Canadians are no newcomer to the online gaming world. As mentioned in The National Economic Benefits of the Canadian Gaming Industry, a report made by the Canadian Gaming Association, gaming in Canada generates $9.2 billion annually to fund government and community programs and services,
With so many casino enthusiasts, it’s only natural that there is a plethora of online casinos Canadian players can choose from. But how do you decide which online casino is your ideal match? Using the expertise of Casino Professor which is an award winning comparison site for Canadian casinos, we put together this guide to help you pick the best casino for you.
Welcome bonuses
Welcome bonuses are often the number one reason why a player chooses a specific casino. Online casinos know this so they try to attract potential players by offering the most interesting welcome offer, hoping they will sign up their account. In general, there are two different types of welcome bonuses in a casino: a welcome deposit bonus and a no deposit bonus.
Welcome deposit bonus
As a welcome gift to their new players who made their first deposit, most casinos offer a welcome bonus or package. It can be activated before, during or after your first deposit, depending on the casinos’ offer.
The specific welcome package can vary a lot. Several casinos offer a huge bonus amount to their players, some even offer more than an online casino $1000 bonus. This usually means that players need to make a higher deposit in order to benefit from the maximum bonus amount, though. Most casinos have a percentage of 100% but some offer higher (or lower) percentages. Casinos may also split their offer up in multiple tiers and give different bonus amounts and/or percentages each tier.
No deposit bonus
Some online casinos offer no deposit bonuses to their new Canadian players. This may come in the form of free spins or free bonus money. Casinos that offer a no deposit bonus to their new players usually add the bonus to their account right after signing up. A no deposit bonus is a great way to become familiar with a new casino without risking any of your own money. In most cases, the winnings from this bonus does come as bonus money so this means that you need to wager your winnings a number of times before you can withdraw them.
Some casinos are no-wager casinos though, so any winnings from this no deposit offer are paid out as real cash. This means you have a chance to win real money from this bonus or free spins no deposit without having to make a deposit yourself.
Payments
Payment methods
Another element to check is the different payment options typically offered by the casino. Most Canadians are used to paying with Interac, iDebit or INSTADEBIT nowadays and of course online casinos in Canada have responded to this by offering one of these payment methods for casino transactions - if not all three of them. Aside from these popular methods, Visa and MasterCard are commonly used by Canadians as well. Nowadays, most people have one of these cards sitting in their wallets. Another payment method that is increasing in popularity is the e-wallet. In Canada, the most commonly used e-wallets are ecoPayz and MuchBetter.
Whichever method you choose, deposits are usually added to your casino account instantly and free of charge.
Minimum deposit amount
Another difference in online casinos is their minimum deposit amounts. If you wish to stick to a smaller deposit amount, you probably don’t want to sign up for a casino with a $30 minimum deposit amount. Most online casinos belong to the minimum $10 deposit amount casinos, though. At some casinos, you can even deposit a smaller amount such as $1, $2 or $5.
Do keep in mind that although the casino might accept very small deposits, sometimes a higher deposit amount is needed to activate a welcome bonus. Should you wish to benefit from a casino bonus, check beforehand how much you should deposit to be eligible for it.
Withdrawal processing times
Not only is it important to choose a casino that offers your preferred means of payment and the minimum deposit amount, it may be worth it to check the withdrawal processing of each payment option. As soon as your withdrawal request is approved by the casino, it depends on the chosen withdrawal method as to when your funds will be credited. Withdrawals by bank transfer and credit cards often take between 2-5 banking days to arrive whereas withdrawals via e-wallets are usually credited instantly.
So if you wish to enjoy your winnings as soon as possible, we suggest you choose an e-wallet as your payment method for your casino transactions.
Types of games
Perhaps the most crucial element for some players when choosing a casino: does the casino offer your favorite types of games? All online casinos offer slots, table games and the basic live casino games - that is a fact. But finding a casino that offers classic scratch cards, traditional bingo games or even some variants of online roulette games could be harder to find. And of course, a casino might offer over 30 jackpot games, but if your beloved jackpot title is not in the casinos’ library you might want to keep searching for another casino. Although this might bring you to a new game you have never played before. And who knows, you might like it even more than the game you were originally looking for.
Usually all games, with the exception of live casino games, can be tested out for free in the game’s demo version. So you can browse and try out a few games before even signing up to the casino.
The safety of the games at an online casino is something you don’t need to worry about. At licenced casinos in Canada, all games are independently tested, for example by eCOGRA. This is an independent regulatory body which ensures that all slots and games are tested thoroughly for fairness and safety, ensuring a secure and reliable gaming environment.
Customer service
Something that may be important for Canadian players, is the customer service opening hours and the language help is offered in. Most - if not all - online casinos offer help in English but few offer help in French. This could be a problem for French-speaking Canadians who have issues getting their message across in English.
Another crucial point for Canadians might be the opening hours of the help desk. Many offshore casinos are based in Europe, which means that there are major time zone differences. Of course, if the casino offers 24/7 help, this time zone difference doesn’t matter since Canadians can get help whenever they need it. But if the casino operates only during working hours, this usually means that Canadian players cannot get instant help during evening hours - which is when most people find the time to play.
So if getting help in your language and the opening hours of a casinos’ customer service matter a lot to you, it is a good idea to check these aspects before signing up.
