Slots Make Up Around 84 % of Online Casino Activity in Canada — What Players Should Know

As Canada’s online gambling market continues to expand, new data shows that slots now account for roughly 84% of all online casino activity. This dominance highlights both their popularity and the growing need for players to understand how these games work.

Ever since the first slot machine was invented in California back in the late 19^th Century, they’ve been a firm favourite with gamblers everywhere. That first model was called the Liberty Bell and, fun fact, that’s why many slots games still feature a bell as one of their highest-paying symbols today.

Of course, slots technology has advanced out of all recognition today so games where the physical reels actually spin round seem to be about as old-fashioned as a Model T Ford or a landline phone. Instead, we’re now in the world of real money online slots. These are by far the most popular of all of the games that you’ll find in an online casino.

Industry analysts say this demand has been fuelled by the rapid growth of regulated online gambling in provinces like Ontario, where hundreds of slot titles are now accessible on licensed platforms. What’s more, there are literally hundreds of them on the best sites so you could play a different title every day of the year and never get bored of the same one.

Why are they called real money slots? Simple. It’s because you play them with real money and for real money. This is unlike some online casinos where you play with tokens and can then convert any winnings into prizes or cash equivalents.

What’s more, if you’re playing on a game that offers a progressive jackpot the real money you could win can sometimes reach truly life-changing levels. Some Canadian-facing progressive titles have reported jackpots climbing into the millions, further adding to their appeal.

Even if you’re not hoping to become an overnight millionaire, you’re spoilt for choice with the kinds of games that you can play. There are some slots that follow the traditional three- or five-reel format while others can have up to seven reels.

There’s an equally wide variation in the winning combinations that a real money slot can provide ranging from a couple of hundred right up to several thousands in the case of the new generation of megaways games.

A question of trust

The rise and rise of the online slots game has, however, thrown up a question. When the reels on a real money slots game are computer generated, what’s to stop unscrupulous casinos from programming their games to only pay out occasionally? There’s also the question of whether, even if you do win, the casino in question will actually pay you your cash winnings.

After all, playing in any online casino is quite a matter of trust as you are giving them your money to play on the assumption that they will neither stack the odds unfairly in their favour nor refuse to honour their obligations to you. In a world where cyber crime is undoubtedly on the rise, this is a potentially very concerning matter. Regulators have repeatedly warned players to avoid offshore or unlicensed operators that may not meet Canadian standards of fairness.

However, there are several steps you can take to make sure that you can play safe and to trust the online casino you’re using.

Playing safe

It’s a cast-iron fact that every legitimate casino has to have been licensed in order to operate. There are various different bodies around the world authorised to issue licences and who also have the power to withdraw them if any infractions occur. Part of the licensing agreement is that the online casino in question has to undergo frequent checks from an independent assessor to ensure their games are fair. These audits typically review the Random Number Generator (RNG) technology used to produce outcomes, ensuring that games cannot be manipulated.

Often new players looking for an online casino to try out do this by visiting one of the many review sites available. These offer introductions to featured operators and, in order to maintain their own good reputation, will only feature casinos that are properly licensed and approved. Review sites also carry out detailed evaluations of real money slots themselves, comparing game quality, payout rates and software providers. These reviews help readers identify the safest and most reputable slot titles available, as well as the operators offering them.

So this means that if you find an online casino that they are promoting you can be pretty confident that you can trust it with your money. As part of their review these sites will also generally list the providers of the slots games on the online casino in question. So you should look out for leading names like Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt and Red Tiger. These also have unrivalled reputations for creating top quality slots games that are guaranteed trustworthy. Experts say sticking to recognised software providers is one of the simplest ways to ensure the games you’re playing meet industry standards.

Beware the danger signs

While there are countless games out there you tend to see the same ones cropping up on a wide number of different online casinos. But if, on the other hand, you come across an online casino with games you can’t find anywhere else, or which have been designed by an obscure developer you should be cautious. It’s also a good idea to check out a few players’ forums to see if others have been commenting on a particular casino or game. They may well have picked up on issues that even the review sites have failed to spot.

So hopefully this has given you enough information about real money slots and how to play on the best ones. Now it’s just time to get those virtual reels spinning.

By GamesAndCasino