Beginners Guide
What’s the Best Site for You?
When deciding on where to play casino games it pays to do a little research first. Consider some of the following questions when making up your mind.
Is the casino legitimate and trustworthy? There are a few “rogue” casinos out there, and you need to be extra careful to ensure you don’t fall prey to one. Start by doing a little research first. Check to make sure the casino you’re thinking of joining is a member of a trusted regulatory body like eCOGRA or TST. To save yourself time, you can also check our recommended casinos page and our comprehensive list of safe casinos (and how to find them).
Does it accept transactions in Canadian dollars? If the answer to this question is no, you may have trouble getting your money on and off the site without losing out on currency conversions with each transaction.
Does it have 24/7 support for Canadian players? If you need assistance outside of normal business hours, it will be a big help if your chosen casino offers round the clock support. For Canadian players, it’s also important that they speak French and English.
How do I sign in?
Downloading Your Casino Software
Downloading the casino’s software is generally the preferred method to play as it makes the games run faster and more responsively. As such, almost all online casinos make it very easy to download their software and install it on your computer.
You can do this via your chosen casino’s homepage, usually by following a download button or link. After you download the “client”, run the file and follow the on-screen prompts to set up the casino software on your computer. Once it’s installed you can run the program, which will open the casino. Make sure to save it to your desktop, to make it easy to access for future use.
Note, all reputable Canadian online casinos will offer you their software for free. If they charge a download fee, then move on to somewhere else. Also, there’s no need to worry about viruses with the casino software, provided you’re playing at a trusted casino such as one of our recommended casinos. If you’re curious to know more, you can learn about the different casino software providers on our dedicated page.
For more information on how to download the casino software check out our downloadable casinos page.
Playing Without Downloading
Most casinos these days also provide you with the option to play directly from your browser, without having to download any software. For this option, Flash software is used to operate the games, and is often referred to as instant play (because it’s instantly accessible from the website).
The advantages to this mode of play are that you can play from anywhere, or wherever you chose to download. It’s also an excellent alternative if you don’t feel comfortable having the casino software on your computer. Plus it’s perfect for many Mac users, whose computers aren’t always compatible with the downloadable versions of a casino.
The minor disadvantages of using the browser-based software is that some games won’t perform as well in terms of speed and responsiveness to your controls. Also, some casinos don’t have as large a choice of games offered in Flash as the full download version.
Mobile Casinos
Increasingly, Canadians are moving their online casino play to the mobile sphere. As such, most of our recommended casinos feature mobile apps that make it possible to take slots and table games on the road on a smartphone or tablet device.
If you’re curious how to get started, there are a few ways to play on mobile devices. Many casinos now feature downloadable apps that can be used on either an iPhone or Android. The download link can be found on the casino’s website, in the app store, or in some cases, will be sent to you via SMS text message after submitting your phone number.
Other mobile casinos are available for streaming through your mobile browser, just like the standard Flash casino. For more information and a bit of inspiration, check out our review of mobile casinos.
Free Games
It’s always a good idea to try your luck and play free casino games before you take the plunge and play for real money. First and foremost, it’s a great way to see if the casino’s software suits you. Plus, it helps you get the hang of a game before you put up real money stakes.
Keep in mind, however, not all games have a free play mode. For example some slot games can only be played for real money (usually the progressive slots), but you should still be able to find a decent variety of free games to play at your chosen casino.
Support
All of our recommended casinos offer exceptional support for their customers, including Canadian players. This means 24/7 live chat and phone support, and of course an option for email.
Conclusion
Obviously, there’s a lot you need to know to make an informed decision when choosing an online casino. That’s why we’ve done the legwork for you. Keep our above tips in mind whenever you come across a new casino, and certainly before making a deposit. Beyond that, if you have any doubts or need further guidance, work your way through our casino reviews and compare for yourself, which casinos seem like the best fit for your needs.
