If you’re looking for a top-notch live dealer casino Canada, you’ll find a list of the best options in this article! You’ll get to know how to play live dealer games in an online casino and why so many people love them. You’ll discover in which way live dealer games differ from table games and which kind of entertainment better suits your tastes. You’ll find out how to access live dealer games from a mobile device and which payment methods you can use to make stakes. Plus, this article includes a list of the most popular questions about gambling in an online live casino and answers to them. After reading this text, you’ll be able to choose the best gambling platform with live dealers that caters to Canada. You’ll learn how to make the most of this type of game, minimize risks and maximize your odds to win real cash.
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What Is Live Casino Games?
Live dealer games resemble table games. The main difference consists in the presence or absence of a real dealer. When you see a young smiling dealer on the screen of your computer or smartphone, you get an illusion of playing in a brick-and-mortar casino. You experience much more vivid emotions and you can enjoy communication with a real human.
The live dealer table is located in a brick-and-mortar venue in a country whose legislation approves of gambling. It’s the game provider and not the casino that hires the dealers. Each table can accommodate a certain maximum number of players. If you want to play with a certain dealer but they are not available, it might mean that they are not online now or have gathered the maximum number of clients. When the dealer is available, they are supposed to do the following things:
- Deal the cards, toss the dice, spin the wheel of the roulette or monopoly
- Comment on the gambling process
- Let you know when you win or lose
- Smile and create a positive atmosphere
The dealer can’t see you or hear what you say — but you can see and hear them very well. If you want to say something to the dealer, you can send them a text message. The dealer might read your message out loud or just answer your question without reading it. Not only you but all the players who are currently watching this dealer will hear what they say. Many casinos encourage their dealers to actively talk to players. Such an approach helps gamblers to establish a deep emotional bond with the platform.
You can be sitting alone in your bedroom, dressed in old pajamas — but you’ll get a superb aesthetic and emotional experience. That’s the main secret of live dealers games’ appeal.
Each card that the dealer uses has a microchip attached to it. Thanks to the chip, you see a digital card on your screen when the dealer gives a physical card to you. The camera is always focused on the dealer’s hands, so it becomes impossible to cheat.
Today, some live dealer studios start to use VR and AR technologies. For instance, a dealer might be working in a room whose walls are painted gray. But thanks to AR, you’ll see picturesque landscapes behind the dealer’s back. Every day, there will be a new landscape. Or, you can see the fictional mascot of the game walking around the room. Game providers who already use this technology get a competitive edge over their competitors.
Below, we’ll briefly explain the rules of the most popular live casino games.
Live Roulette
A horizontal wheel is spinning. A small ball is jumping from one cell of the wheel to another. You need to guess the number and the color of the cell where the ball falls when the wheel stops. The roulette can be available in three varieties: European, American and French.
Live Poker
A horizontal wheel is spinning. A small ball is jumping from one cell of the wheel to another. You need to guess the number and the color of the cell where the ball falls when the wheel stops. The roulette can be available in three varieties: European, American and French.
Live Blackjack
You get two cards, and each card has a certain value. To win, you should collect 21 points or as close to this number as possible. If you get 22 points or more, you lose. The most popular varieties of Blackjack are Classic, European, Vegas Strip, Spanish 21 and Atlantic City.
Live Baccarat
This game is similar to Blackjack but you need to get 9 points or as close to this number as possible. You can try to build winning strategies but the outcome will largely depend on luck. The most popular varieties of Baccarat are Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer and Mini.
Live Dealer Casino Texas Hold Em
This is one of the most popular varieties of poker. Each player gets two cards. The dealer places five community cards face-up. Players can use these cards to make the best possible five-card hand. A standard 52-card pack is used for this game. The best poker hand wins the pot.
Live Monopoly
This game resembles roulette but the wheel is vertically-mounted. You need to guess the segment the wheel stops at after the spin. Some segments might contain bonuses, such as cash wins or multipliers. It’s impossible to build a winning strategy or hone skills that would increase your odds to win.
Live Craps
The dealer tosses two dice. Each round consists of two phases, called Come Out and Point. Depending on which number you see on the top surface of the dice, your bet can either pass the line or fail to pass it. The outcome of this game depends on pure luck.
