Overview of Canadian online gambling.
The shape of the gambling landscape has changed a lot in recent years, with more players than ever looking online because of the simple convenience factor. Why trudge all the way to a land casino when you can just fire up the slots or table games on your PC? Canada has seen a rise in online gambling too, with sites springing up to cater to these new players. With the growing community comes better games, better casino sites and with any luck, bigger wins!
Canada’s online gambling status has caused some confusion for a while, with players not entirely sure where they stand. This relates to the legality of running casinos in Canada and doesn’t necessarily prohibit players, something we’ll look at in the next section. One side effect of this issue is that it’s harder for sites to get the word out and find new customers, but the internet combats this with huge forums and portal sites, run by a passionate community. National borders are not the issue they once were thanks to new technology.
What is the legality of gambling in Canada?
The uncertain situation in Canada is caused by laws that prohibit online casinos from operating in Canada, or at least in most provinces. What this means is that it’s essentially illegal for online casinos to have their servers based in Canada. Knowing that this is illegal, players are put off and often assume that this is the end of the matter. However, it’s important to note that this law applies to the casino and not to the player. It is not illegal for a Canadian to gamble online.
To put it another way, it’s the casino which needs to be outside Canadian borders, not the player. Canadians can play at casinos based anywhere in the world, which is part of the beauty of online casinos. There’s no need for geographical or national limitations. Please note however that Canadian citizens still have to follow other laws regarding gambling, such as the minimum legal age, which is 18 or 19 depending on province. Always double check your legal status on your province or government website before playing.
What else affects online gambling in Canada?
The confusing legal situation can affect advertising in Canada. Sites based outside of the country may find it difficult to advertise to Canadian citizens, something that makes it hard to compete with existing land casinos. Still, there are many sites such as this one which will help you find playable online casinos with comic book slots. Word of mouth is always a useful thing too. Because Canadian players are looking outside of the country for sites, it’s wise to check these sites for licenses and independent verification.
Money transfers can also be affected by the legal situation. Many Canadian citizens report difficulty with processing direct cash transfers, likely because of government anti-gambling policy or general difficulties caused by international transfers. Canadian gamblers therefore tend to use e-wallet solutions such as Skrill and PayPal, which are often faster than cards and direct transfers anyway. Any given website will explain what forms of payment they accept anyway. Canadians should also try to find sites which use Canadian dollars or CAD to make life easier.
What should I look for in a Canadian online casino?
For starters, you may be looking internationally in technical terms, but some online casinos are still Canadian. Many sites are situated only just outside of the country and still Canadian at heart. These sites will happily offer French language translations and accept CAD currency, which will make you feel more at home. When looking for comic book slots in particular you may have to broaden the search, but this is part of the beauty of the internet, as it really makes little difference.
Another thing to look out for is certification. The best online sites will have a license, which may be based in a far-off country but at least shows that they are legally established in that place. The best sites also have independent approval from bodies like eCOGRA which verify the randomness and fairness of sites. Best of luck in your search for a Canadian comic book gaming site!
Canadian online gambling resources
- OddsShark.com - Offers players from Canada with a listing of top rated sports betting sites that accept players from Canada.
- PokerStars.com - For Canadian gambling fans there's no better website than Poker Stars when it comes to playing real money poker online.
- OnlineCasinoGaming.com - OLG - This website offers the best online casino gambling websites for Canadian players looking to enjoy playing for real money.