Peter Smith
Online casinos vary in the security they provide. Yet with a few quick checks, players can ensure they get the safest operator for their needs.
How do you check if a website is safe? Do you look at the URL, let the browser do it for you, or just dive straight in? If that website is using your financial details, and you are playing cash games, then the risk increases. Online gambling in Canada, and finding the safest operators, is tough due to the varied laws between provinces. Yet there are some universal checks that everyone can take to ensure they get the right platform for themselves.
Check for Licensing
Licensing is the first step for anyone wanting to spot a safe online casino. Unfortunately, this varies on a provincial level in Canada, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all rule for the type of licensing you must abide by.
Ontario has the largest regulated market, with the most providers operating under the jurisdiction of iGaming Ontario. Any provider here will be as safe as they come, as they have to abide by the strict rules and regulations set out by the government board. This includes rules on fair play, transparency, data security and responsible gambling. Thus, players can check trustworthy official reviews of the safest online casinos in Canada that are regulated by this board, and be safe int he choices they make.
Alberta is also currently rolling out its own regulated market and will have similar boards in place soon. Many other provinces have a sole operator licensed by the provincial government, often PlayNow. Like Ontario's regulated casinos, this will offer the same benefits. Where it gets hard to identify is that many of these provinces don’t prevent people from going to offshore casinos.
Offshore casinos are where it gets complex. They should hold licenses from global bodies, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the Curacao Gaming Control Board. Even then, you should do some research into them by checking reviews and online forums. If possible, try to stick to regulated operators.
Well-Known Payment Methods
Gambling companies actually fall under the banner of high-risk payment merchants. This is due to the amount of chargebacks, transactions, and the possibility of fraud. Other industries on this list may surprise you, such as furniture retailers. Regardless, gateways need to know the company they are working with is legitimate and trustworthy, so well-known payment options are a good indicator of how safe they are.
Credit and debit cards are still a very popular method of payment in Canada. You may find that some banks restrict transactions using these methods, and they may take longer for withdrawals. The alternatives are modern e-payment wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The downsides are that they often charge high transaction fees.
Lastly, many still accept bank transfer. This is the slowest method, but often the most secure. If you don’t want to give a company your financial details, then it is a great option.
Commitment to Safer Gambling
Around 1.6% of Canadian gamblers are at moderate to severe risk of showing problems related to gambling. Oddly, those from lower-income households are less likely to gamble than those from higher-income households, though those who do are more at risk of developing problems.
It is in the best interest of licensed operators to commit to safer gambling. Increases and epidemics in society mean that rules and regulations on them tighten, restricting advertising, increasing administration and licensing requirements and generally cutting into profits. Thus, safe platforms should display plenty of warnings about how to gamble safely and responsibly.
Many will also have built-in features to help. This can include deposit limits, restrictions on playing time and even self-exclusion schemes. Links should also be provided to problem gambling assistance, which may be localized or country-wide.
The Quality of Games
The best providers will not just have a range of games, but also well-known ones. Just like video games, iGaming has its own franchises and well-known developers. Would you buy a games console if it didn’t have games like Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider or Call of Duty, or developers like UbiSoft, EA or Rockstar? Chances are you wouldn’t even look at it, and iGaming is no different.
Major franchises include titles like Book of Dead, Big Bass Fishin and Rainbow Riches. If a platform doesn’t have them, it does not mean they are not worth your time. However, they should have games by the major developers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Evolution Gaming and a host of others. This also applies to their table games, live casino and crash gaming titles.
Thus, for finding the best operators, start with licensing. Get this right, and it can do the bulk of the work for you. Dive into the payment methods, and check that the game selection is from well-known providers. Safer gambling is paramount, so understanding how a platform deals with and ultimately cares about this is a good reflection on how it does business.
Peter Smith