How to Play Online Casino Games With A Live Dealer
To play live dealer games in an online casino, you should do the following:
- Select a licensed and reputable gambling platform
- Read its terms and conditions
- Sign up for it
- Verify your identity with copies of your private documents
- Choose a payment method and deposit cash
- Get the welcome bonus
- Select a live dealer game that you like the most and start playing
This step-by-step guide is valid for casino desktop and mobile websites. If you want to gamble in a casino app, you should download it first and then sign up for it. Or, you might want to sign up for a casino in the desktop format and then log in to this casino’s app with your desktop login and password. The rules of most gambling platforms prohibit creating duplicate accounts. Normally, you should be allowed to register only one account per person, email, phone number, IP and postal address. It doesn’t matter whether you sign up on your computer or through your mobile device: the main thing is to always type in the same user data when signing in.
Tips for Live Dealer Casino Games
When you try your luck at live dealer casino games, you might want to remember the following recommendations:
- Make sure your Internet connection is quick and stable. That’s especially important for mobile players. If the quality of your connection is substandard, you might not be able to either play live games at all or enjoy them to the max.
- Read attentively the rules of each game. As was said above, most games are available in multiple varieties. You should opt for a variety whose rules you remember very well.
- Get to know the house edge and the RTP of each game. The RTP acronym stands for “return to player.” This term denotes the ratio of funds that the casino distributes among players. The term “house edge” denotes the ratio of funds that the casino keeps as its commission. The higher the RTP of a game and the lower its house edge, the better for the gambler. Please mind that different varieties of a game might have different RTPs. For instance, the house edge of the French Roulette is twice as little as that of its European or American counterparts. That’s why some online casinos feature only American and European Roulettes but not French.
- Set limits. Before placing your first bet, you should decide how much time and funds you can afford to spend on gambling each week. Some casinos allow their clients to set limits in their user profiles. For instance, you want to spend no more than $100 on games each week. Once you reach this limit, the system won’t allow you to place bets until next week. On some gambling platforms, you might be able to set your time and expenditure limits right in the registration form.
- Use bonuses. We’ll talk about bonuses in detail in one of the next passages of this article.
- Build strategies in those games where it is possible. Strategies are essential for all varieties of poker. You might also need to make some intellectual effort while playing blackjack and baccarat. The outcome of all the other liver dealer games depends only on luck. On the Internet, you might find articles that suggest “strategies” for craps or roulette. In fact, these are not strategies but tips on how to behave rationally and avoid spending too much money.
- Try to avoid falling in love with a dealer. This piece of advice might sound a bit funny — but players might have romantic feelings for their dealers. In this case, they might start to spend more time and funds in the casino than they planned initially. Dealers strive to be as charming as they can — but they are not allowed to develop relationships with clients. Moreover, they can’t even see you! It’s good when you enjoy the virtual company of a nice lady or gentleman — but you should remember that it’s their job.
Now, let’s discuss the financial aspects of live dealer gambling. When playing slots, you should be able to try them in free demo mode, without putting real cash at stake. You’ll be playing with virtual coins that have no real-life value. You won’t be able to lose a single cent or withdraw your winnings. That’s an ideal approach for gamblers with little experience who want to figure out how the machines function. Unfortunately, most live dealer games lack this opportunity. To optimize your expenses, you might want to remember the following recommendations.
First, you might want to practice on table games. There, you’ll have higher chances of coming across the free trial mode. For instance, if you have never played blackjack, you can launch it without a live dealer and play for virtual coins. When you realize you understand this game well, you can switch to the live dealer format.
Second, start with the lowest stakes. If the game allows you to place a bet of 0.1 cents, use this chance! As you become more confident, you can start to gradually increase your stakes.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to make the most of live dealer games!
Comparing Live Dealer Games Vs. Online Casino Games
Live Dealer Games | Online Casino Games | |
You see a live person on the screen | Yes | No |
You get an illusion of gambling in a brick-and-mortar casino | Yes | No |
Available in desktop and mobile formats | Yes | Yes |
You can win real cash | Yes | Yes |
You can launch the game right in your browser | Yes | Yes |
The outcome of games mostly depends on luck and not on your skills | Yes | Yes |
Live Casino Software for Canada
Top online casinos buy games from well-known providers. The following four developers have probably the best live dealer studios:
- NetEnt. This company is based in Sweden and Malta. It has been around for two decades and has released over 200 games.
- PlayTech. This one was founded in 1992. Now, it has 170 global licenses and 6,400 employees.
- Evolution Gaming. It was launched in 2006, released its first mobile game in 2012 and acquired NetEnt in 2020.
- Microgaming. The headquarters of this brand is located on the Isle of Man. It claims to have created the first online casino software in the world in 1994.
