How to Choose a Safe Online Casino in Canada
The online gambling industry is one of the fastest growing, and Canada is among the top ten countries where players spend their time and money playing casino games at online gambling sites.
However, before we dive into how to choose a safe online casino in Canada, let’s shorty talk about the gambling regulations in this country. In essence, Canadian players can play at online gambling sites as long the operations of the particular online casino are not within Canadian jurisdiction. This means that there are no Canadian online casinos, but there are a plethora of gaming platforms that market to Canadian players.
Due to the reasons that these casino websites are not registered in Canada, you need to know how to select a trusted online casino. However, having endless choices can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know how to recognize a safe casino site.
Luckily we have created this guide to understand better why playing at a legal and regulated online casino is essential. You will also learn what precautions to take when looking at a casino site.
What are the Best Rated Safe Online Casinos in Canada?
With the key factors that make an online casino safe, we have also considered other features that make it fun and reliable. In the following list, you will find the best trusted online casinos in Canada that we believe are worth checking out.
Jackpot City Casino
This is one of the most popular gambling sites. It offers a generous welcome bonus with 50 no deposit free spins, which Canadian players like. Jackpot City Casino is home to great video slots and live casino games. However, the jackpot titles are what it is famous for. Jackpot City is licensed by The Malta Gaming Authority and earned an eCogra Seal for safety and fairness.
It has also done a fantastic job of offering well-known payment methods and responsive customer service.
Spin Casino
Spin Casino is a great online casino, especially if you want to try out some progressive jackpots since this gaming platform has been known for some of the biggest payouts daily. Players constantly searching for new releases at Spin Casino will find new titles with high RTP.
This is a trusted online casino licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, and eCogra has also tested and verified the payments. Players have numerous available safe payment methods, and the customer support service is available round the clock.
Casumo Casino
Casumo has been on the list of the best online casinos for Canadian players for a long time. It is a popular gaming venue with a massive welcome offer for new players and reasonable wagering requirements. Casumo Casino offers a fantastic slot variety, live dealer games, and frequent daily and weekly promotions.
Casumo holds a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority and adheres to strict security and safety standards for your payments.
PlayOJO Casino
We have listed PlayOJO among the best Canadian online casinos you can trust for having the best wagering requirements in Canada. This legit Casino offers free spins and many more bonus promotions without wagering requirements. We appreciate a casino that has a transparent bonus policy and fair conditions, but PlayOJO Casino stands out from other Canadian online casinos that might feature high playthroughs.
PlayOJO holds a Malta Gaming licence, and it uses the necessary encryption technologies to secure your personal and financial information.
Genesis Casino
Genesis Casino is a safe online casino that offers lucrative bonuses, including a vast welcome casino bonus with a hefty amount of free spins. It holds licences from the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority and Curacao iGaming, proving it is a legit online casino.
RNG verifies the casino games at Genesis, and the payouts are also openly published on the casino website, which should give you additional confidence when you fund your account.
Regarding depositing, Genesis online casino accepts E-Transfer, a Canadian transfer service known for its fast and easy way of sending and receiving money.
If you type safe online casino Canada in your browser, you will find tons of other sites claiming that there are the best, but our guide will help you choose the best Canadian online casino that is legit, safe and entertaining.
How We Review Safe Online Casinos for Canadian Players
We understand that many providers seem like top online casino sites. However, remember that you need to be careful and do a little research on the site before you invest your real money. This is especially important if you are new to the gambling world and don’t know what to look for.
Our guide has selected and reviewed several safe online casinos in Canada, but we want you to learn how to play at the best trusted online casinos in Canada. Therefore, we will look into the essential features when browsing a casino site.
In short, here are the key factors that make an online casino safe:
- Casino Licence
- Secure Software and Random Number Generators
- Fair Bonus Terms
- On-site Security
- Trusted Payment Options
- Professional Customer Service
Follow our tips and be able to recognize the safe online casino sites and instantly spot the unsafe ones.
Valid Online Casino Licensing
For online casinos, the licence is the most important thing. You don’t want to invest your time and money at a casino site that doesn’t hold a legal licence. Thus, you must know the various casino licences from different authorities.
- Malta Gaming Authority: This licence is the online gaming industry gold standard and has many benefits. If you see it displayed on a casino site, you can jump to gambling since you have picked a trusted online casino site. The MGA ensures data protection and fair and legal gaming.
