Canada’s online casino market has a bright future, thanks to a number of factors that are driving demand for top Canadian online casinos.
The online market is one of the fastest-growing sectors in casino gambling across the world, and Canada is no different. One of the biggest differences between how online casinos operate in Canada versus the rest of the world are that there aren’t many laws and regulations that allow iGaming companies to operate in the country.
For now, only a select few companies are able to legally operate in Canada. At the same time, Canadian residents aren’t barred from gambling at offshore sites, which is what they often have to do to play the most popular games from the best developers. That could change in the future, though, as the Canadian government could begin to regulate the practice.
So, what’s ahead for online casinos in Canada? Let’s take a further look.
Governments Will Take Notice
For now, iGaming operators can only legally operate in the province of Quebec. That means that only residents of that province can legally play at a Canadian-based online casino.
The federal government in Canada has left the decisions on how to handle all gambling operations to the provincial governments. Thus far, only Quebec has exercised its right to offer iGaming operations. At the same time, the other provinces are realizing that they are leaving quite literally millions of dollars on the table by not legalizing online gambling. Residents of those provinces have the same desire to gamble online, but they are forced to spend their money at offshore sites.
Provinces such as Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario are already considering changes to their laws that would allow for legalized online gambling, and more could follow suit in 2022.
Live Gaming Will Take Off
Live dealer games are already immensely popular. This is a way that online gamblers can get an experience that’s akin to that of a land-based casino.
They get to “sit” at a virtual table that’s run by a real human dealer out of a TV studio. The feed from that studio is then livestreamed through the casino operator’s site.
There are many reasons why live dealer games are so popular, and they’ve exploded in popularity during the pandemic, when people have been forced to stay inside rather than travel to a land-based casino. One thing holding back some people from playing live dealer games is slow internet connections. That’s likely to change in 2022 and beyond, as the emergence of new technologies such as 5G and the increased prevalence of high-speed, reliable internet will take away issues such as lag and latency.
VR and AR Gaming Will Take the Market by Storm
Speaking of emerging technologies, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are making their ways into the everyday lives of people in a number of different ways — and online casinos are no exception. Through these technologies, people will be able to take their immersive online gambling experience to the next level. This will be especially true for the live dealer games mentioned above.
The fact that these technologies are becoming more affordable is a major reason why more iGaming operators are starting to offer extensive options that use VR and AR.
New Payment Methods Will Change Banking
Cryptocurrency is becoming much more mainstream, and that’s forcing people in all industries to take notice and adjust their business model. Online casinos are likely to do the same — if they haven’t already.
More and more online gamblers are interested in making deposits and withdrawals to their accounts via cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Litecoin, to name a few. Online casinos that offer digital currency such as these for banking options are likely to attract more and more players. People love the ease of use with cryptocurrency, as well as the safety, security and anonymity they get with the service.
Games Will Go Beyond the Traditional
The type of games being played at online casinos is already changing, and it’s likely to continue evolving in the years ahead. Online slot games, for example, started by simply being replicas of the slot machines that could be found in land-based casinos.
Then, video slots emerged, allowing for more features, exciting bonuses and new themes. Partnerships with well-known movie, music, TV and entertainment brands attracted players to enjoy their favorite pastime while gambling at the same time.
Now, iGaming operators are developing completely new types of games that will change the face of online gambling. We’ve already talked about the possibilities that abound with VR and AR, but their impact can’t be understated.
When people can get a real-life experience from an online casino, they’ll likely to spend more time playing. In this regard, gambling online becomes much more of a social experience — like that of a land-based casino — and less like a single-person video game played at home alone.
The games themselves are likely to continue changing, too. With so much competition in the online casino market around the world, iGaming developers have no choice but to inject new ideas and creativity into the products they create. If they aren’t innovative and don’t reinvent the wheel, then they’re likely to fall behind.