The Best Online Casinos in Canada | Our Hands-On Experience
There was a time when the most dedicated gamblers could find themselves having to go many miles out of their way in order to play at their favorite casino. To the uninitiated, it might seem as if one casino would be as good as the next, but in fact, every player has their own personal preferences and the experience of playing at one casino might be very different to playing at another casino closer to home.
Fortunately, technology has saved us from this primitive approach to gambling. There are now a plethora of websites and apps that enable players to experience everything that their favorite online casino has to offer without having to leave the house. The online casino industry has existed virtually as long as the internet itself and, like the internet itself, it has been refined and improved considerably in that time.
As a result, Canadian players on the lookout for somewhere new to gamble have an endless procession of websites to choose from. With the prodigious growth of the online casino industry showing no signs of abating any soon, it is a landscape that will continue to shift and change into the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, once you know what to look for when you are judging an online casino, it becomes much simpler to pick out the ones that are worth trying for you. Let’s take a look at some of the key considerations when evaluating a casino, as well as a look at what we think are the best of the best in the online casino industry.
The Games Library
Obviously, the quality of the games available at an online casino is one of the most important indications of overall quality. After all, it doesn’t matter how good a casino looks or how generous they are with their welcome bonuses if the games are no good. Most online casinos today, certainly the ones that we would recommend, use games developed by Microgaming.
Microgaming has been an important part of the online casino industry since its inception. The company is famous as the developers of the very first virtual casino, and in many ways, they are the fathers of the entire industry. Today, owing to a series of acquisitions and mergers over the last few decades, Microgaming produces all types of casino games but specialize in slots. Virtually all the licensed online casino games are developed by Microgaming.
Make sure that any casino has the kind of games you want before you give them any of your money.
The Payment Options
Canadian players have access to casinos around the world, but only a few are based in Canada themselves. Depending on the casino, there might be additional fees and charges associated with using Canadian dollars if they aren’t the local currency of the casino. In these cases, it is often more economical to make deposits and withdrawals through a payment processor like PayPal, rather than paying directly with a credit or debit card.
Welcome Bonuses
Before you decide which casino to start playing with, you should check out what kind of welcome bonuses they offer you. The vast majority of online casinos offer new players some kind of introductory bonus, either in the form of free spins or free credit. With most casinos, the first deposits that you make will earn some kind of bonus, but the exact number and nature of them will vary from casino to casino.
User Reviews
You can tell a lot about an online casino without having to make an account. But, unless you are prepared to open an account and start playing, the best way of determining what a casino is like is to check out the user reviews available online. You shouldn’t worry too much about the occasional negative review - no casino is going to be loved by everyone. However, if lots of players are having the same issues, this could be an indication that you should be wary.
The Best Casinos in Canada
Every player has their own personal favorite casino and their own personal set of criteria and requirements, so the best casino for you will depend on your own individual tastes and requirements. However, there are four casinos that stand out from the rest of the pack.
Yukon Gold Casino
As one of the first online casinos to launch, Yukon Gold has had a couple of decades to refine and improve its offerings. They have maintained a solid reputation throughout that time, thanks in part to their distinctive Wild West theme, which permeates the entire website. Not all of the 550 or so games in the library carry through with the theme; many of them utilize film and TV licenses. Their welcome bonus is also one of the most generous around.
Captain Cooks Casino
With its seafaring theme and regularly updated library of games, Captain Cooks is an enjoyable experience every time you log on. As well as updating their games library frequently, they also regularly change the promotions that they offer to players. Captain Cooks also has some of the most impressive security features of any online casino and a fantastic customer service department who respond quickly to any issues.
Grand Mondial
We have yet to find an online casino that can beat Grand Mondial when it comes to their introductory bonuses, which includes 150 chances to become a millionaire in a random draw, awarded after the player deposits $10 or more. This makes Grand Mondial an excellent choice for anyone who is looking for their very first online casino experience.
Zodiac Casino
IF you aren’t quite sure about online gambling yet, Zodiac Casino is a great place to start. You can play at Zodiac for as little as $1, with the opportunity to become a millionaire. Their library of games doesn’t just include the usual slots, it also offers roulette, video poker, and blackjack to name a few.
Canadian players have plenty of online casinos to choose from, too many for some. As long as you know what to look for when you first land on a new online casino, it becomes simple to work out whether a casino is right for you or not.