Canadians are keen gamblers, with a very high percentage of the population saying they have spent money on gambling within the last month. User penetration in the online gambling market is 69.4%, which is an impressive figure. Canada punches way above its weight in terms of Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) when compared to its population. It ranks seventh in the world at US $2.55 billion behind much more populous countries like the UK, USA, Australia, Italy and France. Therefore, it is no surprise that it receives a good deal of attention from operators hoping to get a share of the action.
However, it is a very competitive market, and the players know they have a huge selection. There is no doubt that they are spoiled for choice when it comes to the variety of games and betting options available. There are hundreds of online casinos and sports betting platforms, thousands of slots and casino games and an eyewatering number of offers, bonuses and promotions to tempt i-Gamers to choose one site over another. What makes a great site for one person does not necessarily translate as a fantastic experience for another person. One player might want the best bonus, someone else could decide based on how the app or user interface works, and someone else might decide based on how secure a sight is and what the payment options are.
To make life considerably less complicated, Casino.ca ranks the casinos across a wide range of criteria to allow players to be able to compare ‘apples with apples’ and gives each online casino in Canada an overall score. The online casinos are ranked against each other, so as they introduce improvements and new features, they find themselves moving up and down the rankings. While the gameplay and jackpot size can be a major draw, a savvy iGamer knows that an excellent online casino site needs to be so much more than just a pretty face.
Improvements to the user experience include casinos keeping ahead of the game in many areas, including the following ones.
Licences, certificates and reliable software partners
A decent online casino will have safety and security as its top priority. When a review site like Casino.ca considers how good an outfit is, it conducts background and safety checks ahead of anything else. The casino’s licenses and certifications need to be verified and deemed appropriate for the territory they are operating in. The same goes for the software developers whose games are hosted on the platforms, and they are constantly updating and improving their reliability and safety.
Encryption and payment security
An online casino site has to have the best possible encryption to keep both itself and its customers secure. You only have to think about how many movies involve heists against casinos, like Oceans Eleven and 21, to realize that they can be as attractive as a bank to rob. Casinos hold vast amounts of money and data. In addition, if a fraudster can find a way to trick the system, they could ‘win’ an enormous ‘jackpot’. While this is a significant problem for land-based casinos, it is even more serious for online ones. In addition to needing to safeguard themselves, online operators must keep all their customers’ data and payment information safe. Therefore, they are constantly having to stay one step ahead of the cyber criminals both in terms of site encryption and data security.
Payment options
When playing at online casinos, a customer has to deposit real money with the platform in order to be able to play the games. Therefore, payment security is often at the forefront of players’ minds. The best online casinos constantly assess the payment options available to customers. Improvements in their systems are seen in new secure payment options coming on stream. This is important as players need to have a wide choice of secure payment partners so that they can choose the one they feel comfortable with whether that is PayPal, Interac or a new fintech challenger. In addition, the choice of payment partner will also affect the speed with which a deposit can be made and, perhaps more importantly, how long it takes for winnings to be deposited in the players’ hands.
Customer support
While everything is going well, customer support might seem unimportant. However, if things go wrong, customers need to be able to contact someone to help them. Many online casinos have introduced AI chatbots to help customers with simple queries and help them navigate their way around Frequently Asked Questions. However, the best sites offer 24/7 customer support from real people who are either available via phone, live chat or email interface.
Player protection
While playing at online casinos should be fun and regarded as a great form of entertainment, some players find it hard to regulate their gambling. Most reputable sites are constantly trying to improve the tools they offer to protect players susceptible to gambling harms. After all, they need to have an ongoing healthy relationship with their customers if their business model is going to succeed in the long term. Therefore, many sites prominently offer deposit and frequency limits to help players stay safe. The top online casinos are increasingly developing these tools to ensure that players can enjoy their gambling and have a healthy relationship with the online casino.
Platforms also increasingly use data and algorithms to understand players’ habits and choices better. This allows them to present customers with games and offers that genuinely interest them rather than bombarding them with every new online title.
On the subject of new titles, online casinos are always looking to introduce innovative games to offer players a broad choice and online excitement. Immersive casino experiences are increasingly popular, powered by virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), to give players a realistic gaming experience. Virtual casinos offer incredibly realistic gaming experiences from the comfort of your own home. For those who do not want to don a headset or VR glasses to play, live-dealer casinos offer a fully interactive gambling experience alongside other players in real-time.
