The best selection of Live Casinos in Canada 🇨🇦 2021

A live casino is a new form of live gambling which is played in front of your computer, tablet or cellphone. Apart from other online casinos the live casino experience is centered around the live casino dealer. A live casino dealer is a real person being filmed. You can also interact with the dealer through chat functionality or by voice.

Many gamblers and players like playing online casino with a real dealer because you can see what is going on right in front of you. Hands being dealt, roulette ball spinning around the wheel e.g. Many gamblers think it’s a more immersive experience than a regular online casino. Studies performed by CasinoRank© shows that some players have greater trust in a real live dealer compared to a machine dealer, despite the fact there's no evidence to support this claim.

A live casino is just like any other online casino on the market, except that it uses real dealers to deal the hands. The most significant difference is that a live casino is a live experience managed by a real dealer that is being filmed remotely.

Land-based casinos are popular because many players like social interactions with the casino dealer. Live casinos often offer the same casino games in live casinos as in a land-based casino and on other online casino sites.

The increase in the number of live casinos has created a new market, studios for live casino. A live casino studio is a remote casino where gameplay is being filmed and broadcasted on the web. The live casino studios are often set up in places where casino and online casino is a big part of the economy, Malta is one example.

Other studios are also located in eastern Europe in countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Some live casinos are also located in Russia, Germany and other western European countries.

*Live casino studios in Asia has also grown in popularity recently with studios opening up in countries where gambling is popular; an example of that would be the Philippines. *

The most prominent software providers within the live casino genre are called Evolution Gaming and Net Entertainment. Both of them are listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Below is a summary of the two companies.

Netent is a Swedish casino software company and probably one of the leading software providers in the world. Net Entertainment is the creator of many iconic casino games known all around the globe, the list below created by CasinoRank is a summary of the most known NetEnt games.

• Starburst
• Hall of gods
• Blood Suckers slots
• Theme Park slot
• Gonzo’s Quest

The leading live casino software on the market right now is a Swedish company called Evolution Gaming. They were fast to see the growth potential within the live casino niche and acted on it quickly. They currently have operations in several European countries with a significant number of employees scattered around the globe.

Compared to Net Entertainment Evolution Gaming has not put any effort at all on traditional casino games, all games developed by them are strictly within Live Casino.

Evolution Gaming and Net Entertainment are dominant within the live casino software genre. There are however a few other smaller companies which CasnioRank will continue to monitor below.

• BetGames
• Lucky Streak
• Ezugi

Many traditional casino games are offered through the live casino experience. According to our sources, the below list covers the most popular ones.

• Live Roulette
• Live BlackJack
• Live Baccarat
• Live Casino Hold ’em
• Live Three Card Poker
• Live Ultimate Texas Hold ’em
• Dream Catcher
• Live Hold'em Bonus Poker

All casinos offer new and returning players different types of bonuses when depositing money into the gaming account. The different kinds of bonuses provided for the live casino are not any different from the ones offered at other types of online casinos. They might however have different wagering requirements. Make sure you know what the wagering requirements for the bonus money when you intend to deposit.

The most common Live Casino bonuses are listed below:

• Welcome Bonus - This is the bonus you receive when opening a new account with a casino.
• Deposit bonus - The deposit bonus is a bonus which matches your deposit. E.g. You deposit 100 USD and the casino matches your deposit with an additional 100 USD. Total play amount 200 USD.
• Reload bonus - If your account has not been active for a while and you add money sometimes casinos give a reload bonus of 30-100%.
• High Roller Bonus - A type of deposit bonus if you gamble a lot.

When choosing the best live casino there are several factors to consider. In the below list, CasinoRank® has compiled the most important factors to consider when choosing the right live casino for your needs.

• Bonus - How big is the bonus amount you can receive from a certain casino provider, the more is not always better, sometimes smaller bonuses come lower wagering requirements.
• Language - What languages does the live casino dealer speak? Do you have any particular requirements?
• Software - What software providers are offered by the casino? If you have any favorite games you would like to play in a live version, make sure to check which software provider offers it!
• Compliance - Which compliance agency is governing the casino game you would like to play?
• License - Where does the casino you’ve chosen have its license?

