos in Canada, the discussion isn’t exactly straightforward. Since there are no laws to regulate the online gambling landscape in the country, all online casinos operating in Canada are legal. However, in this section we’re going to address the licensed online casinos in Canada. 

There’s only one region in Canada where online casinos can apply for a license. The Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake has its own Gaming Commission that licenses both land-based and online casinos. Right now, there are 67 online casinos and bingo sites licensed by the Commission. While there’s no legal difference between an online casino licensed in Kahnawake and one licensed by the UKGC or MGA, some operators prefer to go for the local license hoping it’ll give them an edge when the country decides to fully regulate online gambling.

International Casino Sites in Canada

If you consult the list of the 67 operators licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, you’ll notice that only a handful are big names in the industry. Usually, all the best casinos in Canada are simply operating based on their license issued by reputable international authorities such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission or the Government of Curacao. Among the top online casinos Canada has to offer, names like Mr Green, PlayoJo, RedKings, or Guns Bet stand out with appealing welcome bonuses and local payment methods.

Welcome Bonuses and Deposit Limits

And since we mentioned how some of the international casino sites come with special offers for Canadian players, let’s take a look at what kind of welcome bonuses you can expect. The regular online casino Canada real money welcome offer consists of a high match bonus applied to your first deposit. A 100% bonus that can go up to CAD 500 or even more is a great offer and sometimes casinos throw in a few free spins. It’s the case for GunsBet where you will enjoy 100 free spins on top of a 100% welcome bonus. 

The minimum deposit to claim the welcome bonus at Canadian online casinos is usually CAD20. However, you will find casinos with even lower amounts, accepting deposits as low as CAD10 for the bonuses. As far as the maximum deposit amounts go, you can expect limits of CAD1,000 for cards and online bank transfers CAD 5,000 for ewallets.

Betting with CAD

Since the Canadian gambling market is so player friendly, most online casinos are offering the Canadian Dollar among their standard currencies. In our list of best online casinos in Canada 2021 you will find operators where you can play using CAD so you won’t have to worry about currency exchange fees.

How to Deposit and Withdraw on Canadian Casino Sites?

Once you set your eyes on the best payout online casino Canada, the first step is to deposit so you can start playing and score a big win. Luckily for casino players, Canada is the home of many fintech companies and some of them focused on the iGaming industry as well.

Bank Transfer

No matter if you want to enjoy the services of a live casino Canada or you just want to pay for something online, you can rely on the various bank transfer methods available in the Country. Over the last few years, Interac is the bank transfer deposit option that most casino players use. It offers instant deposits without fees and is accepted at most of the Canadian-facing casinos.

eWallet Options

If you want to deposit using an ewallet, there are plenty of options to do so. InstaDebit is the local ewallet that casino players can use at online casinos. However, you can use Neteller and Skrill just as well. Or, if you’re looking for a PayPal casino, Canada has plenty of options to offer. 

Mobile Payments

There are no local mobile payments that Canadian players can use. However, the internationally available Google Pay or Apple Pay are accepted at most online casinos out there. 

Cryptocurrency

Out of the hundreds of online casinos targeting the Canadian market, you will surely find plenty of operators that give you the option to pay using cryptocurrency. Bitcoin and its denominations are the most popular cryptocurrencies among casino players, however, Ethereum is increasingly popular as well. FortuneJack or BitStarz are two of the top cryptocurrency casinos at the moment. 

How to Create and Verify Your Account on Canadian Casino Sites

We’ve discussed bonuses and the payment options you are most likely to encounter when using top online casino sites Canada. However, it doesn’t hurt to have a step-by-step guide for registering an account as well.

• Access the casino website
• Locate the “Register” or “Join” button and click it
• Next, the usual step of inserting some of your personal information (First and Last Name, Date of Birth, Nationality, and Place of Birth)
• Depending on the casino, you might be asked for a valid phone number for account confirmation
• Finally, choose a username and password for your account
• Click on “Register” once more to finalize the process

The best casino sites in Canada ask players to verify their accounts right after registration. Besides making your account a lot safer, going through a proper verification also ensures you get faster withdrawals. To verify your account, simply provide a copy of your ID, a recent utility bill and a proof of payment. Some casinos have a special section where you can just upload the documents while others ask you to send an email with the documents in the attachment. 

What Can We Expect from Canadian Gambling Law Changes?

It looks like both the authorities and the operators are happy with the way things are going in Canada right now from an online gambling standpoint. There were talks in recent years about a unified gambling regulation that would make it mandatory for operators to apply for licenses. However, it doesn’t look like the authorities are in a hurry to change anything just yet. Despite recommendations from the Canadian Gaming Association on how such an approach would boost revenue collection for authorities.