These brands hire the most charismatic male and female dealers as well the most talented and experienced engineers. Each of the titles they release is a small piece of art with a unique design and user-friendly interface. Their games have flexible settings and offer players good odds to win. No matter which game you launch, you’ll experience an immense adrenaline rush — and if you’re lucky, you might receive a very generous cash prize.
Compatibility of Live Dealer Games with Mobile Devices
One of the most important competitive edges of live dealer games today is their compatibility with mobile devices. Around a decade ago, when mobile gambling was just taking off, only slots and table games were available on smartphones. It took some time for live dealers to adapt to this format because live broadcasts require more bandwidth. Today, you should be able to launch live dealer games on your mobile device just as effortlessly as on a stationary computer.
The interface of each game adapts to the compact size of the smartphone screen. You can clearly see the dealer and it should be easy for you to push the buttons. The rules and the RTP of the games remain identical in desktop and mobile formats. If you access a live game through a casino’s mobile website, you won’t need to download any additional software on your device. If you prefer an app, you’ll need to download it — but you won’t be required to install any dedicated live games software.
Bonuses at Live Dealer Casinos for Canadian Players
To cut down expenses and increase your odds to win, you might want to use online casino promotions. You should be able to get the welcome bonus immediately after registration. Depending on the rules of the casino, you might have one day, or one week, or the whole year to claim it. Then, you’ll have a few days or weeks to wager the bonus.
A typical welcome bonus consists of an increase of your deposit and free spins for a popular slot. You can spend extra cash on any type of game, including live dealers. Some casinos might offer a free bet for a live game as a part of the welcome bonus but that would be a rare case. Sometimes, the welcome bonus might apply to not one but several consecutive deposits. The percentage of the deposit increase might vary depending on the sum of the deposit: the more you deposit, the more extra cash you get (up to a certain limit).
Normally, you can’t use two or more bonuses simultaneously. Once you’ve used the welcome package, you might try to benefit from a reload bonus. To get such a gift, you should deposit cash meeting specific conditions: on a certain day of the week, through a certain payment system, with a certain minimum sum. When you meet these requirements, you’ll get some extra cash on your gambling balance.
Apart from reload bonuses, you can win prizes in tournaments. Most tournaments are dedicated to slots — but you might find the ones where you can play live dealer games. Each tournament lasts for a few days or weeks. Only selected games participate in it. You need to play these games for real cash and try to win as frequently as you can. The names of those players who have managed to accumulate the highest score will be added to the leaderboard. When the tournament ends, all the members from the leaderboard will get prizes. The higher your position in the rating, the more generous the prize.
When wagering bonuses, you should pay attention to the contribution of different types of games. It should be mentioned in the rules of the promotional offer and on the Terms and Conditions page. Typically, slots have the highest contribution, 100%. The contribution of live dealer games might vary significantly depending on the exact game, variety of game and its provider. Sometimes, the wagering contribution of a title might be as little as 5%. And if you try to wager a bonus in a game with 0% contribution, you might lose the gift at all and might not be able to restore it.
When you get extra cash thanks to a bonus, you won’t be allowed to withdraw it immediately. You’ll need to wager it according to the terms of the offer. If you request a withdrawal before having fully wagered the bonus, you would lose both the gift and the winnings that you’ve made thanks to it.
Some bonuses might have geographical limitations. Before signing up for an online casino, you should glance through its terms and conditions to make sure it gives bonuses to Canadian players.
Apart from bonus systems, most gambling platforms have loyalty programs, also known as VIP programs. They rely on the gamification principle and consist of at least three tiers. Each tier has a catchy name, such as Bronze/Silver/Gold, or the Magician/the King/the Emperor. To increase your rank, you should gamble actively for real cash and get loyalty points. You might receive 1 point for a certain sum you spend on bets regardless of the type of the game. Or, the number of points you get might vary depending on the type of the game. Some games might fail to contribute to the loyalty program.
Certain live dealer games might fail to contribute to the loyalty program and might have low wagering contributions for a very simple reason. Their house edge is much lower than that of slots. This means you might be able to win more money in a live dealer game than in any other type of entertainment! But of course, the outcome will depend on luck.
To become a VIP member of an online casino, you might not need to do anything special. Just sign up and deposit cash — and you’ll automatically join the lowest rank of the program. Your VIP rank will be increasing if you gamble regularly — and if you take long breaks or spend little cash on the platform, it might decrease.
