iGaming Gold: Remarkable Casino Software Providers of 2020
For more than twenty-five years now, internet gambling has been
growing, shifting, evolving into one of the world’s largest
eCommerce industries. In that time, we’ve seen a massive explosion
of casino games, the software companies that build them, and – of
course – the number of players that log on to enjoy them.
Hundreds of digital games creators have entered this market in that
time. Most of them didn’t survive, but more than enough have. Some
thrive on quantity; others on quality. Then there are those who make
a name for themselves by producing unique content – something
outside the box – something that makes players stop and think,
“Whoa… that’s different!”
Remarkable Casino Software Providers of 2020
Today’s write up is dedicated to the online casino software
developers that have changed the way we gamble online; not just ten
or twenty years ago, but those that continue to do so in 2020. I’m
talking about the ones that make iGaming the mega-sized entertainment
industry that it is today. So without further ado, here are the top
five digital game changers operating in the global online casino
business.
#1 Microgaming
I know what you’re thinking. Microgaming is old. Microgaming
represents what the iGaming industry used to be. You’re not wrong,
but there’s so much more to it than that. Yes, Microgaming laid the
foundation for online casinos, with roots dating all the way back to
1994. This company had a hand in the development of the world’s
very first genuine online casino in 1996. But Microgaming is no
has-been. To this day, the Isle of Man-based company is producing –
or at least commissioning the production of – world class gaming
content.
Most of all, I have to commend them for their foray into exclusivity
contracts. Microgaming has commissioned a throng of small companies
(ones that could never thrive on their own) to develop games just for
their Quickfire platform. Not only has it increased the
production rate of Microgaming’s vast portfolio, it’s bringing
fresh ideas and features to the iGaming community. And let’s not
forget Microgaming’s ever-rewarding Mega Moolah online slot;
the only online progressive to seed at $1,000,000.
#2 Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming has brought about a true evolution in iGaming. After
launching their first “live casino” product in 2006, this company
has managed to produce live dealer games in beast-mode. They have the
best software, the best hardware, the best game variety, and by far
the most impressive trophy case of any casino software brand in the
world. Evolution has been named the eGR Live Casino Supplier of the
Year for 10 years running, and I have no doubt they’ll claim yet
another this year.
#3 NetEnt
For the last twenty years, NetEnt (formerly Net Entertainment) has
delivered the full iGaming package, and then some. That extra effort
has gone towards the fabrication of some of the most immersive 3D
slot machines ever to hit the virtual shelves. They wowed us with
Gonzo’s Quest in 2011, and teased us with Gonzo’s Quest
VR, slated for release in 2020. They are responsible for the
Starburst slot, which has, for seven years, popped in and out
of the ‘most popular slot machine game’ position. At time of
writing, it’s back at #1. Long story short their focus on 3D
graphics and immersive game play is unparalleled.
#4 Habanero Systems
It was only a few years ago that Habanero Systems erupted onto the
market. They were looking for a niche, and they found it in a unique
concept – storytelling. Every slot machine they create comes with a
complete backstory. Players who don’t skip the intro are drawn into
the plot of each game, giving them more reason to play than winning
or losing money. They combine this skill with HTML5 programming,
impressive 3D visuals, and proven features.
#5 Playtech
Playtech has been making games almost as long as any of their competitors. Most of their games are on par with the industry standard, but there is one thing that sets them apart from all other casino software providers. Playtech has built some of the world’s most interesting license-branded slot machines. Sure, Microgaming has the Jurassic Park and Playboy Slots series, and NetEnt has Vikings and Guns N’ Roses, but I believe Playtech has the more impressive portfolio overall (and those other companies are already on this list, anyway).
Playtech brought us The Matrix, Rocky, Kong, Gladiator, Top Gun, American Dad, and a multitude of super-hero branded games, inlcuding a complete series of Superman titles, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, just to name a few.
Top live dealers casino websites for Canadians in 2020.
We’re kicking
off the New Year with a fresh list of top-tier live casino operations
welcoming Canadian players. Live dealer games are preferred for their
realistic experience, closely mimicking that of a land-based casino –
as close as you can possibly get on a computer or mobile device.
There are real live dealers, operating real table games, with
multiple real players joining in the action.
Here in Canada,
we are limited in the number of online casinos we can play at. Some
provinces are privy to locally-regulated gambling websites, but only
two of them have live casino games. There are many more highly
reputable and strictly regulated international offerings, but only so
many have a good live dealer presentation.
Top Live Dealers Casino Sites for Canadians
Normally, a “top” list of anything has 3, 5, 10, or maybe 20 of the best whatever you’re listing. I’m going out of the box with this list and giving you the “Top 4”. Yes, four of Canada’s best live casinos in 2020. Why four? Because I couldn’t possibly cut this list down to three, and there really isn’t a fifth worthy of inclusion.
