Types of Bonuses
You can find plenty of information about the variety of different bonuses right here at Bonus Ninja. We’ve got more information on a dedicated casinobonus page. But we’ll just lightly touch on them here to give you an idea of what’s on offer and what sort of options we look at when writing our reviews.
Most bonuses carry some sort of wagering requirement. This means that you will need to wager the bonus through the casino a set number of times.
No deposit bonuses
A very sought-after bonus, a No Deposit Bonus is a reward without needing to make a deposit. The most common variant is probably the Free Spins bonus that are sometimes given as a reward at Canadian online casinos for completing your registration.
A No Deposit Bonus can also be awarded at other times. Usually for completing an action. It can be for logging in or completing a set amount of wagering. Aside from Free Spins, at times you can be given another reward such as Free Bets on a specific game (for example Blackjack).
Reload Bonuses
Probably the best known and most popular in the world of casino. A Reload Bonus (or Deposit Bonus) is a reward given to you in the form of a bonus for making a deposit. Usually you will receive a proportion of your deposit, up to a set amount. For example, you might be rewarded a 50% Reload Bonus up to CA$100. If you make a CA$200 deposit, you’ll be rewarded a CA$100 bonus, giving you a total of CA$300 to play with.
Free Spins
Free Spins are only rewarded on slots. If you are rewarded Free Spins, the most likely scenario is to get them on a specified slot game such as Starburst. You can get Free Spins on a variety of different situations, often rewarded for signing up to a casino. You can also receive Free Spins after making a deposit, logging in or for wagering a specified amount.
Free Bets
Want to know where to find the best Free Bets in Canada? Look no further. We scrounge the online casino world and report back to you. Free Bets can be rewarded on a specific game, or you may be able to use it on any game in the casino. Often rewarded on table games such as Blackjack or Roulette.
When you receive a Free Bet, you’ll need to use it in one go. Occasionally the Free Bet will be given with no wagering requirements. So, any winnings you might receive can be withdrawn.
Cashback
Cashback takes a little of the risk away from placing your bets. Usually in the form of a percentage up to a set amount. For example, you might be told that you will receive 50% Cashback up to CA$100. Usually placed on your losses for the day or some sort of set period. So, in our example, if you are down CA$100 for the day, you’ll be rewarded $50 as Cashback. Usually this is in the form of cash and can be withdrawn or transferred to another product.
Tournament prizes
Online Casinos in Canada often run tournaments. In a tournament, you’ll compete against other players, usually for a special top prize. You might be asked to complete daily tasks, or perhaps climbing the leaderboard is as easy as wagering on your favourite games.
Prizes often include exotic getaways, exclusive events, or massive Casino Bonuses.
Cash rewards
Not the most frequent casino reward, but occasionally if you get lucky you might be able to qualify for a cash reward. A cash reward requires no bonus wagering. You receive it, and can immediately withdraw it, no questions asked. A good example of a cash reward might be as a tournament prize.
The best casino games available
No matter your choice of Casino game, you’ll find an online casino in Canada that will suit your needs. There’s a lot of variety out there. There are hundreds of Canadian casinos and thousands of games. So where do you start? You can start right here at Bonus Ninja! We do all the work, so you don’t need to. Stick with us and we’ll tell you what casinos have the best game offering. Prefer quirky obscure games? We’ll cover that too.
Slot games
Probably the most popular type of casino game in Canada, slots offer endless fun. The popularity of slots comes down to its simplicity. You just click on the play button and the reels start spinning.
Slot games used to be very basic, three-by-three reel mechanical games. But times have changed. Innovative studios like Elk and Yggdrasil have started offering complex storylines and mini games.
Classic
These are the games with a real retro feel. The symbols are usually an array of fruits, you’ll also find bars, cash symbols and the number seven, usually only paying left to right. Click on the “i” button in any slot game to see the paytable (the number of ways a slot pays).
There’s really nothing to this game’ you spin the reels and if they match up, you win. The amount you win depends on the symbol. Some symbols pay higher and some pay less.
Video Slots
Video slots offer better graphics. The vast majority of online slots games are video slots. They started at brick and mortar casinos and were played on video screens rather then the original mechanical version.
Of course, all slots played online are technically video slots. But for the sake of clarity we are referring to 5 by 3 reeled slot games. Video slots tend to offer free spins, mini games and some sort of theme.
Megaways
Megaways slots are a relatively new player to the casino industry. Originally developed by Big Time Gaming, they have allowed other developers to use their concept.
The special things with megaways are the number of ways you can win… literally thousands. This is possible because there aren’t a set number of reels or lines, they can all be expanded by a special random reel modifier.
