Although the online casino industry has been up and running in Canada for some time now, it took a while to get there. The growing popularity of online games had gotten many Canadians wondering when it all started and how it came to this. That’s why we’ve decided to tackle the long-lasting question of the online casino industry’s evolution in Canada. If you’re interested to learn more, keep reading.
Legalization at Provincial Levels
As you may know, Canada has ten provinces, and online casinos fall under provincial governance. Each province has the power to regulate online gambling and sports betting. The first one to legalize online casinos was British Columbia in 2004, followed by Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. Interestingly, Nova Scotia is the last province to legalize single-event wagering in 2022.
With the legalization of gambling and sports wagering, more Canadians started accessing online casinos, thus creating a higher demand for such sites.
Wider Acceptance
It was hard to say what Canada’s online gambling scene would look like in the future 15 years ago. Most people avoided joining any online sites due to a justified fear of being prosecuted for illegal activities. However, as more people came to understand the legality of online gambling in Canada, they started exploring.
The legal grey area in Canada enabled people to look into offshore gambling platforms, sites like Mega casino Canada, and more. Now, sites regulated by the MGA, UKGC, and similar well-known jurisdictions are widespread among Canadian gambling fans. The sites are licensed and safe, and players can enjoy high-end games.
Rise of Mobile Gaming
As technology advanced, gambling on computers became a nuisance. After 2010, more than 50% of gamblers turned to mobile play. You can read more about that phenomenon here. The convenience of playing your favourite casino game from an Android or iOS device trumped the need to sit at home in front of a bigger screen.
Besides convenience, mobile casinos do not come up short in performance compared to their desktop counterparts. The range of games is the same, the quality is up to par, and the speed is unprecedented. What’s more, people can access any game or sports betting site while waiting in line or stuck in traffic, thus adding a bit of fun to everyday activities.
Larger Transparency and Security
Before online gaming took the form it has today, many people avoided joining such sites, as they considered them murky and untrustworthy. Luckily, the industry became more transparent over time, especially as it got more popular. Fraudulent casino sites couldn’t slide by regulated sites anymore, and the era of safe online gambling started.
Now, every trustworthy casino features a gambling licence, set of security measures like SSL encryption, firewalls, password protection, and even two-factor authentication. Increased security and transparency gave Canadians more reasons to gamble online and explore a different form of fun. Moreover, players can read the company’s policy before joining to make sure everything is in order or even take necessary defensive steps themselves. Read more about that in this article.
Personalization Acts
As online casinos and sports betting sites gained popularity in Canada, more operators decided to adjust their sites to suit the market. That means online casinos have personalized their services and started offering CAD payments, local banks as payment options, language changes, and more to cater to Canadians.
Operators take it even further with bonuses, promotions, and other benefits. This has enabled casinos to provide promotional offers that suit Canadians and their tastes. This is how every player feels special and experiences a personalized approach to gaming.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it took a while for Canadians to accept online gambling and sports betting as safe online practices. However, the step-by-step evolution of gambling has enabled more widespread and transparent access to online casinos, putting the days of untrustworthy gaming behind us. As long as you stick to top-tier online casinos approved by renowned jurisdictions, you shouldn’t have any problems gambling online in Canada.
