How we rate Casinos

Online casinos and bookmakers in Canada are rated based on certain criteria. It is not easy to start and maintain an online casino without proper licensing, high-quality casino games, secure and reliable payment methods, attractive casino bonus offers, and fast payouts. Considering all of these, here is a detailed explanation of how casinos are assessed in Canada.

All online casinos must obtain a license from the top gambling authority bodies in the world if they want to become part of the gambling industry.

Not having a license can pose many problems for the casino or bookmaker. It may prevent them from opening valid bank accounts, hosting the best games on their websites, paying a high tax rate, not deemed trustable by gamblers, and running into different types of trouble with the authority.

Nevertheless, the legislative requirements of each country can vary. For that reason, even with a license, an online casino may face significant challenges and restrictions in some parts of the world.

The main purpose of the gambling licensing system exists for the following reasons:

• Obviate any connection between criminal undertakings and casino business
• To promote fair games and transparency
  
• Prevent underage individuals from exploiting the games
  
• Enhance the trust of players through Random Number Generator (RNG) audits and compliance certificates
  

Here is a list of the jurisdictions that monitor and provide licenses to online casinos and bookmakers all over the world:

• Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• Malta Gaming Authority
  
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission
  
• Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
  
• Curacao Gaming Control Board
  
• Antigua and Barbuda Financial Services Regulatory Commission
  
• Alderney Gambling Control Commission
  
• UK Gambling Commission
  
• Dutch Gaming Authority
  

After passing the first step of licensing and compliance, a casino must be able to provide its players with high-quality games composed by notable and reliable software providers in the industry.

Below are the features of games that a casino should include in order to gain a competitive advantage in the online gambling industry.

License and Reputation

It is not just the casino and bookmaker that needs proper licensing and registration to sustain itself in the gambling world, the casino games must be obtained from licensed and reputable sources as well.

Legitimate gaming providers have been operating for years, and have successfully developed, sold, and upgraded thousands of casino games during this period. These companies hire the best gaming developers from all over the world and are constantly improving their systems for efficient output and growth.

With that being said, remember these names if you are going to be a regular in the online gambling society:

High-Quality Audio-Visual

When a casino is choosing a gaming provider, it must make sure that the software provider is able to produce modernized, error-free sound and visual effects that thrill the players. In the age of high-end graphics, gaming providers must have the technology and aptitude to keep up with current trends.

Both Desktop and Mobile-Friendly

With the increase in mobile application usage, many gamblers prefer to play casino games on their Android or iPhones. For that reason, the best software gaming providers must be able to develop and deliver games that can run smoothly and effectively on both desktop and mobile phones. They should also make sure that the games don’t lag on any of the devices.

Multilingual Capabilities

It is no news that international players from all over the world are logging into casinos located and registered with countries across the ocean. Some players may not speak the standard language, English. Keeping that in mind, the casino gaming providers should incorporate multilingual features on the games for those users.

Timely Updates

You don’t want to play games that have been last updated 10 years ago. In fact, that game may be too ancient to keep up with modern technology and player preference. Therefore, no matter when a casino game has been developed, the developers should update them according to the needs of the time.

Attractive Bonus Schemes

Another attribute of a good casino gaming software company is the type of attractive bonus schemes the games provide. Although this responsibility mainly lies with the casinos and bookmakers, it doesn’t hurt for the gaming providers to tweak the games for bonus improvisation.

Wide Range of Games

Lastly, a casino can’t be rated as top-class unless it has a wide range of top-quality games flooding its homepage. Just the list of available games on the website says enough about the popularity and authority of the casino in the online gambling market.

For a casino or bookmaker to be considered superior, it must have proper payment methods set up for players to deposit and withdraw money. The standard payment methods that most online casinos use are bank transfer, bank cards (credit and debit cards), cryptocurrency, and e-wallets.