I’m also not
giving the operators a number ranking. I don’t feel that any one is
better than another. They all have differentiating qualities that
earned them a spot on this list. For instance, the first two, PlayNow
and PlayOLG, are both home-grown operations. Then
again, they’re ring-fenced to their local provinces, limiting who
can access them. The second two, LeoVegas and Royal
Vegas, are open to all Canadians, but present very different
live gaming options. With that being said, let’s get right to it…
PlayNow Live Casino – BC and Manitoba Only
PlayNow is a
great iGaming operation built, maintained and regulated by the
provincial government of British Columbia. Through a player sharing
contract with the BCLC, Manitoba residents are also able to partake
in PlayNow’s internet gambling activities. For residents of these
jurisdictions, the degree of security and player protections can’t
be beat.
The PlayNow Live
Casino is powered by the industry’s #1 Live Casino brand, Evolution
Gaming, and includes live blackjack, infinite blackjack,
baccarat, eSqueeze baccarat, roulette, auto roulette and ultimate
Texas holdem. That’s not a bad assortment, but it doesn’t include
any of Evolution’s immensely popular game show-style productions.
EspaceJeux Live Casino – Quebec Only
Similarly,
Espacejeux is the online gambling operation of Loto-Quebec – home
grown and locally regulated by that provincial government. As such,
security and safety are unquestionable, but only residents of Quebec
can sign up an account and place wagers. That’s good for Quebecois,
as is the implementation of Evolution Gaming’s world class live
dealer software. On the negative side, the only live games are
standard blackjack and roulette, baccarat, and Control Squeeze
baccarat.
LeoVegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
LeoVegas is an
internationally operated casino brand, regulated in multiple
jurisdictions. LeoVegas is licensed in its home country of Sweden,
and also holds gaming licenses from Denmark and Malta. It is powered
by more software brands than I’d care to count; somewhere in the
neighborhood of 50. Several of those software studios offer live
casino games. As such, this website presents, by far, the largest
live gaming menu of any competitor.
There are – and
bear in mind, some of these numbers will appear as duplicates due to
multi-categorization – 48 live roulette games, 31 live blackjack
games, 18 types of “card games”, 16 private Chambre Séparée
(high roller) tables, 16 “VIP” tables, 11 live baccarat
tables, 7 live “game show” style options, and 5 live poker
variants; 23 of which are ‘Fast Play’ titles.
Royal Vegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted
There are some
who would argue that “less is more”. By this, I mean having so
many options – as many as LeoVegas presents – can make it harder
to actually pick one. It’s not just a theory, but a scientific
fact. Studies have shown that being offered chocolate, vanilla or
strawberry ice cream makes it easy to pick one, whereas 30+ flavors
can actually cause stress, anxiety, and an accelerated heart rate.
Why such difficulty? People tend to fear that they won’t (or
didn’t) choose the best option, and it leaves a bad taste in their
mouth – pardon the pun.
If you prescribe
to this ideal, then I present to you Royal Vegas Canada. Licensed in
Malta, this operator only employs one live casino supplier, but it’s
the world’s best – also proven by statistical data – Evolution
Gaming.
Evolution has won
the eGR Live Casino Supplier of the Year Award for the last 10
years straight. It’s almost as if they’ve figured out the perfect
formula for live dealers casino games, and they’ve kept it as
confidential as Mr. Krab’s secret formula for the “Krabby Patty”.
Royal Vegas
accepts players from all over Canada. It’s also one of the few
international sites that is approved to process payments via Interact
eTransfer. Live casino games include blackjack, roulette,
double ball roulette, baccarat, casino holdem, 3 card poker,
Caribbean stud poker, private tables, game show tables, and their
signature “Party” tables.
If you’re planning your first trip to Vegas, don’t bother reading
this. You’ll want to spend your time on taking in the glorious
sites along The Strip and Downtown’s Freemont
Street. On your first visit, it’s not about the games, but the
experience. If you’ve already had that experience, and are looking
for something a bit more, then by all means, continue reading.
I’m going to tell you about the best blackjack games in the city. You won’t find them on The Strip or in Downtown, despite the rampant finger-pointing towards El Cortez. That casino does have some nice games, clocking a 99.82% RTP with the cheapest table limits of $5 and up. If you’re willing to spend $25 per hand, you can do better.
Best Blackjack Odds in Vegas
Head south along Las Vegas Boulevard approximately 10 miles
from the central Strip area (Bellagio /
Caesars Palace); past McCarran International Airport;
beyond South Point and The Grandview. Just as you cross
the St Rose Parkway, you’ll come to the luxurious M
Resort Spa & Casino, sticking up from the vast stretch of
desert floor like a hitchhiker’s thumb.
Its opulence may seem a bit out of place this far south of The Strip.
Technically, you’re not even in Las Vegas anymore. You’re in the
city of Henderson, but once you enter the property, you’ll
never know the difference.
