There are hundreds of online casinos operating globally plus hundreds more of software developers who supply various games. This gives a player like you literally thousands of games to choose from. Some casinos offer exclusive games, and some offer similar games from the same developers.
This year, 2019, expect to see some more new casinos to open their doors. Now, the only question that remains is: which of all of them are the best live casinos?
This is where a real casino review comes in handy for Canadian players, both by the users and professional reviewers. Here, we take the painstaking effort to put each gambling facility under scrutiny so you can make an informed decision. And more importantly, we want you only to join reputable casinos, so you do not get burned.
Live Casino Reviews Canada 2019
How Do We Review Live Casinos Canada?
As reviewers of gambling facilities, and even those that do not have real-time dealer games in Canada, we adhere to several specific areas that will help our readers understand what a real-time dealer joint has to offer. Here are some of the areas that we check about the facilities.
Expert Rating
This rating for the best live online casinos is subjective in nature. You will observe this in many review sites not just in the gambling industry, but also in gaming and movie review websites. Overall, an expert rating is an opinion similar to Editor’s Choice.
Here, we have resident experts about live online casinos Canada who have spent countless hours betting on the games and reviewing its many areas. The expert rating is rated in stars. The high number of stars means it is a top rated online live casino.
Think of an expert rating as the overall opinion of the reviewer about the gambling facility. This is the very first thing you need to look at, as it embodies the kind of experience you will get from it.
A star rating of 3 means that the gambling facility is average. It is not so good, and it is not so bad either. A rating of 2 or 1 means you need to run away from this spot, while a rating of 4 or 5 means that the facility is top-notch and that you must certainly be a part of it.
Security and Fairness
It is easy to put up an online gambling facility. However, not all gambling organizations have a good manager. While it is true that these have licenses, it is the management that is in charge of how secure and fair the games are.
Time and time again, there are casinos that have shut down because of unfair practices. Here, we not only take a look at the fairness of games but also the security of the site.
Security is not negotiable. The website takes your name, address, and other personal and financial details, and it is a likely target of hacking.
The joint must, at the very least, use a Secure Socket Layer technology, which is an encryption technology that protects your information. Without this, the facility and servers can be hacked, and your personal data may be stolen.
We also make sure that the facility runs its games randomly. We check the licenses and look for certificates from governing bodies or authorities to ensure that all results are random. One thing we look at is the kind of entity that validates it such as eCogra, UKGC, AAMS, and so much more.
Deposit Options
Good live casinos in Canada must have several deposit options. It is a tad difficult to become a member of the gambling joint that only works with a few payment methods.
The best live dealer casinos online that we rate are those that have at least ten payment methods. It is not unusual that you will find some that only accept credit cards. This is inconvenient, considering that there are many underbanked people who have cash but do not have cards.
The ones we like are those that offer the following:
- Credit and Debit cards – most accept VISA and Mastercard. If your bank does not allow gambling transactions, you need to go around this by using an e-wallet.
- Bank transfer – this payment process takes the longest, but it is also the safest. Not all banks accept money from gambling facilities as it is illegal in some countries. You need to consult your bank about this.
- e-Wallet – these are online payment systems that keep your banking information safe. The most popular worldwide are PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill.
- Physical payment in kiosks – these are physical locations where you can deposit. After that, the cashier will input your deposit, and it should automatically reflect in your online balance.
There are dozens of credit cards and e-wallets. An ideal gambling joint must have many of these. If the online operator only offers one type of e-wallet, then we generally do not recommend it.
The reasons behind this are simple: the fewer deposit methods that one site offers, the fewer withdrawal methods you will have, and your money will be stuck in there.
It can also be such a hassle if the deposit and withdrawal methods are not accessible to you as a player. Also, some may offer a lot of withdrawal or deposit methods, and yet you will find out that it is not offered if you are a Canadian player.
There is no way to know this, except by registering for an account and attempting to deposit and withdraw.
Studio Locations
Studio locations are places where the dealers stream the games via real-time video feed. Most of these are found in Europe, but there are also many locations in Asia such as the Philippines.
The studio looks like a real gambling facility, but only the dealers and managers are found here. Each table has many cameras that record the activities, and you can see the dealers on your screen as you play.
If it is being streamed somewhere and the technology works, why is the location important?