Let us explain a little about how those methods work for Canadian gamblers on and offshore:

Bank Transfer

Bank transfers are regional in nature. Therefore, this method is not recommended for offshore players. This method can work for you if the casino is located in the country that you live in.

Furthermore, the deposit and withdrawal time for bank transfers take the longest, about 2 to 3 working days. Even the limitation on deposits and withdrawals may be too strict.

Bank Cards

Bank cards are more convenient than bank transfers as the transfer time is reduced. On top of that, you can carry your credit or debit card around in your pocket, so there is a matter of convenience here.

You just have to make sure that your bank cards support international money transfers, which can be confirmed by getting in touch with your bank’s customer support. Other than that, there is a possibility of losing your card, and the retrieval may take a few days.

The payment processing on bank cards takes longer than on cryptocurrency, prepaid cards, or e-wallets because you have to enter your account name and number. As for the most popular bank cards used for casino transactions, American Express, VISA, Masterclass, and Maestro are well-known.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards like Neosurf, Paysafecard, EcoVoucher, and Astropay Card are also as convenient as bank cards, cryptocurrency, and e-wallets.

You just have to buy cards worth CAD 10, 20, or 30 from a local store or online website, then enter the amount and card number on the casino cashier to process payment.

There is no fear regarding theft or loss because the cards are discardable after the payment has been processed. Your identity remains anonymous with these cards because you don’t have to disclose your name, address, phone number, or email.

Also, the cards provide the Canadian players sometime between gaming and recharging after the deposit amount runs out. This ensures responsible gambling by taking healthy breaks in between gambling.

Cryptocurrency

Rising in popularity, cryptocurrency is the best form of payment in online casinos and bookmakers for offshore players living outside Canada. Crypto payment methods are also the fastest, most secure, and most convenient next to e-wallets.

Although Bitcoin remains the most popular, the demand for Doge, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ripple is growing as well. Other types of cryptocurrencies are also accepted by online casinos and bookmakers, but you have to check their terms and conditions for that.

E-Wallets

Among all the payment methods that exist on online gambling platforms, e-wallets are the best in every possible way. If you know how PayPal works, you know the deal! E-wallets like Neteller, ecoPayz, Trustly, and Skrill are reliable, convenient, easy, consist of low or no fees, and transactions are really fast!

You have to provide some personal information to the e-wallets when you are registering. But to process transactions with casinos, you just need to log in. Moreover, e-wallets have a very short deposit and withdrawal processing time of less than 1 hour!

Other than having excellent payment methods, high-quality games, and legal licensing, an online casino in Canada must also have an excellent customer service system put in place. The customer support team should be transparent and available 24/7.

Although phone calls are a great way to get in touch with the team, for offshore players, live chats and emails seem more suitable. Besides, phone calls may incur charges based on the network operator.

To add to that, the FAQ section of the casino and bookmaker websites must be optimized enough to contain all the common questions players usually enquire about. It also saves time and energy for the customer service team if the FAQ is up-to-date and informative.

To judge the worthiness of a casino, you have to pay attention to the bonuses and loyalty programs that it is offering along with the time it takes to process payouts for winnings.

Welcome bonuses are the marketing strategy that helps casinos earn new players. All the players have to do is register for free with the casino to benefit from this bonus. On top of that, casinos must introduce bonus schemes every now and then, for example, weekly, monthly, tournament, and 100% match bonuses.

Players who have been with the casino and bookmaker for a very long time should be entitled to loyalty programs that offer them incredible hulk-size bonuses at every step, and other exclusive benefits! Typically, the player has to reach levels above 20 to claim this luxury.

Fast payouts are also a sign of good casino management, and it should not take more than 24 hours. The selected payment methods of the player may delay the withdrawal process, but the casino should be diligent.

Besides, everything related to bonus distribution, wagering requirements to claim bonuses, loyalty program requirements and benefits, and payout time and procedure must be properly explained in detail in the terms and conditions of the casino and bookmaker.