Progressive Jackpot
This is the type of slot we all dream of winning. Progressive slots can be massive. Basically, a network of casinos all share the jackpot, so every time any player at any of these casinos plays a spin, the money goes towards the jackpot. If a jackpot hasn’t been hit in a while, the jackpot can become huge, often millions of dollars. The Mega Moolah Jackpot often reaches over CA$10 million.
Table games
Nothing else in a casino quite captures the James Bond lifestyle like table games. And there is no reason to get all dressed up and hit a physical casino. You can play table games right there on your preferred device. At home, or on the go, table games are available anytime.
Roulette
Red or black? Even if you aren’t versed in Roulette, you can always make the easy choice. It’s 50/50, well not exactly, but close enough. One of the best things about roulette is your winnings vary based on the odds of your bet. Place a straight up bet (on a single number) and you’ll get 36 times your bet. Yes, the odds may be against you, but what a thrill when you actually hit your number.
Blackjack
Out of all the games you can play at the casino, Blackjack holds one of the lowest house edges. And although it’s no guarantee that you will win, it does mean that if you play a perfect game, you’ll have a better chance of winning than on other casino games. Of course, that will require you learning how to play a perfect game.
Other games
Enter the Table Games’ lobby of most casinos and you’ll see it is mostly made up of Blackjack and Roulette. But a few casinos, especially those specialising in Table Games will offer a few more varieties. You might find Baccarat, Casino War, Craps, Pai Gow or Caribbean Stud. If these are your games of choice, stick with us and we’ll let you know where to play your favourite.
Video Poker
Video Poker is one of those lovely games that combines the best of two games. The strategy is the same as poker, the game play is more similar to slots. It’s best you understand the basic rules of Poker before giving this one a go. Winning hands in Video Poker are the same as in Poker, and you’ll be paid out depending on how good the hand is.
Speciality games
The black sheep of the poker family, the weird uncle who brings his own booze to the wedding. Speciality games are all the games that defy categorisation. This is where you’ll find Bingo, Keno and Scratch Cards. You won’t find them at every casino, but they can add an extra layer of fun to a casino.
Live Dealer
Nothing brings you as closer to a real casino than Live Dealer games. This is quite an expensive product for a casino to offer, so you won’t find it at every casino. Don’t worry though, we’ll let you know where you can find it. At a Live Dealer Casino, you can play Table Games with real dealers, sitting at a table with real players. You can even talk to them via live chat. Usually you’ll find Blackjack and Roulette, but a few casinos will also offer Baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker or Hold'em.
H2: Online casinos vs traditional casinos
There are a few big differences between online and traditional casino. The obvious one being that you can play at an online casino from anywhere you choose. But there are a couple of things you may not have realised.
For one thing, an online casino never closes. Some casinos even offer 24-hour customer support. Online casinos are multi-lingual and accept a variety of payment methods and currencies. There are no rules on eating, smoking or drinking at an online casino and you can wear whatever you like.
One of the biggest benefits of an online casino is that you can actually play a number of the games for free. You can also claim several bonuses. All in all, our vote is definitely for online casinos.
Background of Canadian online casinos
Casinos have come a long way in Canada. Online casinos are gaining popularity by the day. Canada is actually 8th in the world in terms of gambling, with at least 19.3 million Canadians actively gambling in one form or another.
History of Canadian online casinos
Games of chance have been played in Canada for centuries. In the late 19th century gambling was banned, but that didn’t mean that it stopped. Plenty of illegal casinos popped up over the years. Over the years different forms slowly started becoming legal.
The first online casinos started popping up in 1996, during the same year the Mohawk Territory Kahnawake Gaming Commission started to help monitor and regulate casinos. From there on online casinos have become booming business.
Regulations in Canadian casinos
Truth be told, the regulation of online casinos in Canada is somewhat of a grey area. Physical casinos are regulated by province. Online casinos can only be regulated in Canada by the Mohawk Territory Kahnawake Gaming Commission. That being said, online casinos can be operated under a number of international licences and still welcome Canadian players.
The future of Canadian casinos
Generating billions of Canadian dollars a year, online casinos aren’t going anywhere. Every year casinos and design studios offer more and more innovations and game types to keep things exciting. Megaways and Live Dealer are just a few of the ways that casinos have evolved over the year. We are also expecting to see the first Pay N Play Casinos in Canada, a trend that has been immensely popular in Scandinavia. We are excited to see what comes next.
Start playing today
That pretty much covers online Casinos in Canada. We look into all of the above when writing our reviews. We try our best not to leave any stone unturned and listen to any feedback you might have to offer you even better reviews in the future. So, all that’s left for you to do is to have fun and start playing.