Canada is gradually embracing the online casino culture, from Quebec and Manitoba to BC and Nova Scotia. The only province yet to legalize online gambling is Saskatchewan. And still, to be clear, it allows its residents to bet at offshore websites.
So, what’s driving the popularity of online casino games in Canada? It’s a cheap way to have fun online. And if you’re lucky, you can win some decent cash. Below is an outlook of the most popular casino games in the Great White North.
Video Slots
Video slots are arcade-style games of chance. They feature three to seven reels on a virtual video screen. When you spin these reels and trigger three or more paying symbols, you win real money.
Online slots Canada come in many types, but they are all simple to play. You place a bet and spin the reels hoping to activate paying symbols. Sometimes you’re lucky. Sometimes you’re not. All the same, these games provide a quick way to have fun with little involvement.
How much can you win from a video slot? It depends. Choose a high paying game and you could win regularly. Select a low-RTP machine and you won’t have a lot of luck. In case you’re wondering, these are some of the most popular video slots in Canada:
- Bonanza
- Wolf Gold
- Book of Dead
- Starburst
- Gonzo’s Quest
Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpots are like video slots except for one thing: They have a grand prize that increases with time. It could start at $10,000 or $1M. But it increases every time people play and fail to win.
Mega Moolah is the most famous progressive jackpot in Canada. It’s turned several Canucks into overnight millionaires, including one lucky mobile player that won C$7.5M in 2015. Its jackpot starts at $1M and goes up to $20M.
Unfortunately, progressive jackpots aren’t the best-paying games at casinos. They focus on paying out large chunks of money from time to time instead of paying small amounts regularly. So, if you have to play these games, play to win their jackpots.
Poker
When most people mention poker, they talk about Texas Hold’em. It’s the most famous type of poker in the world. And it’s easy to see why. Unlike most games, Texas Hold’em is a game of skill. So, if you can perfect your skills, you can win consistently.
Texas Hold’em aside, you can also play Omaha Hi and Hi-Lo, Card Stud, 7-Card Stud, HORSE, Caribbean and 5-Card Draw. Some of these poker variants are easier to learn than Texas Hold’em. And they have unique rules.
However, Texas Hold’em is the game to play if you want to be a consistent winner. To expound more, it’s a game you can perfect. And with perfection comes the ability to beat others often. And isn’t that the goal of every card player?
Blackjack
Blackjack is another popular card game you can’t miss at Canadian online casinos. It’s a game of luck but you can use strategies like card counting, progressive betting and the basic blackjack strategy to win.
That said, you play blackjack with a casino dealer. That’s one of the reasons it’s so popular—because people feel proud to play the game with casino employees. It’s also simple to play. All you need is to form a hand whose value is closest to or equals twenty-one.
The way it works is that you get two cards, the same as the dealer. You can see one of the dealer’s cards, which helps you decide whether to ask for another card (hit) or stand. As mentioned, your objective is to hit twenty-one, at which point you win.
With that in mind, blackjack also comes in many types. There’s the classic type. And there are Vegas Strip, Blackjack Switch, Spanish 21 and European blackjack. Like poker, many blackjack variants have unique rules to lower the house advantage or to increase your winning potential.
Roulette
Also known as the devil’s game, roulette is a game of chance involving a wheel and a paytable. The wheel features numbers 0 through 36. Numbers one to 36 are labelled black or red and are arranged into an inside and outside sections of the wheel.
The number zero (0) in European roulette and double zero (00) in American roulette are labelled green. These numbers are the reason why casinos have an advantage over players. For example, betting black/red isn’t a 50/50 guess but 47%.
Roulette comes in three main types: French, European and American roulette. French roulette has the best odds of winning, especially when placing even money bets. That’s because of two rules—La Partage and En Prison—that provides half of your stake if the wheel lands on number zero or gives you a second chance to bet.
With that in mind, European roulette is the most common variant at online casinos. In contrast, American roulette has the worst odds of all variations, which is why many experts believe you should always avoid it.
Video Poker
Contrary to popular belief, Video Poker isn’t like many poker types. It’s a different game that mainly relies on luck. Precisely, it features a video screen through which you receive five cards at random.
After that, you can exchange one or all cards to form a better hand. If you form a winning hand, you win. For clarity, video poker features the same hands used in regular poker—two of a kind, three of a kind, straight, flush all the way to the royal flush.
Other Games
Most casinos have hundreds of games, so we can’t mention them all. But some notable titles include baccarat, which is James Bond’s favourite game. Then there’s Keno, often regarded as one of the worst casino games.
Some sites also feature bingo and lotto games. Others have scratch cards that let you know whether you’ve won or lost instantly. Some less known games include Sic Bo, Deal or No Deal and Football Dream Catcher. Some of these less-popular games are pretty exciting and are worth checking out.