Any player of any experience level with an account at an online casino with access to live casinos can play. Apart from that, you also need a connected device with access to the internet. Look for the word “Live Dealers” once you have signed in.

According to several studies done by professional gamblers the best time to play live casino is at night. We don’t know why but, due to some reason, the odds seem to be in your favor after sunset. It’s also important not to play when you’re not drunk or have consumed too much alcohol. The gaming judgment seems to decline when intoxicated.

We think most professional players would argue that land-based casinos are better than playing at live online casinos. At Casinorank© we believe you can’t adequately compare a real land-based casino gaming experience with anything in the world - nothing is as fun!

Having said that, a live online casino experience is as good as it gets and there are several positives factors playing live online casinos compared to land-based live casinos. These include easier money management, better convenience and easier communication with the live casino dealers.

To answer which live casino is best, you need to know what is essential to you. Is it aspects of the gaming experience, the language spoken by the casino dealer, or is it simply the bonus amount offered the most crucial element for you? No matter what your criteria are you can use Live CasinoRank© to compare the best online live casinos on the web.

All of the casinos displayed by us have something that makes them stand out which qualifies them to be on our CasinoRank© list. Which one you choose is up to you but were confident that CasinoRank© will help you find a provider that satisfies your needs.

Yes, live casinos are legal. Big casino brands are certified by compliance companies like eCOGRA, NMI, Bureau Veritas, SIQ, Itec labs.

Live Casinos are just as safe to play as any other type of online casino. All of the leading operators have been certified by third parties which guarantee that operations are running a correct operation. All serious casinos also have licenses to be an online and live casino operator.

Known as the country that has the nicest and politest residents in the world, Canada is located in North America. The total area that this country occupies is almost 10 million square kilometres and that makes Canada the world's second-largest nation. Throughout history, various Indigenous people have inhabited this area. Ottawa is the capital and Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are the three largest metropolitan areas.

When it comes to its borders, the only country that Canada borders with is the United States of America to the south. It is interesting to mention that the border stretches 8,891 kilometres and due to its length, it is the largest bi-national land border. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a monarchy that is part of the Commonwealth. Additionally, it is a bi-national nation as both English and French are the official languages.

As for its economy, Canada is a highly developed country that ranks extremely high on every list. It has the 17th highest nominal per-capita and 16th largest ranking in the Human Development Index. Overall, Canada’s economy is ranked 10th in the world and it mostly relies on natural resources and well-developed international trade networks.

The gambling industry in Canada has a pretty complicated relationship with the government. Land-based gambling is legal in every province. Just a reminder, there are a total of 10 provinces and three territories in Canada. Alberta and Saskatchewan are the two provinces where gambling is extremely developed. An interesting fact here is that 4% of Alberta’s budget comes from gambling revenue.

But, when it comes to online gambling, this area is regulated a bit differently, which is why it is stated that the relationship that the gambling industry has with the government is a bit complicated. Residents in this country can only gamble in a few provinces – Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Alberta.

The state gives power to the provinces to decide whether online gambling should be legal or not, which is why residents in the aforementioned provinces can access online casinos. But, here is the thing. The only casino sites that can operate in these provinces are those that are licensed by Kahnawake (First Nations Tribe). Additionally, online casinos can only accept players from the province that they operate from.

Every online casino that is not licensed by the provinces of the Kahnawake Gambling Commission is illegal, which is why it is advised for players to stay away from these sites. Online casinos that operate illegally are prosecuted, but only if they have a physical branch in the country.

The year that marked the start of the rise of the gambling industry in Canada was 1985. This is the year when the first gambling-related activities were legalized in the country, but it took several years for them to develop. In this year, the federal government allowed the provinces to have control over the gambling industry. The lottery was among the first casino games that were legalized in Canada. The Criminal Code, which was altered in 1969, allowed these games to take place in the territory.

The first government-owned casino, which was named Winnipeg’s Crystal Casino opened its doors in 1991 and it paved the way for other land-based facilities to be established and developed. However, this famous casino closed its doors in 1999.

