This is a 10-point guide to finding top quality casinos for Canada, including a list of the best sites hand-picked by our editorial team.

There are 100s of online casinos operating in Canada right now. Here at the Casino Heat we like to think we have a pretty discerning eye when it comes to picking the best from the rest. We know that our readers are looking for fun, entertainment and big potential wins in a safe and secure environment. That means quality games, generous promotions and professional customer services. You will find all these things in our list of the 10 best quality casinos. And further down the page you can read our 10-point plan which shows you why we picked out these brands from the competition. We hope you agree with our choices.

Have fun, and gamble responsibly.

If you take the time to read the articles published on this website, including our in-depth casino reviews, then you will be aware that we like to examine each casino in detail before we score it and let you know our opinions. The criteria we discuss below, from games, through bonuses, support and licensing, are the ones we use to make our judgements. Sites that score highly across all of these are sure to give you a quality experience.

1. Operators

The company behind any gambling site online is the Operator. They are the ones who hold the license to take bets and pay out prizes. Some operators have a better reputation than others. A good operator will have a license from one of the top jurisdictions like Malta or Gibraltar, they will have signed deals with only the best game providers, and they will deliver slick and easy websites that make finding your favourite games, making a deposit and requesting a withdrawal, all as easy as can be. Top operators include White Hat Gaming, whose Casilando site makes it onto our list, and Genesis Global, whose Casoola casino is one of the newest to join our top 10 quality casinos. 

2. Brands 

The theme, look and feel of a real money online casino is another strong indicator of the quality of experience you may get there. A good brand will stand out from the crowd a long way and is a sign that a lot of money has been invested into the design and marketing plan by an operator. It shows that this casino is in the game for the long haul and not just to take your money and run. Colorful websites with cool, immersive themes are also more fun to play at. One of the best is Play OJO, who are quite new to the Canadian market but have already made a splash thanks to their eye-catching TV ad and ‘no bullshit’ keep what you win free spins offers. 

3. Slots Games

Ok, so we don’t need to tell you that one of the biggest measures of the quality of a casino is the games on offer. There are 1000s of real money slots in Canada, but not all of them are good. The best games are produced by top names like NetEnt and Microgaming, as well as small studios like Thunderkick and Push Gaming. If you see names like these in the list of suppliers at a gambling site then that is a good sign. Quality games have fun themes, top graphics and animations, fun and engaging gameplay with exciting features, and the potential to score big wins. Some of the best slots of all time are Immortal Romance by Microgaming, Mega Fortune by NetEnt, and Book of Dead by Play n Go. Every casino in the list on this page features those games.

4. Live Dealer Games 

Live Dealer used to be a niche concern in online gambling, but in the last decade it has come to the fore and live tables now occupy a big space in the lobbies of all casinos. Just like slot games, live dealer tables are of variable quality. That is why we look only for casinos that provide a high-class experience. The very best live tables come from Evolution Gaming and NetEnt Live. They feature professional croupiers who are all fluent in English, offer traditional gameplay in Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat, and offer a broad range of stakes to suit players of every level, from casual to VIP. Evolution have partnered with all the casinos in our list, and NetEnt Live feature in a few.

5. Casino Bonuses 

When you browse any list of casinos the first thing you are likely to look for is a good sign up package. A good offer will include a blockbuster deposit bonus or two, and 100s of free spins to play your favourite games. But it’s not just about big numbers. You should also be looking for free spins that allow you to test your luck on the best games – Play n Go’s Book of Dead is a particular favourite of ours – with low wagering requirements – 35x or less is acceptable – and where your winnings aren’t capped below $100. And of course, if you can claim a no deposit free spins bonus too, then even better! One of the best quality bonuses in our list is from One Casino – $10 free and up to $100 match.

6. Customer Support

Whilst none of us like to think about needing to contact the support team at a casino when we are choosing where to play next, it should always be a consideration. A good quality customer support team is a sign of a professional gambling operator who know that looking after their customers and treating them fairly is their duty. For this reason, we always check to see that a site has 24/7 live chat support, or better still, phone support, as well as email and a comprehensive FAQs section. The sites in our list will all respond to any communication within a reasonable timeframe, usually just a few minutes, and have well-trained, English-speaking staff for the Canadian market.

7. Cashier and Payments 

Whilst most gamblers use a bank card or credit card to deposit into their new casino account, there are also many of us who choose alternative payment services like Interac, MuchBetter, Apple Pay and Paypal. The best casinos will provide a big range of cashier options like these to suit every taste, and just as importantly, they will process all your withdrawals quickly and free of charge. Withdrawal pending periods of 48 hours or more are thankfully less common that they used to be, but we have only included sites here that work to 24 to 48 hours or sometimes even less. Most also allow deposits of just $10 which makes them available to a wider audience.

8. Licensing 

We have already mentioned that the operator name is an important sign of quality for us. The best operators take their licensing from the most trusted jurisdictions. These territories uphold very high standards when it comes to fair, safe and secure gambling. Any breach of the terms of an operator’s license can result in a fine or even that license being revoked. The Malta Gaming Authority, home to most of the sites in this list, will ensure that each of their licensees has been fully audited, and so have all the games that they offer. Additionally, they will provide support in the event that you enter into a dispute with a casino.

9. Responsible Gambling

It should never be forgotten that gambling can be a highly addictive pastime for some people and we should all be aware of this when we play. This is another reason that playing at properly licensed casinos is so important. They are obliged under the terms of their license to follow codes of practice that allow customers to protect themselves from spending too much time gambling online. This means providing self-exclusion and time-out tools in player accounts, allowing players to set deposit, wagering and loss limits, and providing easily accessible information about where to seek help if you have gambling addiction. All the sites reviewed at The Casino Heat follow these rules.

10. That Winning Feeling!

OK, let’s face it, what this is really all about is getting that winning feeling! The sign of a great casino for all of us is one where we win, and hopefully win big. Games like Mega Moolah from Microgaming are there for a reason, and that’s for us to scoop multi-million-dollar life changing jackpots. And when we do win, of course, we want easy access to that money so that we can go out and enjoy that winning feeling. So on that note, we’ve been careful to make sure that the big money progressives from NetEnt and Microgaming feature in the slot lists at all the casinos shown on this page, and all offer super-fast withdrawals.

Hopefully this short guide has helped you to understand the key points to look out for when choosing a top quality casino in Canada. Now pick one from our list, sign up and enjoy the best online gambling has to offer right now.  Good luck!