In Canada, there are nearly 20 million active online casino players – a figure that is growing steadily. The Canadian market for online casinos has developed faster since 2022, when Ontario led the way in regulation for online casinos based in Canada to be able to provide a service to residents; something that hadn’t really happened before.
For many years, online casino gaming was illegal in Canada on a government level. While players were able to play slots, poker, and blackjack in online casinos that were regulated and licensed in other territories (such as Britain and Malta, for example), the overarching legal stance was that it was not permitted for Canadian-based online casinos and sportsbooks to operate.
On a more local level, provinces have often been able to set their own rules for certain legal obligations, and this has allowed Ontario and some other provinces to be able to develop a rigorous licensing and regulatory schema for online casino gaming that not only provides revenue for the government and access to online casinos on a more local level, but also a good way to promote safer betting practices – a win for everyone.
With this change in Ontario in 2022, the growth in popularity of online casinos and their games has grown much more rapidly. In the first year of the regulatory changes put in place by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario, there were 1.6 billion active customer accounts, and CA$35.6 billion was wagered. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most popular casino games in Canada.
The Games Canadians Love
Sports Betting
As voracious consumers of sports, it is no surprise that a popular place for Canadian bettors to spend time is with sportsbooks, placing bets on their favourite sports and teams to win various tournaments and leagues.
For many, the shocking thing might be that instead of hockey topping the favourites lists for tipsters, more money was spent betting on the outcome of basketball matches in that first year of Ontario legalising online casinos than there was on hockey.
Horse racing also comes under the same umbrella, and many sportsbook aficionados prefer to take their chances on bets relating to soccer games, both in Canada and further away.
Virtual Table Games
Whether you are a seasoned player or a relative newcomer to the world of the casino, games like Blackjack and Poker will be a favourite. They are familiar enough that even the newest player can get to grips with the gameplay and some basic strategy, and yet have lasting challenges that keep the more experienced players coming back for more.
Virtual table games hold great appeal for Canadians in the online casino, and with the opportunity for some social interaction with other players as well as learning as you go, these types of games are a great introduction to the casino – and are excellent practice areas for the ‘real thing’ if the next step is to step through the doors of a physical casino.
Live Dealer Casino Games
A step up from the virtual table games, the live dealer experience delivers more of a personal, immersive touch – and a bit more realism for many people, too.
Using a series of cameras and a well-placed staging area, online casinos can offer games to Canadian players that are led by real-life croupiers. This is a similar idea to the ever-popular Virtual Reality offerings, giving Canadians the opportunity to play a game that is much more like the experience that they would have in a real, brick and mortar casino.
With chat features activated, players can interact with each other and also ask questions of the dealer – perfect for beginners to get advice if they are confused about anything (although they won’t tell you any strategies or give you insider tips).
Online Slots
The most popular online casino games for Canadians – like in most countries – are slots. Slot games are simple to play and easy to learn, and because they are based on chance they do not require a player to learn any complicated strategies or rules.
The fact that they are often brightly coloured, with top-level graphics and catchy music, helps make them more attractive.
The popularity of slot games is one of the reasons that there is always such variety – you can choose a game based on your favourite movie, a hobby, a music personality, or any one of hundreds of other types of games.
Slot games remain a firm favourite for more experienced players too – the draw of getting the reels to line up on a highly volatile game is undeniable, and it is difficult to get bored of playing a game where there are often lots of things happening like bonuses and multipliers.
While Ontario leads the way in providing a regulatory framework for the provision of online gambling in Canada, other provinces might be looking at the benefits to decide whether to offer something similar – so more residents can experience the online casino – the Canadian way.
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