Among the many pastimes Canadians enjoy on the internet, one that is in rude health is the world of online casinos. Both experienced players and newcomers to the scene can choose to peruse the casinos themselves or make use of online casino portals. These independent websites offer an array of advantages, one of the biggest being that they save a huge amount of time for players, which means more time having fun and less spent trawling the internet when industry professionals have already done all the leg work.
Independent Expertise
The value of independent assessment when it comes to online casinos is hard to understate. The expertise that professionally informed yet neutral casino portals bring to the table makes it very easy for players to compare differing betting sites. In addition, the very nature of a casino portal means that it has a vested interest in being trusted and putting together objective, well-informed reviews. And because so many reviews are compiled the reviewers themselves have a great depth of experience with which to offer context regarding each casino’s pros and cons.
This independent expertise is another factor such portals consider when reviewing casinos. Many online betting sites are approved by third party auditors (eCOGRA and TST being two of the most significant) to ensure games are run on a fair basis. This is critical because in games of chance players must be presented with accurate assessments of the odds on winning. This occurs via the RNG (random number generator) in each game and, if slanted unreasonably towards the casino, it not only materially decreases the chance of finishing ahead it is also deceitful. Approval by eCOGRA, TST, or other auditing firms is, therefore, a very good sign. The presence of such affiliation will be one aspect of a casino portal review, and an important part of providing players with well-informed and factually correct information.
Time Saver
Online casinos have never been more popular, and there have never been more at which to play on both the domestic and international scenes. In Canada itself, new provincial markets opening up and legislative changes to encourage homegrown sites have helped the sector to flourish. However, the problem of a restaurant with a 20 page menu is it takes half the time to pick the meal. Casino portals enable players to compare and select the sites they want in moments rather than spending hours visiting each casino individually and taking notes. When the work has been done already and it’s a simple matter of checking a portal for a few minutes, the time saved can be immense.
Better Bonuses
While the sheer volume of online casinos can make it difficult to decide between one or another, this competition does have a sizeable perk for players in the form of bonuses. These come both in the form of introductory promotions for newly registered players and recurring bonuses for existing players, as casinos seek to first attract and then retain players in a highly competitive market. Many of these are very generous and can provide players with plenty of free spins or double bankrolls via match deposit bonuses. That said, the fine print should always be checked.
Because the wagering requirement (sometimes called the playthrough requirement) can substantially alter the real value of a promotion beyond the headline figure, casino portals can provide very useful context here. A $2,000 match deposit promo may sound amazing, but if it has a horrendous 200x playthrough requirement then $400,000 of bets would need to be made before any bonus cash could be withdrawn. Another benefit of using casino portals such as Online-Casinos.ca is that they sometimes present exclusive online casino bonuses for even better value. This offers a perk that even the most assiduous individual checking casinos themselves will miss if they don’t use a portal.
Canadian Focus
There is a lot of overlap between players from Canada and those from around the world, but it is still an advantage to use an online casino portal with a Canadian focus. In addition to considering matters that are of common interest to Canadians and non-Canadians, portals of this nature can also offer a uniquely useful insight into matters that might be less significant for Europeans or players from the USA.
When it comes to banking methods, Interac is a popular choice for Canadians, but absolutely irrelevant to players from anywhere else. On a similar note, a sport section that has a lot of hockey markets is of more interest to the average Canadian than Italian. Likewise, special offers are sometimes offered seasonally, and bonuses for the Stanley Cup or Thanksgiving are going to mean far more to a player from Canada than the United Kingdom.
Mobile Support
One of the biggest advantages online betting sites have over real world casinos is how much more convenient they are, and this can be especially true in a large country such as Canada. This ease of access has only been improved with the rise of mobile devices, both the latest smartphones and tablets, and is one critical area that casino portals consider when reviewing and rating online betting sites. While for some this is not relevant, due to preferring to use a desktop or laptop, for many players this is the main or even sole means by which they will access online gaming. It’s never been more important and mobile optimization from both a casino platform and game perspective is essential. While most modern games are designed this way from day one, the support from online casinos can vary, and some offer a great experience with award-winning apps whereas others are a bit lacklustre.
Licensing and Reputation
Licensing can often be overlooked by newcomers to the betting scene, but is not something the old hands working at casino portals will neglect to consider. It’s always a priority for well-informed reviewers to assess the licensing arrangement that an online casino operates under, as this is a firm indication of trustworthiness. Or, in the absence of any licensing whatsoever, a clear red flag that should be raised to warn players a site is potentially dubious.
Beyond the licensing, online casino portals also assess the reputation of a given platform for ease of use, and how well customer support resolves problems. This enables players to make an informed choice armed with the foreknowledge of a casino that has a bad habit of poor customer service and thereby avoiding much heartache.
Available Games
Last but most certainly not least are the games available, without which there’s no reason to visit a betting site at all. Slots are commonly present in the hundreds or even thousands, with some casinos preferring a single software provider and others opting for a multi-developer approach. When dealing with such vast numbers of games, how easy it is to find the right slots is important, and the presence or absence of certain categories, filtering by developer, and an easily found direct search bar will all be considered by online casino portals. It may also be possible to find games based on themes or jackpots which can help guide players to the slots that interest them most. And, of course, the quality of the games on offer will be considered. This does not necessarily reflect how many games a software developer brings, as both Microgaming and Thunderkick have great games but the former is prolific and the latter studio offers a small selection of high quality slots.
Table games remain popular, and whether or not these are available will be assessed, as will the provision of a live dealer section. Regular table games are single player versus the RNG of a game, while a live table game features multiple players and a real dealer and table present via livestream. The live section of a casino can be anything from absent to extensive, with some sites operating hundreds of tables. In addition to classic games such as poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, most also have game shows. Beyond table games, many casinos also provide bingo rooms or have dedicated sports sections, which can be very convenient for players who have a broad range of betting interests. The variety and number of online casino games presents excellent choice for players, and means casino portals save a browser even more time by making the game selections easily comparable.
There is a lot to think about when comparing online casinos with one another, a task made more difficult by how many there are these days. Online casino portals provide independent expertise and objective reviews, making it much quicker and easier to compare casinos and decide where to play.
