The online casino gaming sector in Canada is growing and it is estimated that this industry is contributing around 31 billion dollars to the economy each year. This just means that Canadians just really love to gamble through online casinos and this is mainly because they are allowed to do so.
Canada is a country that you can consider open when it comes to such activities. Online gambling is generally legal in here, but of course, there still are a few provincial and municipal restrictions to this. The federal government of Canada allows each state or territory to decide whether they want to regulate online gambling or not. This is generally why online casinos in Canada are legal.
It was in the 1970s when gambling was mostly illegal in Canada. The government and the authorities back then were having a hard time controlling the gambling market, especially the underworld gambling market, and so they just really decided on banning gambling completely.
However, in 1985, the country was introduced to the Criminal Code. This made it clear that the territories in the country can have their own gambling laws. However, the regulations also said that there will be a national law that would prevent Canadians in one state from gambling or betting in another state. What’s great is that when the Criminal Code was issued in 1985, online gambling practically didn’t exist, and so this created loopholes for online gamblers to take advantage of.
Ontario, in particular, still ban online casinos within its borders. However, this province has its own regulated casinos, lotteries, and poker sites. This is likely the reason why they won’t allow other operators to take customers from them. Because of this, many online casinos operating in Canada are avoiding taking best from the locals of Ontario.
Mobile casino gaming is also becoming popular in the country as Canadians are big mobile users. The population of mobile users in the US is just as much as in Canada and they like that many casino games can now be played on their mobile devices like their smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Canadian online casinos are typically licensed by jurisdictions like the UK, Malta, Gibraltar, and Kahnawake. One may think that Canadian casinos are licensed by British Columbia, but not really. In fact, online casinos that are licensed by British Columbia can only operate within its borders.
It’s always important to check whether an online casino is licensed. Since Canada is fairly open and welcoming to online casino operators, players should be responsible enough to ensure their safety. Licensed online casinos are safe to get involved with because they are up to par with the requirements of certain jurisdictions.
Now, when it comes to the most popular way to Gamble in Canada, there are a few games that would stand out. Here are the most popularly played online casino games in Canada.
- Slot Machines
Canadians are fond of playing different types of slot machine games. The classic slots with three reels are still popular in the country, but so are video slots, 3D slots, and progressive jackpot slots. For people who want to win the big jackpot, they just always go for progressive jackpot slots.
- Live Dealer Table Games
Live Dealer table games are becoming popular in the online gambling sector and it makes sense as it makes online casino gaming a more social experience. People in Canada are also fond of this and there are plenty of live dealer table games that they can choose from like Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat.
- Video Poker
This is a game you’d see on almost, if not all, Canadian online casinos. It’s great for people who want to play poker without a live dealer. This also comes in different varieties and so it’s something that you won’t easily get bored of.
- Scratch Cards
Aside from the traditional casino games, you can also scratch cards online on Canadian casinos. This is kind of like playing the game of slots. However, it’s still not as popular as slot machines are in the country.
- Lottery
This is commonly found in the ‘other games’ section of Canadian casinos as the traditional casino games are more popular in the Canadian gambling scene. However, there still are Canadian online casinos that are dedicated to lotteries and bingo.
Now, when it comes to the payment options available at Canadian online casinos, there are a few that players can choose from. Canadian casinos would accept Canadian dollars and the most popular options that these casinos have to include Interac, Instadebit, and iDebit. Digital wallets like Neteller and PayPal are also popular options here.