I suggest taking advantage of valet parking, unless you don’t mind
long walks. Once you get to the doors, head inside and take the
nearest elevator to the upper level. Follow the signs to the casino,
and once you’re there, stop the first employee you see and ask them
to point you to the blackjack tables. The pit boss should be easy to
find, standing at his/her central kiosk with a birds-eye view of the
dealers.
Tell this person that you heard the M Resort blackjack odds are the
best in the city, and ask for directions to one of those tables.
There should be three of them It wouldn’t hurt to do this with a
tip sticking up between your fingers, ensuring you get preferential
seating if there’s a line. Once you’re seated…
M Resort Blackjack Odds and Rules
At the right tables, you’ll find rules that dish up a delicious 99.86% RTP. That’s a mere 0.14% house edge. It isn’t some odd-ball game with wacky rules and side bets. It’s a standard game of classic blackjack, with just enough player-friendly rules to deliver the best blackjack game in Vegas.
These games are played with a double-deck shoe, requiring the dealer
to stand on all 17s. Players can double after a split and are allowed
to re-split Aces. By these rules, a basic strategy will deliver that
beautiful 99.86% return. Making these tables even more appealing, the
games have a 0.8 cut card with 60% deck penetration. Deeper would be
great, but in a 2-deck shoe, that’s a nice mark for precision card
counters.
To recap…
Shoe: Double-Deck
Soft 17: Stand
Double: Any 2
Double After Split: Yes
Re-Split Aces: Yes
Blackjack Pays: 3 to 2
Cut Card: 0.8
Deck Penetration: 60%
Min / Max: $25 / $5,000
House Edge: 0.14%
RTP: 99.86%
If you’re interested in testing your skills against the best
blackjack odds in Vegas, set your destination for the M Resort Spa
Casino, located at 12300 S Las Vegas Blvd South, Henderson, NV 89044.
Unique Casino Canada: The most interesting CA online gambling sites and what they have to offer.
It’s amazing just how many real-money online gaming website there
are these days; nearing the 5,000 mark, and that’s just the ones I
know of. There are surely more on the underground web, as well. That
being said, they’re obviously not all good options. If you live
here in Canada, your selection is narrowed to around one thousand,
and even then, there are only a few dozen you should consider
reputably worthy of your wagering dollars.
That’s all well and good, but there’s still a common problem.
After a while, the monotony sets in. Almost all of the online casinos
in today’s market are practically mirror images of one another. So
what if there are hundreds of slot machines to choose from. They’re
still the same hundreds found at the next casino, and the next one.
Teh tables are the same, promos are the same. There’s rarely
anything unique to set these websites apart.
Unique Casino Canada: What Sets Casinos Apart?
Not every casino is a cookie-cutter of the rest. There are a few
operators out there that go out of their way to provide something
more for their members. Sometimes it’s a greater variety of ways to
wager. Other times, it may be a unique promotional campaign. Whatever
it may be, so long as it’s enough to take the monotony out of the
equation, it’s worth looking into. Something like…
Live Dealer Casino Tables
Live dealer games can be far more entertaining than
computer-generated, RNG-based gaming tables. Playing blackjack with a
real dealer, among real players, all of which can communicate via
real-time textual chat and/or audio feed, changes everything. It’s
as close to playing in a land-based casino as you’ll get on a
desktop or mobile device, and so long as the dealer’s have
charisma, it makes for a much more unique and interesting experience.
Casino Games & Then Some
Online casinos provide a very thorough line-up of gambling options,
but there are many more ways to place a wager over the world wide
web. If you’re looking to expand your gambling horizons, try
joining an operator that offers the full gambit. Major operators like
Ladbrokes and William Hill provide an online poker room, online bingo
hall, sports betting, horse and auto race betting, arcades, skill
games, the list goes on. If you only like casino games, but want more
of them, try LeoVegas. That operator has thousands of games, powered
by more than 45 different digital software brands.
Wider Range of Promotions
The promotional aspect can be just as monotonous as the gaming side.
Most online casinos offer the same old welcome bonus packages. Make a
deposit, we’ll match it – blah, blah, blah. They might have a
little birthday bonus, plus special reload bonuses once a week or
month. But there’s nothing really special about them, compared to
most other sites out there.
Every once in a while, you come across something more original. Royal
Vegas Casino, for instance, would take a group of their VIPs out on a
cruise across the Caribbean, treating them to a week or more of
all-expenses-paid fine dining, live entertainment, casino gaming, and
more.
Over at PlayOLG, the home-grown, government regulated online casino
of Ontario, the welcome bonus package looks like everyone elses, but
the terms are so much better. Wagering requirements are only 10x the
size of the bonus – not the deposit + bonus; just the bonus. That
drops the WR on a 100$ deposit + $100 bonus to just $1,000, as
opposed to the usual $8,000 for a typical ‘40x WR on deposit +
bonus’ promotion.
It’s things like these that set a few gambling sites apart from the
rest. So if you’re looking for a unique casino, Canada does have a
few to choose from. Don’t settle for the same old stuff. Take your
time, find something special, and make the most of it.
