Don’t be fazed by the names thrown around; a real money casino is basically a legitimate online casino that lets you bet real money when playing slot games. Some casinos might only offer free play, some might have a digital currency, but when you want a realistic slots experience and the opportunity to play for real money, then the sites in our list are your best option.
HOW TO CHOOSE A REAL MONEY CASINO
With so much choice around you might be asking yourself, which is the best casino for me to play at. Here’s a short guide to help you choose.
Firstly, the most important point is this: Do your research!
Look up reviews about real money casinos, check out forums and comparison sites like ours to see what the slots are like and how reputable they are. And then take a proper look at the casino sites itself to see if it’s right for you. Or to make it even easier, just check out our list and reviews because we’ve done all the hard graft for you.
CHOOSING A GAME
Real money casinos have plenty of slots for you to enjoy, so spend some time exploring them. From branded slots to movie slots, classic cards, live dealer and more, you will be spoiled for choice. Basically you will find the digital equivalent of all your favourite games from land-based casinos at the sites listed on this page. Some operators offer as many as 1,500 games or more to their customers and choosing a casino with a big catalogue like this is recommended.
CASINO BONUSES
Each of the casinos on our list offers fantastic bonuses for you to use on a variety of different video slots, including classics like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest from NetEnt. From welcome bonuses that give you an immediate cash boost to frequent free spins or cashback offers, you are sure to get lots of loyalty rewards if you play at any of these sites. Keep reading down this page to find out more about each type of bonus, including both no deposit offers and massive deposit matches.
CASHIER AND PAYMENTS
It might not be the first thing you think of when choosing a new casino, but when you want to withdraw or deposit funds to play slots, you’ll want a cashier that suits your requirements with the payment services that you prefer. Check out our payment guides too that explain the processes involved, different payment options, and how you can get hold of your winnings, which, of course, is what you’ll want to do. Some cashiers offer instant withdrawals, others may take a few days to process them. Be aware of this as it will affect your experience.
LICENSING AND TRUST
Each real money casino must be licensed if you want to be sure of fair, secure and safe gambling. The main gambling regulators are based in Malta, Gibraltar, the UK and Kahnawake, so be sure you only play at sites that have been issued with a license from one of these jurisdictions. You will find licensing information in the footer of any casino site you play at. These licensors also require their licensees to be audited by 3rd parties like eCorga who will test the games and platforms to ensure that they are fair and safe.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
If you need any assistance with the games or your account when playing online slots or for any other concerns you will want the customer support staff to be courteous, efficient and professional. At most sites you will find options for live chat, email or phone numbers and the hours in which you can get in touch with the help team. Not all casinos make live chat and phone service available. We recommend that you look for sites with these options as you will get a quicker response to your query.
BRAND AND OPERATOR
There are some big brands in online gaming; no doubt you’ve seen all the commercials. Names like Jackpot City, 888 Casino and Betway are all famous and reliable in Canada. Sometimes a big brand doesn’t always mean the best, but it usually does mean it’s got a solid reputation, so if you feel more comfortable with a recognisable brand, then pick one of these.
MOBILE-FRIENDLY
Like playing slots on the go? You’re in luck as almost all real money casinos in Canada are available to play directly in your browser on your mobile device. Or in some cases you might find an app version of the casino, which you can download straight onto your cell. These are really useful as they are quicker to access and allow you to load up and start spinning super-quickly! Either way, if you pick a good real money mobile casino, then as long as you’ve got a connection, you can play slots on your mobile device, whenever you like, wherever you are.
REAL MONEY VS FREE CASINOS
There are both real money and free casinos available in Canada. So why pick one over the other? Here’s a quick comparison between the two.
When it comes to real money casinos, there aren’t that many disadvantages, other than the fact you have to play with real money, so expect that you may lose some cash along the way! But on the other hand, you can also win big, there are loads of slots to play for, and the bonuses will help you by giving you more playing time courtesy of the casino.
Free casinos are a bit different. Well, they’re free to play, which is a big plus, and they give you the chance to test new games before spending your own money. But just beware that playing with free money is very different to real money play – you can develop a false sense of winning and confidence and a blaze attitude to losing large amounts – you should be careful not to carry that over to the real thing where winning and losing matter a whole lot more!
REAL MONEY CASINO GAMES
The beauty of playing at a real money casino is that there’s an abundance of games to play. There’s something for every type of player to enjoy, from table classics such as roulette or blackjack to online slots. As you are playing for real money, it’s also the nearest experience you can get to a real casino too.
REAL MONEY SLOT GAMES
If you are visiting our site then of course you are mad about slot games. And there is nothing quite like playing slots at a real money casino. There are so many great games, from classic 3 reel slots to expanding reels Megaways games, high variance monster games, progressives and blockbuster branded movie slots like Terminator or Dark Night Rises, and almost anything else you can think of too. These games are the quickest, easiest and most fun to play in an online casino.