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission: This authority also works to prevent illegal activities, protects its players by preventing money laundering and provides a secure payment platform. You can rest assured that you will play at a sage and fair online casino if the UKGC is the one that licenses it.
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission: This is another major governing body, though as not as popular as the MGA and the UKGC. It ensures that players are treated fairly, payments are made swiftly, and the gaming is responsible and fair.
- Curacao Licence: This is a licence granted by the Curacao Gaming Control Board, and we must admit it is much easier to obtain than the abovementioned licences. Though its reputation is not stellar, it provides a safe and enjoyable experience.
The permit issued by some of these gambling authorities is valid proof that the gaming action is legitimate and the payouts are guaranteed.
How Can I Tell Where a Casino Is Licensed
Most legit online casinos will display such credentials in their website’s footer. You should be able to see a name, seal or crest that will tell you where the casino is registered. Keep in mind that several different regulated bodies can licence an online casino.
In a nutshell, all good online casinos have a licence from a reputable authority. If it doesn’t is probably not worth risking your money. So, this is one of the most important things you should look for when choosing a safe online casino.
Third-Party Auditing Bodies
As part of the casino’s licensing, its software must undergo frequent testing, which ensures fair and honest gaming. This job is for third-party auditing companies like eCOGRA, which specialize in testing casinos’ software.
eCogra and Technical Systems Testing, the most important auditing companies in the industry, ensure the casino’s house edge is correctly reflected in the payout percentage. This number will tell you how much money you can expect to receive on a given bet. This accounts for all casino games and bonuses.
Here are some auditing firms that ensure game and financial safeness at online casinos:
- eCoGRA (e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance
- The Online Games Alliance
- iTechLabs
- Technical Systems Testing
There are numerous other bodies, and their common goal is to do strict and meticulous checks before they give their seal of approval to the casino site. These security checks are done regularly. So, it is no brainer that this is an extra layer of security that you should trust a particular gaming site.
Look for seals of approval and certifications in the website’s footer.
Safe Casino Games and Random Number Generators
RNG is an important acronym in online gambling since players rely on luck and randomness. It is short for Random Number Generator and simply refers to an algorithm that generates random numbers. It is especially important for casino games since it ensures different and random outcomes of slot machines, poker games, roulette, blackjack and more.
The independent auditing bodies that we have mentioned test the casino’s RNG before they grant it its operating licence since this mechanic ensures fair and transparent gameplay similar to the one you would have at land-based casinos.
Knowing that the games are fair and tested lets, you focus on the quality and diversity of the game selection, which is the most entertaining part of a safe online casino.
The most trusted online casinos in Canada that we have listed offer an amazing choice of games powered by top-tier software developers.
Fair and Transparent Bonus Terms and Conditions
Most quality online casinos will offer some kind of incentive to their players. Usually, new players would like to claim a welcome bonus offer with a possibly great amount of bonus money and free spins. However, you must read and understand the bonus terms and conditions before you hit the claim button.
Every safe online casino for Canadian players should have its terms and conditions openly published on its site. But, most of the time, players are overwhelmed by the text’s length, and they skip the part of thoroughly reading the bonus terms. We do understand that you want to have fun and not real lengthy text, so here are the things to scan for when checking the bonus conditions:
Wagering conditions
The overall amount of money we bet or put for each spin, each hand of cards, is called a wager. Each bonus might be tied with a wagering requirement, and you need to be aware of it. Why might you ask? Well, rookies, for example, might think that once you snatch a win is cashout time. But, this is not the case. Before you can see the winnings into your account, you need to meet specific wagering conditions. To calculate it, multiply the wagering requirement with the bonus amount. For instance:
C$100 bonus amount x wagering requirement of 30x = C$3,000 total bet money. The total bet money is the amount you need to meet before cashing out your winnings.
Expiration Period
Be aware that every bonus comes with an expiration date. This is important since you might invest your money and fail to use the bonus within the time frame; thus, it will no longer be available to you. Time limits exist, so online casinos don’t lose players, and stating this openly in the conditions is fair and transparent.
