Top Canadian Casinos With Live Dealers

What Are Live Casino Games and How Do They Work?

For players who are relatively new to playing at online casinos, an explanation of what exactly live dealer casino games are is a good place for us to begin.

While casino games like roulette typically see the outcome of a spin of the wheel decided by a computer algorithm, with live dealer games there is a real human in charge of the game.

The live dealer will physically spin the wheel, giving players a chance to see the outcome for themselves, so there is no doubt whatsoever over whether live dealer games are legit.

When users play a live casino game, they also have the chance to chat with the live dealer. Live dealer casino games often have a chat box where questions and comments can be typed in for the dealer to see via a screen in their studio. Often, this means that the best live dealer games are a much more social experience than other types of casino games.

Popular live dealer games include casino classics such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat. However, live online casinos are getting more creative with the types of live dealer game that they have available to play, with lots of innovation happening in this part of the industry.

Players can test out a live dealer game in a few ways, with some sites having a demo mode. There is also the chance to use free spins and other betting bonuses on live dealer games.

Many sites have live dealer casinos offer to use too, though wagering requirements and other terms and conditions are likely to be in place even at a casino with live dealers.

Live Casino and Land-Based Casinos: Key Differences

Those with no experience of playing with live dealers might be confused about the main differences between live dealer casino sites and other types of online casino options. Clearly, the main difference is the presence of a live dealer who helps to keep a game on track.

This human addition means that live games tend to be more social, with players able to type in comments for the live dealer to read – this extra interaction is welcomed by many users.

Indeed, live games are therefore probably as close as it is possible to get to a visit to a land-based casino while remaining at home and playing casino games via the internet.

Naturally, using online sites means betting bonuses such as free spins can also be available to use when people opt to play live dealer games involving a slot mechanism as well.

There are pros and cons to using live games over a visit to a land-based casino, and players might want to try both options out for themselves in order to decide which they like most.

How We Rate the Best Live Casinos in Canada

Ranking the top live casinos online to play at in this country involves a variety of key factors. Here, we take a look at what sites need to be the best casino live dealer online options.

Personal Data Safety

One of the concerns players might have about opting for live dealer games concerns the safety of their personal data. This is therefore one of the first things that we look at, checking out the security policy of live dealer casinos to make sure all data is kept safe and secure.

Payment Methods

Live dealer casinos usually feature a lot of the same payment methods as other types of online casino sites, but this is not always the case. Players can expect to be able to use banking options such as debit cards and e-wallets to add funds into their accounts. Other alternatives might include Apple Pay or even cryptocurrency. While assessing the payment methods at a live dealer casino, we also look at how long it takes a site to pay out winnings.

Responsive Support

Customer service is a vital area for people who want to play live dealer games. Being able to contact the customer support department at any time of the day or night is increasingly seen as a must for users, so 24/7 support via options such as live chat need to be offered. Other ways of getting in touch like email, telephone or a contact form can be useful as well, while a lot of live dealer casinos also have a frequently asked questions section for their users.

Mobile Accessibility

A lot of Canadian players want to try out their favourite live dealer games on a mobile device such as their smartphone these days. As a result, mobile accessibility has become a key issue with live dealer games needing to work just as well on a small screen as on a computer. Being able to play live dealer games on a smartphone is vital these days.

Live Casino Games Variety

The different types of games with live dealers is another top area to look at as well. The most popular live dealer games tend to be based on casino classics like roulette and blackjack, while baccarat is another example of a top game at this type of site too. Many sites are now launching even more options with live dealers for players to test out as well.

Available Bonus Offers

When it comes to live casino games, Canadian players want to get a good deal if they can. Therefore, checking out the available bonus offers is something else that is needed. However, it is also vital to go deeper into the terms and conditions, checking out the small print for things like the wagering requirements to see whether or not a deal is good value.

Software Providers

Which software providers have their games available to play is something else to check out. Evolution Gaming is an example of a leading software provider when it comes to games with live dealers, but ideally there will be titles from some of the industry’s other big names too.

How to Choose Which Live Dealer Online Casinos to Join?

It is not always obvious which the best live dealer casinos are, with so many different live casinos out there and new options being launched all the time for players to try out. Here are some of the main things to assess when deciding which live dealer casinos should be joined.

