Live Dealer Online Casinos in Canada
Online casinos have taken the gambling world by storm in recent decades, but there’s no denying that the online casino experience is missing some of what makes physical brick-and-mortar casinos so appealing. If you’re just looking to play a few hands of blackjack or have a flutter at roulette, a typical online casino experience is a convenient option that delivers everything you need to satisfy your urges. However, if you are looking for the social element of casino gambling – particularly if you’re the kind of person who enjoys sitting at the table with others – live dealer online casinos in Canada could well bridge that gap between standard online games and the more traditional real-world games.
What is a Live Dealer Online Casino?
Essentially, live dealer games work in the same way as other online casino games, but with the exception that the game table is a real table with a real dealer, and they are being live-streamed to your device in real-time. This allows them to interact with players in much the same way they would at a brick-and-mortar casino, with live chat providing a way for players to interact with each other.
Of course, if you are looking for the full authentic in-person casino experience, live casino games will still fall a little short, but they go a long way to bridging that gap between physical casino games and online ones. Fortunately, with faster internet connections becoming increasingly ubiquitous worldwide, live casino games are becoming more prevalent, and the quality of those video streams higher.
Casino Games with Live Dealers
While there is a high (and growing) demand for live casino games, there is a practicality to it that means you won’t find certain games offered in this format, either because they wouldn’t work over a live video stream, or because there is simply no benefit to the experience over a standard online casino game.
One of the most obvious examples of this is slots. Given the cost of having a live video stream—not to mention dedicating a slots machine and the space needed to set it up—the lack of benefit to the player (you’re still just going to be looking at the reels) makes it wildly impractical to offer slots in a live casino format.
Where live casino games shine, however, is in games where there is a human dealer running the show. This includes a range of card games, roulette, craps, sic bo, and even game-show style games like Deal or No Deal, or games that resemble the Wheel of Fortune.
Games like these all present an opportunity for the live dealer to inject a little personality into the experience, making the game feel more like the traditional casino experiences you get at a physical casino. There are several other live casino games we have not mentioned, of course, simply because it would be a big list if we included them all. And it’s a list that keeps growing.
Probably the most popular live casino game at the moment is blackjack, partly because it suits the live casino model so well, but also just because the game is immensely popular in its own right.
Top 10 Online Casinos offering Live Dealer Casino Games
1. Europa Casino
Europa Casino offers a wide range of table games and is willing to sweeten the deal for new players with a host of bonuses and free spins. In particular, your first deposit will benefit from 100 extra spins, though you will have to wager 50x your winnings to withdraw them.
For the live game offerings, Europa Casino covers all the bases, from blackjack to roulette, from sic bo to poker. There are game show-style games and a number of regional options, French and Hindi roulette. There are also demos available for each, so you can check out the game before joining it. You will need to have an account to view the demos, though.
2. 888 Casino
888 Casino is possibly one of the best-known online casinos out there, having been around since 1997. Its collection isn’t the largest, but 888 Casino hasn’t been around for so long without knowing what it’s doing, and you can be sure that what games they do have are worth playing.
Their live offerings cover a range of roulette options, poker, blackjack, and more. New players can benefit from a 100% welcome bonus on their first deposit (up to $100), and there is even a free deposit bonus of $88 for new registrants.
3. Vegas Kings Casino
Vegas Kings Casino has a range of welcome bonuses to entice new players through their metaphorical doors, including a 200% deposit bonus up to a maximum of $400.
Their range of live casino games includes everything you would expect to find in a typical casino, including roulette and blackjack.
4. Wheelz
Wheelz, as the name suggests, is a casino that leans heavily on roulette and similar games, though there is certainly more than just roulette on offer in their live casino section. You will find several blackjack options, craps, mega ball, baccarat, poker, and more.
If you are a new player to Wheelz, you can enjoy a welcome bonus of 20 free spins (subject to 35x wagering requirements), as well as a 100% deposit bonus up to a maximum of $300.
5. Ice36 Casino
Ice36 is another live dealer casino Canada has to offer that provides a generous welcome bonus. You can get a 200% deposit bonus up to a maximum of $350, subject to a 60x wagering requirement within 30 days of claiming the bonus.
As for their live casino options, you can, of course, find plenty of roulette options, a cornucopia of blackjack tables, several baccarat games, and a host of other live table and game show games, like craps and deal or no deal.
6. Casino-X
If you’re looking for something a little different, Casino-X has a few alternatives for you, which is not to say the old standards aren’t there. You can certainly find plenty of roulette, blackjack, poker, and other popular table games, but there are also options like Top Card and Monopoly Live, as well as variations on classics, like Lightning Roulette and Infinite Blackjack.
If you’re new to Casino-X, you can take advantage of their generous 200% deposit bonus up a maximum amount of $2,000, as well as 200 free spins on their Pink Elephants game. Your free spins will be subject to a 20x wagering requirement, however.
7. Bet Hard
Bethard is another casino that offers new players a 100% welcome deposit bonus, this time up to a maximum of $200. There is a 20x wagering requirement on this bonus before you can withdraw it, however. It is also possible to claim up to 250 free spins on a small selection of their games.
Their live casino section boasts everything you would hope to find, with many popular games provided by Evolution Gaming, which supplies live games for some of the other casinos on this list. You can play card game favourites, craps, roulette, and a range of live games like Mega Ball and Dream Catcher.
8. 21.com
While 21.com’s live casino offerings may seem unremarkable at first glance when compared to other casinos on this list (though by no means a poor selection), it is their hefty welcome bonus that has helped them get a spot on this list.
New players will be able to take advantage of a range of welcome bonuses by using promo codes when making deposits. All in, a total of $1,000 in welcome bonuses can be claimed, with a wagering requirement of 50x and a maximum cashout of $250.
9. Spin Casino
Spin Casino offers a few welcome bonuses that, if taken advantage of, can see new players benefit from $1,000 in deposit bonuses. These bonuses are subject to a 70x wagering requirement, however. You can also benefit from 100 bonus spins.
In Spin Casino’s live section, you will find roulette, blackjack, baccarat, Dream Catcher, poker, Dragon Tiger, and more.
10. Arcane Bet
With ArcaneBet, you can get up to $300 in deposit bonuses when you first sign up, with a 17.5x wager requirement and 30 days to take advantage of it. You can also get 100 free spins on their Book of Dead game.
Their live games casino section offerings cover all the bases, but also offer a few interesting twists on the old standards, such as double ball roulette.
Conclusion
Live dealer online casinos undoubtedly bring online players closer to the traditional casino experience, and with the underlying technologies constantly evolving and improving, there is no reason to believe these experiences won’t continue to get more immersive, offering a more authentic slice of traditional casino life.
When choosing from live dealer online casinos, there is no special trick to picking the casino itself; just find a reputable casino that offers the payment options that suit you and the games you want to play. The actual quality of the live games may vary between casinos, but you will usually be able to find demo videos to give you an idea of what you’re getting.