Well, some countries do not allow gambling. If a country has a restriction about operating gambling sites, whether it is physical or online, the government will bust this organization one way or another.
And what happens if the studio location is shut down? You cannot play. You either withdraw your money, or your money is stuck in the online balance because you already lost a portion of it and you want to make it back.
The problem is that it will take a while for a busted organization to build another studio.
We review this because we know which countries permit online casinos and studios to operate legally.
Variety and Quality of Games
Believe it or not, there are online real-time gambling facilities that offer less than ten games. While this makes the website really neat, it is also a place where players can easily get bored.
The fewer games there are, the less you are likely to make your money back. This is especially the case for players who are still at the experimental stage. They still have not chosen a game where they can become an expert, and losing is just natural if they make bad decisions.
With only a few games, one cannot transition from one game to another to make up for a bad day.
Quality, on the other hand, refers to how professionally the game was made. Some games are too basic that there is no element of surprise. It is important to have games that are made by world-renowned software developers.
Bonuses and Promotions
This is a critical component of live gambling sites. The bonuses and promotions can help you make your money back. At the very least, we like those that offer promotions on a weekly basis, promotions for new members, and promotions for VIPs.
These promotions help to compensate for your losses, or they make you get more value for your money. Here are some promotions that we typically look for in online live dealer gambling facilitates.
Welcome Package – the welcome package that makes a live casino enticing in Canada is the one that offers match-up bonuses.
This is a type of bonus where the casino will give you extra money. Most of the time, it is equal to what you deposited. If the management said it is offering 100% match-up, then you will receive an extra $20 CAD if you deposited $20 CAD.
Not all sites offer 100% match-up. Some will only provide 50%, which means you will get $10 CAD if you deposited $20 CAD. Also, all sites have a limit, which means that you cannot get more than $100 CAD free money, while some can give as much as $2,500 CAD.
Free Spins – this is a kind of promotion where a new player will get a certain amount of free spins on selected slot machines. These are rewards for depositing or completing the registration.
There are those that offer this promotion for its existing members. Although the slots are not live games per se, you can use this to your advantage if you won money, which you can use to gamble on live games.
VIP – many sites offer VIP programs where there are different tiers. Most of the time, these are bronze, silver, and gold. Some sites, however, have five tiers. Sometimes, being a loyal member of the casino automatically makes you a VIP. In some cases, you need to meet certain requirements.
VIPs usually get complimentary points. These points are awarded according to the amount of money you deposited or wagered. After accumulating these points, you can exchange them for money, free spins, or goodies.
Cashback – this is a form of a reward where you get a portion of your money back. There are many ways to get this. Some are given to winners, and some are just offered to everybody who participates.
The most common is a percentage of your losses. If you lost $100 CAD in a week, the casino might give you back 10%, or $10 CAD.
Mobile Compatibility
We also review casinos based on their mobile compatibility, which means they have to run on smartphones. The world is now mobile, and websites that can only operate via a desktop or laptop are typically rated low.
We give plus points or higher recommendation if the live casino has an app that you can download on Android or iOS. This makes it easy to access the game lobby, and it also provides you with a customized experience.
Even if there is no mobile app, an online casino can still operate on mobile devices if the system was designed to be mobile compatible. This means that the casino website will know if you are accessing it via mobile, and it will change how it is presented.
Mobile-friendly gambling sites look like an app, but they are not. However, they still provide ease of navigation.
Customer Support
This is a critical part of reviewing an online casino. Many casinos have a chat support, but we prefer live phone support offered 24/7.
Casinos that only have email as a support channel are not entirely helpful because you have to wait for 48 hours before you can receive a response.
The best casinos are those that have all three types of support—email, phone, and chat, most especially so if these support systems operate 24/7 and if the phone support is toll-free.
Standard of Dealers
Some dealers need more training. One critical aspect of playing in a live casino is the way the dealers operate the casinos with live table games.
In any card game, the casino dealer must swipe the card before distributing it to the player. If she misses doing this, all the cards are null and void, and a new round must begin. This is not just inconveniencing, but also takes away your chances to win, especially if you already had a good set of hands.
When we review casinos, part of your review method is to identify if the casino dealers were trained well and can execute their duties without fail.
Speed of Withdrawals
Withdrawals can take a minimum of two business days. This is understandable because the casino has to verify your identity and make sure that your winnings are legitimate.