Is PlayOLG the safe secure online casino Ontario players should trust, or are there better options out there?
For more than two
decades, Canadians have had access to a seemingly unlimited supply of
online gambling websites. It’s not really unlimited, of course.
There are nearly 5,000 known iGaming websites in existence. About 25%
of them welcome Canadian players and CA$ deposits. How do you know if
you’re choosing the right one, when there are 1,000+ sites
beckoning?
As of 2015, a lot
of Ontario’s internet gamblers have made the easy choice, signing
up an account with PlayOLG.com, the
official online gaming destination of the Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corp (OLG). Being mandated, regulated, and operated by our
own government certainly offers some assurances, but is it the best
option? Let’s take a look at the most reasons to sign up for local
iGaming.
PlayOLG is a Safe Secure Online Casino
By far the most
advantageous feature of PlayOLG is the fact that it’s run by the
same government that is responsible for enforcing the gambling laws
of Ontario, and Canada as a whole. OLG is going to do everything in
its power to ensure players are protected, just as they aim to
protect the players of their walk-in casinos on land. The regulatory
body invokes the highest standard security measures to keep player
information safe, secure, and out of the hands of those who might use
it for harmful purposes.
This is the exact
same protocol undertaken by the world’s most distinguished,
internationally regulated online casinos. The difference is, we don’t
always know which offshore casino is distinguished, and which ones
aren’t. We can do a little research to find out, or, we can take
the quickest route to safety and join PlayOLG.
It’s a perfect
short-term solution for those of us leading busy lives; a
classification that covers 99.9% of Ontario’s population, aged
19-60. But is it the best decision in the long-term?
Are There Better Options for Ontarians?
This is a relative question with a relative answer. If PlayOLG offers everything you desire out of an online casino, by all means, take full advantage of its fast-track to supreme security. There’s a lot to be enjoyed by members of the home-grown iGaming website.
PlayOLG has (at
time of writing) 110 casino games to choose from, including 90
traditional slots, 5 progressive jackpot slots, 11 table games and 4
video pokers. As an added perk, you can purchase all of your
number-draw lottery and instant win tickets directly from the website
or mobile app. If these features satisfy all your iGaming needs,
there’s no reason to go anywhere else.
You’ll even have access to a rather generous welcome bonus worth up to $300 in bonus credits. Furthermore, no offshore website is going to match PlayOLG’s astonishingly-low wagering requirements of 10x WR on the bonus amount only. (Learn more about the PlayOLG Welcome Bonus here.)
With all these
perks you may be wondering, what do internationally regulated
gambling sites offer that PlayOLG doesn’t?
Benefits of Taking Your iGaming Overseas
There are a few
good reasons why so many Ontario players have continued doing their
iGaming with offshore operators. At one time, it was the promotions
that drew players overseas more than anything else, but now that
Ontario offers the same level of generosity – if not more – there
are only to notable perks for outsourcing your online gambling.
The first is game variety. International online casinos offer anywhere from a few hundred to over one thousand games. It all depends on the software brand(s) they employ. Royal Vegas Canada, for instance, only licenses software from two companies; Microgaming for its RNG-based games, and Evolution Gaming for its live casino content. This may not sound like much, but Microgaming has more than 900 games in its ever-growing portfolio, and Evolution is has been number-one supplier of live dealer casino games for 10 years running.
It’s hard to
beat that kind of content, but LeoVegas Mobile Casino does.
LeoVegas operates under the philosophy that more is always better.
They employ more than 50 different software brands – including
Microgaming and Evolution Gaming, as well as the IGT and
Scientific Games brands licensed to PlayOLG – to deliver
thousands upon thousands of games to their customers.
The second benefit is access to different forms of gambling you can’t find on PlayOLG. Offshore online casinos are not restricted to following the letter of Canadian federal law. They can supply everything, from online poker and sports betting on single events, to international lottery drawings, to skill-based arcade games.
Conclusion
As I said, the correct choice is a relative one. If you’re looking for minimal gaming in a guaranteed safe secure online casino environment, PlayOLG is a fantastic choice. If you want more out of your gaming experience, and don’t mind doing a little research to find the most trusted offshore casino brands, you’ll find the international iGaming landscape to be incomparably well endowed.
1-2-Done! How to find an Interac casino Canada can trust.
Have you ever had to do a task you
really didn’t feel up to? Did you wish there was an easier way? Some
way to skip through all the hard work and get straight to the reward
at the end? Rarely do such shortcuts exist in life. If you do find
one, chances are it could either get you fired or locked up. But
sometimes, often when you least expect it, something comes along to
make your life a whole lot easier.
I’ve mentioned this little tip in other publications, but I feel it’s so important, it deserves its own section on this website. It is going to be the easiest casino-seeking tutorial you’ve ever read – and I’ve ever written. If you live in Canada, enjoy online gambling, and trust Interac, keep reading…
How to find an Interac Casino Canada can Trust
This is a simple two step process.
