Ready to join an online casino in Canada? Congratulations—you’ll be one of thousands of Canadians who spend their free time playing slots and poker online.
There are plenty of legit gambling sites in the country. The problem is finding a legit casino site that suits your needs. Don’t lose hope, though. This article goes into detail on how to check if an online casino is legit. Let’s get started.
Licensed and Accepts Canadians
The simplest way to check whether an online casino is legit is by looking for a valid license. Most casino sites in Canada get their licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority. Some also acquire licenses in Panama, Curacao and Costa Rica.
Can you find an online casino licensed in Canada? Yes, most provinces in the country have one official gambling website. Nationally, Canada doesn’t license gambling sites.
To be clear, just because Canada doesn’t license casino sites doesn’t mean you can’t gamble at offshore casinos. If anything, most people prefer to play blackjack and slots at overseas-based iGaming platforms.
That being said, a license from the MGA won’t do you good if the casino doesn’t accept Canadians. As such, pay attention to the list of countries a casino supports. If Canada isn’t among them, find an alternative.
Top-Rated by Review Websites
Nowadays, there’s a review website for every product online. This includes online gambling apps. Casino review sites publish comprehensive reviews of popular casinos to help Canadians better understand these operators.
In many cases, they also rank 5-20 best casino sites. Of course, you want to join of the top-rated operators for a delightful gaming experience. To find good online casinos in Canada, check at www.online-casinos.com.
Look for a casino with your ideal features. If you want a site with diverse games, pay attention to games and software providers. If you’re more interested in bonuses, find a site with the best welcome and loyalty freebies.
Secure
Logically, an online casino isn’t genuine unless it’s safe and secure. So, what defines a secure gambling operator? The first sign is a valid license. If this is present, a casino will often also feature SSL encryption.
SSL encryption protects your personal information while gambling at a website. It’s compulsory for all licensed casinos to use SSL to secure their websites and apps.
In case you’re wondering, an SSL compliant website has an address that starts with “HTTPS” and not “HTTP.” Additionally, it has a locked padlock sign on its address bar.
SSL encryption aside, a secure casino complies with data protection laws. For example, it asks for permission before collecting your data. And it explains what data it collects and how it uses it.
Another sign of a secure casino is its account protection measures. Can you add a password to your account? Does it support two-factor authentication?
Supports Renowned Canadian Payment Providers
By law, licensed casinos can only partner with safe, reputable and well-known payment providers. As a Canadian, it’s in your best interest to find a gambling site that accepts local banks, cards and e-wallets.
Truth be told, there are benefits for using varying payment options. Let’s start with bank transfer. It’s slow but safe. It can also support large deposits and withdrawals at low fees.
On the other hand, cards like Visa and MasterCard are faster than bank transfer. But they are slower than digital wallets and cost a tad more. On the bright side, almost every casino in Canada accepts Visa, MasterCard and iDebit.
Digital wallets are the most preferred payment options for Canadians. You can transact from as low as $1 to $10,000 at near-zero fees. Transactions are instant and you can link your e-wallet to your bank or debit card.
You can also use cryptocurrencies and eChecks at some casinos. The only disadvantage is that you need to jump a few hoops to buy, store and sell crypto safely.
Provides Games from Licensed Developers
Contrary to popular belief, many casinos don’t create the games they offer on their sites. They lease gaming software from third party developers like Canada’s Amaya (the Stars Group), NetEnt, Microgaming, Betsoft, BTG and Evolution.
Now, some operators partner with dozens of software developers. It doesn’t mean less popular providers are unsafe. However, look out for the big names. They won’t work with a casino unless it’s legit.
Furthermore, top-tier developers have a reputation for creating quality slots and table games. Take a look at NetEnt. It’s the brand behind fan-favorites like Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Twin Spin and Mega Fortune.
Evolution supplies live casino software. It’s the reason you can play poker, blackjack or baccarat against real human opponents in real time.
An Intuitive Web Design
If there’s one thing scam casinos won’t do, it’s to take time in creating an intuitive mobile, friendly website. They spend the absolute minimum in their site and app. Web pages are slow or fail to load while the grammar is horrible.
Owing to that backdrop, a few minutes at a casino site can give you an idea of whether to create an account. If it’s beautifully designed, easy to use and secure, it’s certainly legit.
But if you experience numerous problems while trying to use the casino, take it as a red flag. As mentioned, legit casinos in 2022 support all major mobile devices.
Functional Customer Service and a Good Reputation
Fraudulent casinos have no time for customer service. After all, their goal is to create problems by stealing your money and data. Some of them might claim to have contact channels. But they don’t work.
In light of that information, ensure a casino has contact methods before you create an account. Live support is the most desired contact method nowadays—you can interact with a casino in real time.
With that in mind, also learn more about a site’s reputation. Naturally, legit operators have a good reputation. By contrast, scams casinos have negative reviews all over the Internet. Some of them have also been blacklisted on review platforms due to their fraudulent ways.