2021 was a big year for the Canadian gambling industry, in summer last year the federal government finally legalized online sports betting. With $14 billion dollars being spent in black market sportsbooks, it was clear that there was a big appetite for online gambling in the country.
Online sports betting isn’t the only popular gambling activity, the online casino market also continues to grow year on year. Online casinos were first granted a permit in British Columbia in 2004 and since then a number of other provinces, including Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario, have followed. Many online casino games are enjoyed by Canadians however it is Canadian slots that are becoming a booming enterprise in the world of online casinos.
One reason for the growth of the online casino market is the increased access to fast and reliable internet connections. A good connection can be defined as at least 50mbs download speed and an upload speed of 10mbs. This is something that most people in the country now have at home.
Another reason for the industry’s success in the increased adoption rate of smartphone technology. Research indicates that around 31 million Canadians owned a smartphone in 2021.
It is expected that by 2024, the number of mobile phone users in Canada will reach near 33 million. As a result, many online casinos are now releasing casino mobile apps or ensuring that their sites are optimized for use on phone screens.
While games of online bingo and lotteries have been enjoyed by Canadians for a long time, casino games such as poker, blackjack and slots have become favorites amongst many citizens over the last decade.
The popularity of online slots
In particular, slots are a game preferred by Canadians. Not only are slot games easy to play and get the hang of, there are thousands of differently themed slots to suit players with a wide range of interests.
Here is a roundup of some of the most popular online slots that are available to play in Canada:
Jokerizer
Jokerizer is a fun slot created by the well-known developer Yggdrasil Gaming. It is a five-reel slot with 10 pay lines and a Return to Player (RTP) rate of 98 percent.
Costing between $1 and $20 per spin, the game does not have a free spin option like many other slot games. However, if you spin the right combination and activate the Jokerizer mode, you will be entered into the Mystery Win and win up to 6000 coins.
The colorful theme and classic slot symbols in this game will appeal to traditional slot players.
Mega Joker
This next slot game has been developed by NetEnt and has 5 pay lines in a three by three set up. Players are able to bet either 20, 40, 100 or 200 coins when playing in supermode and can collect winnings at any time during supermode and return to the base level game.
This slot has a very similar feel to Jokerizer but has an even bigger Return To Player percentage. At 99 percent, this payout rate is one of the highest you will find in all online slot games.
Kings Of Chicago
Another NetEnt creation with a high percentage RTP is the Kings of Chicago slot game. This game has five pay lines and is a five-reel design, it combines both regular slots with video poker to create a fast paced, unique player experience.
Unlike other slot games, rather than symbols Kings of Chicago has card symbols on the reels. Land on the jokers for a double payout and enjoy the free spin feature. With free spins the winnings are also multiplied by two!
In this game you can play a wager as little as five cents or as high as $50 dollars.
Monopoly Big Event
Fans of board games and the traditional British board game Monopoly will enjoy the Monopoly themed slot game. Developed by Barcrest, Monopoly Big Event has an RTP rate of 99 percent and has 20 pay lines with five reels.
Just like in the original, the aim of this game is to get as many properties on the board as you can with win back lost cash. Once you have been playing for a while you will trigger the Big Event feature when you get the right symbols on the reels. This will help to increase your wins by as much as 99 percent.
This slot has lots of wild cards and bonus features to explore, making it a popular choice with more experienced slot game players. The game’s progressive jackpot can go as high as $250,000 dollars.
Magicious
The magician themed slot Magicious is a popular video slot with five reels and 10 pay lines. This game has a similar wild feature to the traditional slot game Starburst but enjoys a much higher RTP rate of 97.6 percent.
You can bet anything from 10 cents to $100 dollars per spin in this game. Magicious is available on many of the top casino and slot game websites open to Canadian players.