REAL MONEY BLACKJACK
Blackjack is one of the most popular table games on the planet. It is so simple, and with an RTP of 99%, it gives the player a great chance to win. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as you can without busting. There are both RNG (random number generator) and live dealer versions of Blackjack, each offering fair gameplay and both single and multi-hand versions of the game.
REAL MONEY ROULETTE
One of the most glamorous casino games is roulette. It’s a compelling game experience to watch that wheel spin and wait for your winning number come up, and with different versions, including French, European and American, there are lots of permutations of payouts for different types of gamblers. Roulette comes in both RNG and live dealer formats, with Evolution Gaming leading the market for live versions.
REAL MONEY BACCARAT
Another classic table game, the veteran of card classics, baccarat is a staple of Canadian casinos and extremely popular as a real money gambling option. The low house edge and simplicity of the gameplay make this a favourite of both low stakes and high roller gamblers. The live version called Baccarat squeeze is particularly fun to play as the tension builds through the slow reveal of the cards.
LIVE DEALER GAMES
Live dealer tables have been created to give you a truly realistic gambling experience online. Live action is streamed directly to your desktop or mobile from production studios across Canada and Europe, and formats as diverse as classic Blackjacks and Roulettes and Wheel of Fortune-style TV gameshows are available. This is the cutting edge of modern online gambling and not to be missed.
REAL MONEY CASINO BONUSES
Whether it’s an in-game bonus that you get from triggering those slots scatter symbols or the frequent bonuses sent to you from the real money casino, it’s important to make the most of your casino bonuses as they can get your more bang for your buck and more time on the reels.
FREE SPINS
The most common type of slots bonuses, you’ll find free spins everywhere! Not only are you given free spins as a bonus to use on slots games when you join a new casino, but bonus rounds in video slots like Book of Dead will also often trigger free spins too.
MATCH BONUSES
Another common bonus is the match bonus. When you get a match, the casino operator will match your deposit up to the advertised value. For instance, if you deposited $100 when using a 100% match bonus, the casino will give you another $100 on top to use. Match bonuses usually start at 50% but can be as high as 200% or even 500% on occasion for high rollers. If you choose one of these, always be sure to check the terms and conditions of the offers to see what you need to do to qualify and how your bonus can be used, including wagering requirements.
CASHBACKS
Just like it works in the superstores, you can get cash back into your account to use on your favorite slots. Cashback will be calculated as a percentage of your losses, normally based wagering minus wins. So, a 10% cashback for someone who wagered $10,000 and won back $9,500 would be $150 (10% of $1,500). Cashbacks are often reserved for high rollers and VIPs.
VIP BONUSES
The longer you play at a real money casino, the more you’ll be rewarded for your loyalty. Get to VIP status, and you get bonuses that are much bigger and more personal. Almost all casinos will have a VIP program of some kind and will invite their biggest spending players to join. VIPs get perks like non-cash luxury gifts, hospitality event tickets, birthday bonuses, faster withdrawals and personal account management.
BONUS TERMS AND WAGERING REQUIREMENTS
Before trying to get your winnings from playing slots with bonus funds, check out the wagering requirements of your bonus. This will show you how much you need to bet before you can make a withdrawal without forfeiting your winnings. Wagering requirements, and other terms like minimum deposit, maximum bonus, maximum bet with bonus money and game restriction, are all important when it comes to deciding which bonus to use. We list the key terms in all our casino reviews. Make sure you read them before deciding where to play.
REAL MONEY CASINO DEPOSIT OPTIONS
Real money casinos will have a variety of deposit options from traditional debit and credit cards, through eWallets and Pay by Mobile services. Most casinos will advertise payment options in the footer of their sites and publish minimum and maximum deposits and withdrawal times for each. So pick one that suits your requirements.
These are the main options.
CREDIT AND BANK CARDS
You can use your credit or debit cards to make deposits and withdrawals at real money casinos. Any card with Maestro, Mastercard or Visa on it will be accepted at most casinos. Bank cards give the highest deposit and withdrawal limits, though withdrawal processing will take longer than eWallets for example.
EWALLETS
While PayPal might be one of the world’s most popular eWallets, there are loads more to use at real money casinos. Neteller, Skrill, MuchBetter and many more are available. You can transfer funds into your virtual wallet and then fund your casino account with them, or just use your eWallet service to facilitate payments directly from your bank to your casino. The advatage of eWallets is that withdrawals are processed instantly into the wallets. This is the fastest way to get access to your winnings.
MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICES
Using your mobile phone to make payments, either via your phone bill or pay as you go credit, is becoming increasingly popular as more people opt for playing at mobile slots casinos. SMS services like Payforit and BOKU are simple and quick to use, and also very secure because they don’t require the user to share their bank details with the casino operator. The only drawbacks are that these services can’t be used for withdrawals and often have a low daily maximum deposit threshold of around $30.