Welcome Bonuses

Live dealer casino sites often have a welcome bonus that is available to claim for new users. Players who sign up for an account at a site for the first time should try to make the most of a live dealer casinos offer as this is likely to boost the amount of cash they have to play with.

A common welcome bonus that casino sites with live games available to play offer sees users able to boost their deposit by 100% when they open an account and add funds. The amount of deposit bonus that is available to claim is usually capped, though, while checking the terms and conditions for things such as the wagering requirements is a must as well.

Banking Options

Which payment methods can be used is an important consideration for those who want to play live casino online games as well. For example, cryptocurrency is becoming a more common deposit option at live casinos, but not all of them have embraced this just yet.

It is also important to remember that certain banking options cannot be used when trying to qualify for a welcome bonus. E-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill are among those that may not allow new players to qualify for a welcome bonus and boost their initial opening deposit.

Debit cards are the standard way for most people to add funds into an account so that they can play a live casino title such as blackjack, but Apple Pay is now widely available as well.

Loyalty Programs

As well as the bonuses for new players we mentioned earlier on, a lot of live dealer casinos in this country also have a rewards scheme in place to reward the loyalty of their customers too. Things such as free spins are often up for grabs, while other deals may be offered. A loyalty program is a good way for live casinos to tempt their players back for repeat visits.

High Roller Games

While not everyone who signs up to play at live casinos has a huge amount of money to play with, some users do want high roller games to be up for grabs. A wide range of stake sizes may therefore be the best thing for live casinos to have available for their players to pick from. Often, live dealer casinos have a special high roller area where stake sizes are higher.

Most Popular Live Dealer Casino Games to Play

The most popular live dealer games can vary from site to site, but it is often the case that the best options are the same. Let’s take a look at the best live dealer options for players to try;

Live Blackjack

Live blackjack is arguably the top game to play at live dealer casinos these days. The aim of live dealer blackjack is the same as in any offline version of the game, to get the value of 21. As the live dealer turns over the cards themselves, players who opt for blackjack at the live casino can be assured there is no trickery involved – the outcome will always be fair.

Live Casino Online Roulette

Another casino classic that has become very popular at live casinos over the course of the past few years is live roulette. The presence of a physical roulette wheel in live dealer roulette helps to show that the outcome of a spin of the wheel is totally fair and random. As with other forms of this classic casino game, a variety of side bets are on the table here. Players should keep in mind when selecting roulette options at live dealer tables that in a version of the game with two green spaces for zero, the casino’s house edge is a lot higher.

Live Casino Baccarat

An extremely popular game in parts of Asia and, increasingly, around the world, trying out a game of live baccarat is a must for anyone trying out the best live dealer casinos. One of the best things about baccarat is that the game has a low house edge, making it a good choice.

Live Sic Bo

Another top casino game in Asia, Sic Bo, is a great choice for live casinos as it is so much fun. This ancient Chinese gambling game is played with three dice, and the table has quite a similar layout to live roulette tables at live dealer casinos, so it will look quite familiar too.

Live Casino Craps

In this dice game which is becoming more common at Canadian live dealer casinos, players are given the opportunity to place their bets on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice.

Live Three Card Poker

A test of skill and nerve, three card poker is getting more popular at live dealer casinos too. In this version of the popular card game, users are not playing against other players at the live dealer table. Instead, users will be playing against either the dealer or a pay table.

Live Casino Hold’em Poker

Alternatively, fans of this card game can opt for a version of Hold’em Poker at live dealer casinos. The best five-card poker hand wins the pot, making this a test of luck and skill. Of course, as users are not facing off against other players there is no bluffing involved here.

Best Live Casino Bonuses to Use Online

A key reason to opt for live casinos is that different betting bonuses might be available. Let’s take a look at the main bonuses that a live dealer casino is likely to have up for grabs to use.

Live Casino Welcome Bonus

When joining live dealer casinos for the first time, players are likely to be able to claim a live casino welcome bonus, boosting the amount of money that they have opted to deposit. It is often the case that a 100% deposit bonus is up for grabs at the best live casinos around. This means the amount of money a player adds to their account in a first deposit will be doubled, though there is normally a fixed cap on the amount of bonus that can be claimed.