Here are just a few examples of privileges that you might expect to receive as a VIP player:
- Personalized bonuses
- Invitations to exclusive online and offline events
- Assistance of a personal manager
- Higher withdrawal limits
- Accelerated withdrawals
- Opportunity to test the newest and the highest-paying games earlier than anyone else
- Cars, phones, computers and other valuable prizes
Also, VIP players can receive monthly or weekly cashback. It can be calculated as a percentage of what you spent or what you lost in the casino in the previous month or week. If you won more than spent or lost, you might fail to receive any cashback. Some games might fail to qualify for cashback, so please double-check the terms and conditions of your gambling platform.
Live Casino Deposits and Withdrawals Methods
Casinos that legally cater to Canada normally accept Canadian dollars. You’ll be required to indicate your preferred currency when filling in the registration form. If you indicate one currency but use another one to place bets, you’ll need to pay a conversion fee for each financial transaction. Please be careful because you might not be allowed to modify your default currency after registration.
In most casinos, you have only one gambling balance for all types of entertainment. After you deposit, you can spend money either on live dealers or any other games. Most Canadian online casinos accept the following payment methods:
- Visa. Most probably, you have a Visa card that you use for everyday shopping. When making your first deposit, you’ll need to type in the payment details of your card in the casino’s Cashier section. Probably, the gambling platform will remember your payment credentials and you won’t need to introduce them manually each time. When you withdraw the winnings to a credit or debit card, you might be able to receive funds in a couple of hours or in a couple of days.
- MasterCard. You might be able to use this card only for deposits but not withdrawals. Typically, you’ll be required to withdraw the winnings through the same card that you used for deposits. This is a popular measure for preventing money laundering and other types of fraud. After you deposit with a MasterCard, you should discuss withdrawal opportunities with the casino support team.
- PayPal. This safe and convenient system enables you to link your cards or bank accounts to it. When making a deposit, you won’t need to share your card or account number with the casino.
- Skrill. This payment system resembles PayPal. The main difference that you should consider is the commissions that you’ll need to pay when carrying out financial transactions.
- Neteller. This solution is similar to PayPal and Skrill. When it comes to casino deposits and withdrawals, most online payment systems offer more or less identical conditions. But if you use them for some other type of financial transaction, their rules and fees might differ significantly.
- iDEAL. This payment method has the same benefits as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller. First of all, it’s quick withdrawals: you might be able to receive your winnings the same day when you request them. Second, online payment systems offer low minimum limits for deposits and withdrawals. On the flipside, their maximum withdrawal limits might not be too high.
- PaySafe. When using this option, you won’t need to reveal your payment credentials to the casino. You purchase a PaySafeCard and insert its data in the cashier section of the gambling platform. If you win, you won’t be able to withdraw your prize to the PaySafeCard and will need to choose another payment option.
No matter which of these payment options you choose, deposits should be instant.
Some casinos accept bank transfers. The popularity of this payment method has been decreasing because it has high minimum withdrawal limits and financial transactions are very slow. Deposits and withdrawals might take up for a week.
The popularity of cryptocurrencies, on the contrary, has been increasing. The main drawback of this payment option consists in the fact that you need to know how to purchase cryptocurrencies. Very few casinos enable you to buy crypto right from their sites. Most likely, they would redirect you to crypto exchanges that they have partnered with. There, you should be able to purchase crypto using fiat money from your regular bank card.
Crypto deposits are not instant. Blockchains need some time to process transactions. The busier the network and the larger the sum you’re trying to deposit, the longer you might need to wait. However, top casinos might allow you to start gambling as soon as the blockchain confirms the transaction (this should happen nearly instantly).
The exchange rates of crypto to fiat money might fluctuate drastically within a very short time. When you deposit crypto, the casino will fix its exchange rate and it won’t fluctuate anymore. When you make your next crypto deposit, the casino will fix its rate on its current exchange level.
Cryptocurrencies usually have more flexible deposit and withdrawal limits than fiat money. If you hit the jackpot, you might be able to withdraw it in one go. But make sure to double-check the commission of the network before withdrawing funds: the busier the blockchain is, the higher fee you might need to pay.
When choosing an optimal payment method, you should check the casino’s Promotions pages. You might get bonuses for using certain payment systems. Or, some payment methods might be exempt from certain promotional offers.
Some casinos don’t charge fees for processing their customers’ financial transactions. Others might charge a fee if you exceed certain limits — for instance, request a third withdrawal in a row without making a deposit. Most payment systems will charge you a fee for carrying out financial transactions. It’s up to you to get to know about such fees because it’s not the casino’s sphere of responsibility.