Ready? Here goes…
Step #1 Find
an online casino that accepts Interac.
Step #2 Join
the casino.
1 – 2 – Done! Was that easy
enough? You probably think I’m crazy. I can just imagine the thoughts
racing through your brain right now…
You can’t just go trusting the
first Interac casino you come across. It’s never been that easy
before! Why would it be so easy now?They can’t all be trustworthy.
Maybe they were trustworthy at one point, but what if a new one
launched since this was written – are they to be trusted, too?
Yes, as a matter of fact, they are.
All of them are. If it’s promoting Interac, you can trust it, and you
can join it from Canada. It’s that simple.
How do I know Canadian players are accepted?
They just are. If Interac is on the
banking menu, Canadians are accepted. You see, Interac is a
Canadian-made monetary transfer service that only serves customers in
Canada. The transfer can come from or go to any bank, domestic or
international, but either the sender or recipient account must be a
Canadian financial institution.
Simply put, if Interac is accepted,
Canadians are accepted, as they are the only players who can use it.
How do I know the casino operator can be trusted?
The beauty of Interac is that it is
powered by Canada’s largest banks. Those banks have no desire to get
ripped off or caught up in any scandals. They insure their user
accounts, and like any insurance company, they do not want to pay out
any claims if they don’t have to. To that end, they have hired
commerce investigators that look closely at the business practices of
every international company that requests the use of their services
for Canadian customers.
Suffice it to say, if the online
casino wasn’t entirely on the up and up, boasting a proven track
record for best practices and customer satisfaction, Interac wouldn’t
do business with them in the first place.
How do I find an Interac casino?
This is the only difficult part of
the task. Then again, it’s the only task, so you’ll just have to suck
it up, buttercup! It’s not that difficult, but less than 2% of the
world’s online casinos take Interac. That shouldn’t be too
surprising, considering how strict Interac is in investigating
businesses.
To make things a little easier, I’ll
suggest LeoVegas Casino, accepting Interac
Online (instant EFT) and Interac E-Transfer (via
email or mobile) deposits and withdrawals.
Judging a Safe Online Casino by its
Cover: Why licensing jurisdiction is everything.
When you were
growing up, did your parents or mentors every teach you don’t
judge a book by its cover? I’m sure you understand the
meaning of this age-old idiom. And in many ways, it is excellent
advice. You should never judge or negatively label anything or anyone
without giving it a chance; finding out for yourself if it’s worthy
of appreciation. That’s all well and good for most things in life,
but not online gambling.
Joining a
disreputable casino site can be a devastating experience. It can
result in anything from identity theft to financial ruin; both of
which have long-lasting consequences. If you’re lucky, the rogue
operator takes your first deposit and disappeared into the great blue
yonder. If not, you could end up investing time and again into games
that are fraudulently designed to rip you off – much more so than
the legitimate, low-edge casino games we choose to play.
Any educated
gambler knows very well that every single casino game is built to
favor the house. Only knowing we have a chance to win makes it fun.
It provides an entertaining experience that’s worthy of our spare
cash. Take away that reasonable chance, and what you’re left with is
disappointment, despair, and downright illegal activity.
Judging a Safe Online Casino by its Cover
In years past,
evaluating the legitimacy of an online casino was a tedious task.
There were multiple features you had to look for, sifting through a
website’s many pages and terms of service, reading the fine print…
Who wants to do that?
While this method
was extremely effective for those who took the time to do it right,
most people didn’t. Instead, they went to one of thousands of the
world wide web’s online gambling review websites and trusted the
information they found there. But iGaming affiliates are comparable
to the online casino industry. Some sites are safe, and some are not.
Some affiliate
reviews sites are great. They’re honest, diligent in their reviews,
and updated regularly with helpful information. Others are biased,
lacking any integrity, saying anything and everything they can to get
players to click their links. And why wouldn’t some do this? Let’s
not forget, just like the casinos, affiliates are looking to make
money. So if you can’t trust every casino, you can’t trust every
review, either.
The good news is,
thanks to the increasing rate of iGaming regulation in some parts of
the world, no one has to go through all that trouble anymore. In
fact, the whole process can be narrowed down to the evaluation of one
single item.
Jurisdiction of License and Regulation
If you want to
know if an online casino is safe, go to its website, scroll down to
the bottom of the page, and look for the licensing info. The
jurisdiction in which an operator is licensed and regulated is more
telling than Kim Kardashian playing poker in mirrored sunglasses…
yeah, she really did that.
There are good
jurisdictions and bad ones. Any province of Canada (B.C., Ontario or
Quebec) is good. Each hosts its own self-regulated iGaming website,
but you must live in that province to access its home-grown gambling
operation. Any US state that regulates iGaming is also good, but the
same stipulation exists. Outside of these, you’re looking for any
country in Europe.
