The Canadian gambling market is witnessing a significant increase in new online casinos entering the scene, often through established brands that already hold licenses in regulated markets.
According to the Canadian Gambling Association, the industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, with revenues reaching over CA$16bn. Compared to 2022, when the gambling market was valued at $2.8bn, this represents a substantial increase in demand for playing online.
With the substantial increase in activity, the question arises as to whether more licences will be issued in Canada, beyond Ontario, which has proven to be a successful implementation for the province. For players in the region, it's essential to understand what they can expect from a licensed market and the potential pitfalls to watch out for without a licence in place.
To provide players with the best online casino experience, the team at Casivo uses several factors to distinguish between reputable and unscrupulous operators. One of the most crucial factors is the ever-popular welcome bonus offered by new sites.
As a brand active in several regulated markets, now helping players find the best online casinos in Canada, Casivo has identified common elements that players can use to assess the true value of a bonus, which may not always be as appealing as it seems. This also underscores the importance of having a valid licence in place, as it ensures the presentation of accurate information rather than relying on marketing gimmicks.
So how do online casinos build trust in an unregulated market? We’ve gathered some suggestions we think would be wise for the companies to implement.
Clearing up 'welcome bonuses'
More often than not, the latest casinos in Canada offer a casino bonus of four deposits but claim it’s a welcome bonus, which rather should be what players get by their first deposit if we look at the regulated markets.
An example of a new casino offer in Canada is “225 per cent up to $1,050,” indicating players can get a first deposit bonus of 225 per cent. When looking further at the new offer, we can see it’s divided up of three deposits:
- First deposit: 100 per cent up to $375
- Second deposit: 50 per cent up to $450
- Third deposit: 75 per cent up to $200
Combined deposits give a total welcome package of 225 per cent, but in reality players only get a matched deposit up to $375.
There are numerous new casino sites that practise this approach and it's one of the primary reasons why Casivo exists in the first place – to provide transparent information to all players. While we believe that new casinos can bring great value, their offerings could certainly be much clearer.
Our suggestion is that terms and conditions should provide clear and easily accessible information. Often, the terms on new sites are challenging to locate and are not readily available when claiming a new bonus, whereas in regulated markets, it's the opposite.
What does this mean for both players and the companies operating these new sites?
Building customer trust is key
Firstly, we've observed an increase in support emails from players who express feeling deceived by the offers. Secondly, these players are unlikely to become repeat customers, resulting in a definite loss for the casino sites' bottom line.
Building trust should be a top priority for online casinos, especially for new brands where players struggle to determine if the sites are secure or not. Many of these suggestions are already implemented at licensed casinos, and we believe that brands operating in the unregulated market should follow suit.
It's worth noting that established brands in licensed markets are entering the Canadian market, employing good practices from the outset and catering to new players more efficiently.
The latest online casinos in Canada that can provide clear and concise information to players, as outlined above, will be the ones leading the way in the Canadian market moving forward.