Live Casino No Deposit Bonus

At some live dealer casinos these days, it is even possible to sign up and start playing live dealer games without having to make any deposit into the account. With a live casino no deposit bonus, players can get up and running by placing their first live bets with bonus funds. Keep in mind that rollover requirements will need to be met before unlocking the cash.

Live Casino Cashback Bonuses

An increasing number of live dealer casinos are also offering cashback bonuses to players too. This is a way to both reward a user for their loyalty and encourage repeat visits. With cashback bonuses, like any other form of an offer from a live casino, it is key to check the T&Cs.

Live Dealer Casino Terms and Conditions to Know About

When playing games at live dealer casino sites, Canadians should take time to go through the small print of the terms and conditions to make sure they know what they are signing up for. As is always the case, wagering requirements need to be assessed as this helps to dictate whether an offer on the table is going to be easy or hard to meet, or of poor value.

When trying to meet the requirements for wagering on these offers it is also vital to check which live casino games provide 100% towards what needs to be wagered, as not all do.

Deposits and withdrawals in a live casino work in a similar way to any other online casino site. Players can pick from a range of different deposit options like debit cards and e-wallets, while some sites even allow cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to be used to add funds too.

However, opting for certain types of banking options may mean welcome bonuses are not available to be claimed, so this is something to watch out closely for in the T&Cs.

The small print will also include details such as maximum win limits – potentially affecting the amount of cash that can be withdrawn after scooping a jackpot – and the time limits that are in place for some of the best betting bonuses that are likely to be given out to players too.

Pros and Cons of Playing at Canadian Live Casinos

Live dealer casinos have pros and cons when compared to both more standard online casinos and a visit to a brick-and-mortar facility in this country. Let’s go into more detail about some of the pros and cons of playing games like roulette at live dealer casinos.

Pros of Canadian Live Casinos

With a lot of brick-and-mortar casinos having to close their doors in recent years thanks to the pandemic, live casino games became much more popular, providing a social aspect. Some of the top live dealer games have a lot of interaction these days and they are just as fun as a night out with friends at a land-based casino, while the graphics are top notch too.

The presence of live dealers makes a big difference when compared to other online casino games too. Players might feel unsure about whether games like slots are fair due to the fact they have an outcome that is decided by a random number generator. As live games have a human dealer – for example, spinning the roulette wheel – the outcome can be seen as fair.

It is possible to enjoy live games at any time of the day or night. While some bricks and mortar casinos have more limited opening times, this is not the case for live games at all.

Cons of Canadian Live Casinos

Naturally, it is important to mention the downsides of playing a live dealer game as well. One of the common cons of playing live casino games is that sometimes gameplay can be slow. Other players might not be as fast to take their turn, which can sometimes slow users down.

The range of live games is getting better at online casinos, but there is not quite as much choice when it comes to games with a live dealer compared to slots, for example. With online casinos having thousands of slots sometimes, there is much more choice here.

Mobile Casinos with Live Dealers

One of the biggest shifts in the world of iGaming in recent years has been the rise in live dealer mobile casinos, with more and more Canadians opting to play on a handheld device. With most people in this country now having a smartphone, this device is able to double up as a live dealer mobile casino that has the benefit of fitting right into the palm of their hand.

Most online sites these days ensure that their games are fully optimised for mobile play. This means that they should work just as well on a smartphone as on a laptop or a desktop. Sometimes, special deals are available to claim at live dealer mobile casinos as well.

Live Casino Games or Online Casino Games: Which Are Best?

Many players who are yet to play live casino games might be wary of getting started. After all, if they are used to offline play, it can be a big shift to play a game with live dealers. However, the plentiful benefits of live dealer casino games – including the live dealers who add a social aspect – mean that it is well worth giving a live dealer casino a chance.

Some users might be unsure whether or not standard online casino games are fair. With live dealer casino games, there is no doubt about this, as users can see the live dealers spinning the roulette wheel or turning over the cards in a game of blackjack for themselves. Players can decide for themselves about live dealer casinos, but it is fair to say that they are certainly here to stay.