If you come across
a country name you don’t know, look it up on Google or Wikipedia to
find out where it is. There are several small island nations off the
coast of Europe that North Americans may not be familiar with, and
several of them make good business out of licensing iGaming
operations. So if you’re not sure, look it up! It only takes a couple
of seconds.
Safe Licensing Jurisdictions
The UK is
top of the line. UKGC sets the standard for bet practices, player
protection, anti-fraud and anti-money laundering, the works. Malta
and Isle of Man are right up there, too. Gibraltar, Alderney,
Estonia, Cypress, Latvia – pretty much
anywhere in Europe. France, Italy and Spain are
also top-notch, but they are ring-fenced like Canada, so you
can only access those sites if your physically located within their
respective borders.
The same goes for
any direct regulation by a US state. Acceptance of American
players means nothing. If a US-facing operator isn’t regulated in the
US, it can’t possibly be licensed and regulated by a responsible
authority. Which brings us to…
Lax Regulatory Jurisdictions
Anything that
doesn’t qualify under the description above is not a jurisdiction
that you can put 100% trust in. Costa Rica, Curacao,
Panama – places like these love to dole out licenses and
collect fees for them, but they take no responsibility for the
legitimacy of the companies they license. They offer little, if
anything, in the way of a legal framework.
Costa Rica, for
example, has only one rule – do not accept players from within
Costa Rica. Anything else goes. Operators can appear one day,
disappear the next, taking all player account balances with them. So
long as they don’t violate that one rule, Costa Rica’s government
won’t do a thing about it. There are absolutely no player protections
in place; no one to turn to if the worst happens.
Similar licenses
are sold in Panama. Curacao isn’t as bad, but it’s not much better,
either. The fact that Curacao licensees can accept American players
is very telling. Look at it this way. If it’s illegal for people in
New York to gambling online, and a Curacao licensed site is accepting
New Yorkers, it’s pretty clear the regulations aren’t all that tight.
Double Check the Credentials
Once you’ve
scrolled to the bottom of the online casino’s homepage and determined
where it is licensed, you can go one step further to make sure the
license is genuine. The safest online casinos will provide a logo for
the licensing jurisdiction, and link it back to their licensing info
on the regulatory body’s website. Clicking this logo should prove the
license is valid and active.
If there is no clickable link or logo, you can take a moment to look up the regulatory authority’s website. For instance, if it’s in Malta, search for “Malta Gaming Regulator”, or “Malta Gaming License”, etc. These searches will lead you directly to the Malta Gaming Authority, found at www.mga.org.mt.
Then, from the
regulator’s website, you should be able to search for the casino name
or the owner/operator company, generally listed in the copyright info
(bottom of homepage).
Of course, if
you’re not finding the information you’re looking for – no license
info, no name of owner/operator, no valid license number – if any
of this is difficult to find, you know it’s time to move on. Don’t
waste your time on a website that isn’t making this search easy for
you. Remember, it should be a quick, one step process. If the website
seems like it has something to hide, it probably does. It’s not a
safe online casino.
Tips for finding the right debit card casino in Canada.
You decide you
want to try casino games online. You’ve got enough experience with
online merchants to know that debit cards are among the fastest, most
secure ways to pay for things over the internet. You take a seat at
your computer, or hop on the couch with your iPad, all ready to get
started. You type “debit card online casino Canada” into the
Google search windows and… 4,810,000 results come up.
This scenario has
become all too common. Canadians are trying to find the right
interactive casino to suit their needs, but there are just too many
to choose from. The majority of people in this situation will do one
of two things – click the first result that appears and hope for
the best, or close the browser and forget about it. Either way is
going to be problematic.
If you click the
first result, you’re going to end up at an information site, not an
online casino. Information is good, but you’re already at an
information site right now. Yes, this one. Thank you, by the way. But
you don’t need more info – you need the right casino. And if you go
the second route, you’re certainly not going to find it. Even if you
scroll down the results far enough to click the first real casino on
the list, you have no idea where you’re going to end up
So, to avoid these
cyclomatic perplexities, I offer you this…
Tips for Finding the Right Debit Card Casino in Canada
There are four
major features you need to look for in a gambling website before
deciding whether it’s the right casino for you. If all of these
features are present, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Canadian Player Acceptance
If Canadians
aren’t accepted, that’s a huge deal breaker. Mark that site right off
the list!
How can you be sure? Try searching for the word “Canada” within the website’s URL. For example, you would search the Royal Vegas Casino website like so…
All of the top
search results specify, or at least insinuate, that Canadians are
accepted. Half of them even call it “Royal Vegas Canada”. See
what happens when you try another casino’s domain name within the
“site:” search. Odds are you’ll get lucky, or you’ll get a link
to the “terms of service page” listing Canada among the
restricted countries.
