The world’s safest and most secure online casinos will always be fully licensed and regulated by trusted authorities. They will also be controlled by reputable and transparent operators with an excellent track record in the gaming industry.
The worst online casinos that all players should avoid at all costs are ones that are unlicensed and unregulated. They are typically controlled by crooked owners with bad intentions, and nothing good will ever come from playing on sites like this.
The online gambling industry’s regulatory standards and legal frameworks vary somewhat from one jurisdiction to another. Therefore, the iGaming industry’s official licensing authorities and gaming commissions are often categorized as bottom, middle, or top-tier.
Bottom-tier licensing authorities are the least trustworthy, carrying out few checks over their licensees. Top-tier authorities/commissions are the most trustworthy.
Their high standards see them carrying out thorough investigations, extensive background checks, and strict vetting processes before issuing an operator with a license. Let’s dive straight into discovering which licenses matter the most in Canada.
How Are Online Casinos Licensed in Canada?
In Canada, the government in each province is responsible for overseeing, licensing, and regulating legally permitted online gambling activities, meaning the laws vary somewhat from one province to another.
In British Columbia, for example, people can sign up for online casinos starting from 18 years old, but in other parts of Canada, such as Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, for example, it’s 19.
Canadian players have access to a wide range of online casinos that are licensed by one or more Canadian licensing authorities/gaming commissions. They also have access to hundreds of ‘offshore’ casino sites licensed abroad by various other mid to top-tier licensing authorities.
What Are the Main Canadian Licensing Authorities?
The main provincial online gambling licensing authorities are the following:
- Quebec Commission for Alcohol, Racing and Games
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission
- Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
- Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority
- Manitoba Gaming Control Commission
- Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission
- British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch
In other words, if you stumble across an iGaming site that’s licensed by one of these reputable authorities, you know you have found yourself a trustworthy site.
The same can also be said when you find online casinos licensed by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, the UK Gambling Commission, and the Malta Regulatory Authority, to name just three.
The most common mistakes players often make are simple ones, like not carrying out basic checks and not understanding how important licensing is. How to find the best Canadian casino sites with licenses from one or more of these trusted authorities
Many online casino players today prefer visiting internationally accredited gaming review sites like casinos.com for the latest information about Canada’s most highly recommended online casinos because each casino has been carefully handpicked and expertly reviewed.
All of the Canadian online casinos featured on this website are multi-jurisdictional, meaning they are fully licensed and regulated by one or more mid/top-tier licensing authorities.
In other words, the operators of these websites have been thoroughly checked out before it is recommended, and each aspect of the casino has been carefully scrutinized to ensure the casino is secure.
The reviews offer players a unique insight into a casino and have all the information a player could be looking for.
Aside from revealing where they are licensed and who owns them, they also have plenty of other useful details about the latest new player welcome bonus, which Canadian online payment methods they accept, how many games they have, and which software providers supply them to the casino.
You can find out what the player support is like and which testing agencies like eCOGRA audit the average RTP% payout rates.
Some of the other main reasons why players prefer going straight to the reviews are to save them from having to research all this information, which can take forever, and the fact that the reviews often have exclusive new player welcome bonuses AND secure links that will redirect you straight to that casino’s official sign-up page.
Important Things to Remember Before Signing Up for a Canadian Online Casino
There are plenty of great sites to choose from in 2024, and they all offer something unique, which is why you should always compare several reviews to find out which site(s) might be the most suitable option for you.
The most important thing to remember when you decide which ones to join is to start by setting a reasonable budget.
Before you deposit, you may also want to use any ‘safer gambling tools’ your chosen casino has available. Setting things like session time reminders, spending caps, deposit limits, or win/loss limits can easily help you remain within your budget.
Final Note
Finally, try to avoid placing heavy bets to chase any losses you may incur immediately after losing, and avoid playing your favorite online casino games or placing sports bets while tired, under the influence, or intoxicated. Always play with a clear head, and remember to take frequent session breaks.