If an online casino offers enormous welcome bonuses with scratchy wagering requirements, we suggest you dodge it. Legit and trusted online casinos in Canada should not impose harsh wagering requirements to be impossible for their players to benefit from their bonus promotions. Other things that make an online casino safe are openly and transparently stating the following:
- a detailed description of each bonus and promotion
- bonus rules
- privacy policy
- transaction policy
- VIP Program information
If you as a customer don’t have access to this information, you should avoid that online casino and choose one that gives equal winning opportunities to its players and transparent conditions.
Safe and Reliable Payment Options
An online casino can offer you the best games and incredible bonuses, but would you sign up if it doesn’t provide you with fast and safe payment methods? We don’t think you should.
A good online casino will have numerous payment options for Canadian customers; however, we believe that it is more important that the methods are encrypted with modern security practices. In addition, we know that users appreciate fast ways of depositing and cashing out money, so here is a list of some convenient banking methods that are safe and trusted:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Bank Transfer
- EcoPayz
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Interac
- EntroPay
- Flexepin
- iDebit
- Instadebit
- Much Better
- Neosurf
- PayPal
- Paysafecard
- Zimpler
- Prepaid cards
- Instant Banking by Citadel
- Qiwi
- Apple Pay
- Cryptocurrencies
When choosing a payment option, you should always read the deposit and withdrawal policy and check the cash-out processing time. Usually, funding your account is instant, but cashouts will take about 24 to process.
Reputable online casinos in Canada offer methods encrypted with the latest SSL encryption technology to secure your financial information.
If the online casino you have chosen doesn’t offer some of these payment options or offers very high transaction fees, it is probably not right for you.
Dependable Customer Support Service
Canadian players need a trusted online casino with a responsive and knowledgable customer support service. Why is this essential? You might have questions or issues you would like to address, and a fast response is significant when you claim a bonus with your real money.
Reputable online casinos should have a customer support service contactable via email, phone or live chat. Most of the best and safe online casino Canada sites offer a live chat option, which is a must for a superb gaming experience.
The safest online casinos will be available for assistance around the clock and will not avoid solving any issues, proving their legitimacy.
How to Recognize Unsafe Casinos?
Now that you know what trusted online casino sites should provide for their players, we believe you now know how to choose a safe online casino. However, we would also like to help you recognize the things that scream “scam” when visiting online Canadian casinos.
The first step, as you have learned, is to scroll to the footer and check for licences and seals of approval. If they don’t look familiar, do more research.
Still, there are other not-so-obvious features that you might overlook if you are an inexperienced player. Such thing is the gaming selection. You should think twice if the online gambling site doesn’t provide games by software developers such as Evolution Gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt, and more. Additionally, if you are looking at a library full of unfamiliar titles, we suggest you keep looking.
Secondly, legitimate online casinos have casino bonuses that offer a generous amount of bonus money. Still, you might come across massive welcome packages or promotions that sound too good to be true, and most of the time, they are fake.
A final tip to recognize an unsafe casino is a messy, cluttered and sore-for-eyes sight. Yes, we said it. All top online casinos in Canada have a user-friendly, intuitive, organized website.
Play Freely at Safe Online Casino Sites in Canada
Playing at online casinos can be fun and rewarding, but building trust with your chosen casino provider can be hard, especially because many scammers are looking to take advantage of you and your money. Putting our tips into practice will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable gaming experience.
Moreover, for your convenience, we have carefully selected the best online casino sites that offer bonuses and promotions with fair and transparent terms, fast and secure payment methods, a diverse selection of the best casino games and customer service available 24/7.
These online gaming websites are licensed by leading authorities and are frequently tested for fairness. Whatever choice you make, you can rest assured that you will play in a safe and regulated gaming environment.
FAQs
Yes, provided you are of legal age. Is it legal to play at online casinos in Canada?
No. According to Canadian gambling laws, casinos are prohibited, but playing at an offshore casino site is perfectly legal.Is there a Canadian online casino based in Canada?
Yes, as long as the casino is licensed and regulated by an authority, it is safe to play with real money.Is it safe to play with real money at online casinos?
Canadian players can use credit and debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers and cryptocurrencies as their payment method. Which banking methods are available for Canadian players?
Absolutely! At online casinos, Canadian players can play casino games, live dealer casino games, and bet on sports.Do safe online casinos in Canada offer sports betting?
In our guide, we have listed some of the safest online casinos for Canadian players. Check them out!What is the most reputable online casino in Canada?