Debit Card Deposits Accepted
This used to be a given. Credit and debit card were always listed highest on the list of available deposit option at every online casino from here to Sachs Harbour. Now, that’s no longer the case. While 99% of online casinos do still advertise debit card acceptance, there are some out there that are commuted to a single type of deposit. More often than not, it’s going to be Bitcoin and/or some other crypto-currency.
Licensed and Regulated in Canada or Europe
There are lots of
iGaming regulators out there. The jurisdiction that licenses your
favorite casino will determine, above all, how trustworthy it might
be. The rule of thumb here is to only choose a site that’s regulated
in your own Canadian province of residency, or one regulated in any
country of Europe.
Provincial
online casinos are absolutely safe and reputable. But their game
variety will be more restricted, and if you’re a slots fan, the
house edge can be a lot higher (more akin to land-based slots).
Offshore casinos are preferred, but if they’re regulated outside of
Europe, you never know what you’ll get. European jurisdictions like
the UK, Malta, Isle of Man, Cypress and Estonia, hold their operators
to high standards, and will go to bat for any player who files a
legitimate complaint.
Are Your Favorite Games on the Menu?
Be careful what
you search for when looking for the right debit card casino in
Canada. If you look up a general term like “gambling”, instead of
“casino”, you’re likely to get all sorts of iGaming websites.
Don’t join a bingo, poker or sports betting site if that’s not what
you’re looking for.
Not all casino
games menus are alike, either. Some have more slot machines or video
poker machines than others. Some have more table games, or a better
variety of specialty games, like scratch cards, or arcade-style
games. Know what it is you want to play, and pick a site that has it.
Personally, I like
Microgaming powered online casinos because they are the only place
you’ll find the Mega Moolah Sot. Known as the “Millionaire Maker”,
it’s the only progressive jackpot online slot machine with a seed of
$1,000,000. Yeah, I know my odds of winning aren’t good, but I enjoy
spinning its reels now and again. Since the start of 2019, it’s paid
out once every 4 weeks!
Learn how Canadians are going green with real mobile online casinos.
The human race
spent so many years ignoring the effects of our carbon footprints on
the Earth, it’s devastated our landscape. Forests are shrinking far
more rapidly than we can plant new ones. Oceans, lakes and rivers run
rampant with refuse. The situation has become so critical that today,
environmental groups are among the most worthy charitable
organizations in the world.
The movement
towards environmental friendliness has become universally known as
“going green”. Those aware of the situation are
encouraged to use less electricity, take the train, bus, or car pool
to work, and take full advantage of the Triple R’s – Reduce,
Reuse and Recycle. The last thing that might cross your mind when
considering these things is gambling, but it’s true – even today’s
gamblers are doing their part – wittingly or not – to save the
planet.
Canadian Go Green with Real Mobile Online Casinos
There are several
ways in which a gambler can help preserve the environment, mostly
just by being a bit more choosy about where they do their gaming.
Shifting from land-based to online is the easiest and most obvious
way, worthy of a number-one spot on our list, but there’s more to it
than that.
#1 Online casinos use far less electricity.
This section
really shouldn’t need any elaboration. Picture any Vegas Strip
casino. Imagine how much electricity it takes to power just one of
them. All those lights, sounds, illuminated fountains. Land-based
casinos are all about the glitz and glamour, and they pay atrocious
utility bills to provide it. The MGM Casino, with its signature beam
of light, averages more than $200,000 per month, increasing to around
$350,000 in the summer months. That’s enough to power a small town
for more than a year!
#2 No need to travel to a mobile casino.
Driving to a land-based casino is just another reason to pollute the air with toxic exhaust fumes. Yes, I know the argument, “Most of us drive cars everyday – one trip to the casino isn’t going to change the amount of pollution in the air.” But here’s the same old boring retort – if everyone did it, the reduction in pollution wold be far more significant. Mobile casinos can be played from anywhere you already happen to be, whether it’s on your living room sofa or away from home, doing all those things you really do have to use transportation to get to. And besides, think of all the money you’ll save in gas and tips.
#3 EFT payments don’t deplete trees.
What happens every
time you cash out on a slot machine? You push a button, and the
machine prints a voucher. You withdrawal cash from an ATM, and it
prints a receipt. You give the valet your car, and he prints you a
slip. All that printing requires paper, and paper requires trees.
It’s a renewable resource, yes, but it takes years to grow a new tree
in replacement of the old one that was chopped down to print all
those vouchers and tickets that most people won’t bother to recycle.
After all, it’s just one little piece of paper, right? An electronic
fund transfer (EFT) requires no paper at all. At online gambling
sites, you can make deposits and cash out your winnings directly
from/to your bank account. Need a receipt? They’ll email it to you!
#4 Microgaming BREAM rating of “Excellent”.