As time passed by, provinces were able to control the land-based gambling industry very well, but all of that changed with the rise of online casinos. These sites became extremely popular, which is why the need to regulate them rose quickly. But, as the country was fast to create regulations on the online casino industry, it made them both straightforward and very confusing.

In order to operate legally, online casinos had to possess a license, but the laws did not specify whether the players would be prosecuted for accessing unlicensed sites.

Since the laws are a bit unclear on online gambling, players can access both casino sites that are licensed by the provinces and by the First Nations tribe, but they are also fond of accessing unlicensed sites, which does come with a small risk. Due to the unclear regulations, the online casino industry has a very complicated relationship with the government, which is why they demand a change in regulations.

As for land-based gambling, this industry is booming as well nowadays. Many people visit land-based casinos to play the best casino games quite frequently. As stated earlier, the gambling industry is even a massive contributor to the budget in some of the provinces. In Alberta, 4% of the annual budget comes from the revenue made from the gambling industry.

The future of online casinos is looking positive to some extent. It is believed that the online casino industry will be regulated in a much better way, thus helping the players have a better and safer experience on these sites. But, that may take time. The good thing is that the government is open to changes and it is reportedly already crafting amendments to the laws that apply to online casinos.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that when it comes to the future of online casino games, live dealer games have the highest potential in Canada. They have quite a unique gameplay and allow players to wager on the games in real-time by joining a stream. The pleasant gaming experience that they provide Canadian players with is the reason why they have the potential to be the future of online casino gaming.

On the question of whether casinos are legal in Canada, the answer is quite complicated, which is why a parallel between online casinos and land-based casinos needs to be made. When it comes to land-based casinos, they are legal to operate in almost every province. The federal government has given the power to the provinces to decide how to regulate this industry.

It is worth noting that even though gambling is legal in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, there are no land-based casinos in these regions. The First Nations tribes also have a very massive impact on the industry as many casinos are operated by them. Currently, there are a total of 643 First Nations communities in Canada and they hold around 30% of the land-based casinos in the country.

But, when it comes to online gambling, the situation is a bit more complicated. Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Alberta are the only provinces that allow online gambling. Not only that, but there is a monopoly held by First Nations tribes on online casinos as players can only access online casinos that are licensed by them.

Additionally, online casinos are only allowed to offer their services to the provinces in which they are based. To make things even more complicated, the law does not block unlicensed sites, which is why Canadian players can access them, but all of that comes at their own risk.

Every province in Canada has its own authority through which they regulate the gambling industry. These are the following authorities in Canada:

• AGLC in Alberta
• GPEB in British Columbia
• LGCAM in Manitoba
• Gaming, Liquor and Security Licensing Branch of the Department of Justice and Public Safety in New Brunswick
• Consumer Affairs Division of Digital Government and Service NL in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation in Nova Scotia
• Department of Health in Nunavut
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario in Ontario
• Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission and Consumer, Corporate and Insurance Division of the Department of Justice and Public Safety in Prince Edward Island
• Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux and Société des loteries du Québec in Quebec
• SLGA in Saskatchewan
• Professional Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Branch of the Department of Community Services in Yukon As mentioned earlier, the Kahnawake Gambling Commission regulates online gambling. This is a First Nations tribe commission and holds a monopoly on the market in Canada. The Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency regulates sports betting.

Finally, the law that regulates all gambling-related activities in Canada is the Criminal Code, or also known as The Code.

The number one favourite game of Canadian players is poker. This is a casino game that requires a lot of skill and it is the number one chosen game for more experienced players. There are several variations of poker games. Those that have experience can join Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud and Omaha Poker tables, while inexperienced players often choose video poker.

Live dealer games are also extremely popular in Canada and as it was stated earlier, they are considered to be the future of online casinos in this country. To play these games, players must be registered at online casinos. Live dealer games are hosted by real dealers and players can join the game via a stream and wager on the games in real-time.

Next up, slot games are the third most popular casino category in Canada. They are extremely simple to play and depending on the type of slot that Canadian players access, they may be in for a huge reward. Progressive slots are played often and these games have jackpots that keep increasing. In many cases, the reward can exceed several millions of dollars.