The ideal number of days for withdrawal varies by method. For instant methods like e-wallet should not take more than three business days. Anything longer than that is cumbersome.
For bank and card withdrawals, the ideal number of days is five business days on top of the processing time. Typically, the processing time must not exceed two business days.
One thing that affects the speed of withdrawals is the verification process. It is highly recommended that you complete this before playing, and you should give the casino a maximum of five business days to process your application for identity verification.
Support Languages and Currencies
The ideal casino must service many countries and offer the casino in a few major languages. The reason is simple: if the casino serves more customers globally, it earns more money. And if it earns more money, it is less likely to go bankrupt.
The good casinos that have been operating for decades offer their services to at least 50 countries. The site is also available in at least eight languages, and this makes it easier to find players online.
User Ratings
User ratings of live dealer casino reviews are based on the feedback of users. This is typically biased because each customer has a different perspective as to what makes a casino a great venue to play in.
Despite this, we rely on user ratings because there is always a golden nugget of truth in what customers say. Things that we always look out for are complaints or experiences about unfair games, bad withdrawal policies, and delays in withdrawal.
What Should You Consider When Choosing the Best Live Casino Canada?
Choosing the best live online casinos for Canadian players should not be a stumper, provided that you follow our guidelines below.
- License – only play in casinos that are licensed by recognized authorities for gambling online. Examples of these are the UKGC, AAMS, Gibraltar Gaming Authority, and the Malta Gaming Authority.
- Security – make sure that the casino is safe and secure. You can find out about it through its license, and if you read its policies on data handling and site security.
- Software Developers – only play in casinos where the games are curated from big game developers. Examples of these are Novomatic, Merkur, BTG, NetEnt, Scientific Games, and more.
This is important because reputable game developers are known to provide high-quality games that do not shut down or glitch. These game developers are also licensed to offer their games in different jurisdictions. Their games are also scrutinized by different organizations and are proven to be fair and random.
- Payment Methods – only choose casinos that offer several payment and withdrawal methods. Usually, live casinos will only allow you to withdraw an equal amount of money to what you deposited, and only to your funding source.
But how can you withdraw the excess money that you won?
Make sure that the casino has a clear policy on how to withdraw money that is in excess of your deposit.
And also, you need to ensure that the offered withdrawal method is available in Canada. For example, a casino may offer Skrill as a withdrawal method. But if Skrill does not service Canada, your money is stuck in the casino.
Features of the Best Live Casinos
Apart from choosing live dealer casinos Canada based on the four things mentioned above, you might as well choose the best ones according to the features. Here are some things you need to look out for.
- Huge Game Selection – a casino feature you need to look out for is a game selection. Ideally, the live casino must have several variants of different casino favorites such as blackjack, roulette with a casino live croupier, baccarat, and poker.
- Multi-Screen – multi-screen live dealers refer to a feature where you can play different games simultaneously. This is important, considering that some casino games are slow. In a live dealer game, you are not the only player; the casino is servicing others around the globe. This is especially so for roulette where the table can have unlimited players.
- Cryptocurrency – one feature you may want to look for about the top live casino websites is the availability of playing with cryptocurrency. Although many casinos offer this now, they only allow you to deposit in cryptocurrency, and then they convert it to legal tender. Look for a casino that enables you to play with the cryptocurrency itself.
This serves as an indirect investment. If you won, you would keep more cryptocurrency. And you can wait until the price goes up before you convert it into real money.
Find Your Right Live Dealer Casino
To access a live dealer comparer, you can go through our site. We have a hefty number of online live casino reviews, and you will find important opinions and assessments on the different aspects we mentioned earlier.
It takes time to make a decision. After reading our reviews from the list of online live casinos, we suggest that you browse the casino website itself. This will help you make your own assessment, and decide if the casino has the games you are looking for, or if you think the promotions give you more value for money.
Closing Thoughts
Casinos are a dime a dozen. Make sure that you take the time to read live casino reviews and do your own investigation. Once you register with a casino and you find out that you do not like its policies, it is already too late. You either lose some money in withdrawal fees or just play in it.
If you can, find a site that has a comparer software that will let you select some casinos, and then the program will put these two casinos side by side and show their features. This way, you can easily spot the real differences between the two.