BREEAM is the
foremost rating system upon which environmental assessments are made
for commercial businesses. To achieve a positive BREEAM rating is
commendable. When Microgaming, the world’s oldest and foremost
developer of digital gambling software, built its new headquarters in
Douglas, Isle of Man in 2017, the company worked in tandem with
BREEAM to ensure every possible method of sustainability was
integrated into the workplace. Microgaming is one of the few offices
on the planet that put so much “green” into its construction,
they actually received a rating
of “Excellent”.
#5 Online gambling for the greater good.
For this last
section, I turn once more to Microgaming, who instated the Play
It Forward program several years back. Each year, the company
pledges to donate thousands of dollars to multiple charities of their
employees’ and players’ choices. They’ve contributed heavily to
everything from water conservation, to childhood cancer, to saving
the Rhinos of Africa.
Microgaming makes
millions upon millions of dollars every quarter, and makes every
effort to share that wealth in ways that will help to preserve the
planet and all of its innocent creatures. So if reasons # 1, 2, and 3
are enough to convince you that you’re better off playing at real
mobile online casinos, I hope reasons # 4 and 5 encourage you to do
your iGaming with websites that employ Microgaming’s award-winning
software.
RTP comparison reveals the best paying slot machines in Nevada.
When it comes to gambling, people have developed conceptions over the
years as to how and where they can achieve better odds of winning.
Some say it’s the games you play. Others say it’s the casino in which
you play them. I (and everyone else with a higher education in
gaming) say it’s both. But if there’s a specific game you want to
play, location is everything!
I’m talking specifically about slot machines. Everyone knows
these aren’t the best paying games overall. If you want the highest
possible RTP, you have to play blackjack or video poker with a
perfect strategy. That takes time and mental energy that some players
simply aren’t willing to expend.
Slots fans play for the simplicity and entertainment value above all
else. For these players, you won’t convince them there’s a better
overall game out there. And since choice of game is out of the
question, location becomes the primary focus. And with that, we’ve
drug up statistical data that reveals…
…the best paying slot machines in Nevada.
Las Vegas, Nevada is the gambling mecca of the western
hemisphere. When we think of casino hubs, The Vegas Stripis the first place that comes to mind. But it’s not the only
place in the Silver State that caters to gamblers. There’s many more
– some more famous than others. Downtown Vegas, North Las Vegas,
Reno, Carson City, Henderson, Laughlin, Boulder Strip, Silver
Springs, the list goes on and on.
When you compare the best paying slots from one area to the next,
there are two locations that rank highest, appearing consistently on
the list more than any others, Downtown Vegas and
Boulder Strip. And then there’s the two obvious choices
to compare – Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip.
If you think Las Vegas and The Strip are the same thing, think again.
As far as reports from the state’s gaming regulators are concerned,
Las Vegas refers to the casinos that are “off the Strip”.
Downtown Vegas is the area North of the Strip, including Freemont
Street. The Boulder Strip isn’t a single location, but rather a
series of 30+ casinos that appear along a long strip of the Boulder
Highway, from Downtown Vegas to Henderson and beyond.
Now that you know where they are, let’s compare the average slot
machine RTP (return to player) between these four locations, based on
recent data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). For absolute
accuracy, we’ll divide the payout ratios by coin denominations (penny
slots, nickel slots, quarter slots, etc).
Highest Paying Slots by Denomination
Location
RTP of 1¢ Penny Slot Machines
The Strip
88.38%
Las Vegas
90.88%
Downtown Vegas
89.15%
Boulder Strip
90.38%
Location
RTP of 5¢ Nickel Slot Machines
The Strip
91.64%
Las Vegas
95.29%
Downtown Vegas
93.40%
Boulder Strip
96.21%
Location
RTP of 25¢ Quarter Slot Machines
The Strip
89.35%
Las Vegas
96.41%
Downtown Vegas
94.25%
Boulder Strip
96.13%
Location
RTP of $1 Dollar Slot Machines
The Strip
92.43%
Las Vegas
95.39%
Downtown Vegas
94.63%
Boulder Strip
96.13%
Location
RTP of All Slot Machines Combined
The Strip
91.96%
Las Vegas
93.53%
Downtown Vegas
92.67%
Boulder Strip
94.34%
Best Paying Slots are Off The Strip and Off the
Grid
The table above clearly shows that the Las Vegas Strip is, in fact
(and as rumored), the worst place to play slot machines. The best
paying slot machines in Nevada are found on the Boulder Strip, with
Off-Strip casinos in Las Vegas coming in a close second.
Not surprisingly, the penny slots are the worst of all. No matter
where you play them, the best average RTP in the reporting period was
only 90.88%. The highest average, 96.41%, was found on quarter slots
in off-Strip Las Vegas casinos. But overall, Boulder Strip casinos
had the highest RTP average out of all categories.
On a final note, you’ll find similarly high RTP slot machines
entirely off the grid. The online casino industry is famous for
housing the highest paying slots of all. For the month of May 2019,
Royal
Vegas Casino recorded an average slots RTP of 96.87%. That’s
higher than any of the slot machine RTPs recorded by the NGCB in a
similar time frame.
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