The last entry on the list is the lottery since this is one of the earliest casino games to be legalized in Canada. Mostly, people of elderly age are fond of this game, but nevertheless, it remains a popular choice for many Canadian players.

When accessing online casinos, the game provider list is among the first things that Canadian players check. They are always looking for reputable names such as NetEnt, Yggdrasil, Play’n GO, Microgaming, Big Time Gaming, Red Tiger Gaming and Pragmatic Play. Considering the fact that live dealer games are popular as well, they are also on the lookout for Evolution Gaming as this provider is known for supplying online casinos with the best live casino games.

It is worth noting that all of these reputable providers only form partnerships with licensed online casino sites. Considering the fact that unlicensed sites also operate in Canada, players will not be able to find these names at those sites. That is why they are advised to only access licensed online casinos. Not only will they have a more secure time, but their gaming experience will be much better.

In the last couple of years, even Bitcoin games managed to make an impact in Canada. As this cryptocurrency rose in popularity, some online casinos started offering special games that can only be accessed when players deposit with Bitcoin. These games are not as nearly as popular as the ones mentioned above, but they deserve a mention since they left a good mark on the industry.

Since welcome offers are the first casino bonuses that Canadian players receive, they are the most popular bonuses in Canada. They are claimed right after players register at a certain casino site. In most cases, welcome offers provide the players with match deposit bonuses and Free Spins. It’s also worth noting that players might need to deposit the required minimum amount for 3-4 consecutive days to receive the full bonus amount of the welcome offer.

Next up, cashbacks are the second most preferred bonuses in Canada. They are usually applicable on live dealer games, which happen to be among the most popular games in Canada. The percentage that the player receives from the lost amount on live dealer games varies from one online casino to another, as well as from the loyalty program. Loyalty programs usually offer higher percentages to cashbacks on players that are ranked higher.

Free Spins as a standalone bonus is also a highly preferred bonus for Canadian players. But, one thing to keep in mind with it is that these bonuses often come with numerous terms and conditions such as wagering requirements and a specific timeframe in which they are valid. Additionally, they can only be used on certain slot games.

Each bonus comes with general and specific terms and conditions that the player must fulfil. General terms and conditions state that the player must be of legal age and be registered at the casino site. Specific terms and conditions for the welcome bonus state that a minimum deposit amount is required to claim it. The offer is only available to newly-registered players and can be claimed just once. Additionally, they come with a maximum bonus amount that players can receive.

Cashback bonuses do not have very complicated terms and conditions. All players have to do is access live dealer games over a certain period. They have a minimum and a maximum amount that can be returned to the players.

Free Spins are probably the most complicated when it comes to claiming them. As stated above, they come with wagering requirements on winnings, specific timeframes, and are limited to the games that can be used on.

All of these T&Cs vary from one casino site to another, which is why it is important to give them a read.

Credit and debit cards, as well as e-wallets, are the most popular payment methods in Canada. Credit and debit cards take the number one spot as a huge portion of the players that access online casinos own them. Not only that, but they provide them with relatively fast and secure transactions. Deposits with them are instant, while withdrawals have a short processing period – around 3 business days.

On the other hand, PayPal, Paysafecard, Skrill and Neteller are the most popular e-wallets used for deposits and withdrawals in Canada. Even though they provide the players with much faster transactions than credit and debit cards, they are often labelled as ineligible to claim bonuses, which is why they are not used as often as cards.

Other payment methods that deserve a mention are bank transfers, ecoPayz, and Klarna.

Less popular payment methods in Canada include mobile pay such as Boku and Payforit. Bitcoin is also used from time to time due to the fact that this cryptocurrency has all of the advantages of the aforementioned methods, but none of the disadvantages.

Every transaction made with Bitcoin is instant and due to the fact that players receive a certain level of anonymity, their security is at a very high level. To make things even better, fees are not charged for withdrawals and players can claim all bonuses when they deposit with Bitcoin. Not only that, but they also gain access to unique Bitcoin games.