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When a country takes a harsh or restrictive stance on online gambling, participants seek other avenues to pursue their interests. In the case of Canada and many other countries, iGaming enthusiasts are indulging in their interest with offshore service operators or unregulated ones.
Heavy regulation or outright outlawing of online gambling, more competitive odds, variety and accessibility are all reasons players have cited for using the services of offshore operators in the past. Below is a look at the differences in quality between offshore gambling websites and Canadian ones, how players in Canada look for suitable offshore sites and find them, and some of the most popular offshore sites for playing online slots.
The difference in quality between offshore operators and Canadian ones
The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) estimates that sports gamblers are sending $4 billion per year to offshore sportsbooks. Conversations with some of these players reveal that offshore sportsbooks are simply providing their customers with a better experience.
The odds are one of the first things players are looking at — and they’re finding the return on their investment is better than with a Canadian state-sponsored casino. Although they’d like to place their bets in Canada, the potential to win more, and the fact that playing at an offshore site is more of a legally grey area than strictly illegal, is luring them to look elsewhere.
Offshore sites and apps also offer more flexibility and are less heavily regulated. Players don’t have to tread as carefully when using them. In several other countries, such as the UK, players can wager on single sports events and have been free to do so for decades. This is something Canadian authorities have only legalized in recent years, and the delay has worked in offshore operators’ favor.
Paying for services is another issue. Canadian banks can block online gaming transactions if they believe the transaction is illegal or fraudulent. Offshore regulators make it easier for players to credit their accounts and access their winnings. Players can do so through third-party operators.
Unfortunately, playing at the site of an offshore operator can also be risky. Unless the company is displaying details of their licensing and who regulates them, which many reputable operators do to establish trust between them and players, it’s harder to know if the company is a responsible operator or not. However, review sites like Casino.ca analyze online casinos in Canada in-depth and recommend reliable operators, based on factors such as gaming variety, promotions, payout times, licensing, and more, to players who don’t want to run any risks.
How Canadians are identifying suitable offshore sportsbooks and other iGaming operators
Those Canadians that prefer offshore operators to the government-owned ones have different ways of finding them, other than a quick search on Google.
Comparison and review sites
Comparison and review sites lend players a huge hand in identifying suitable offshore sites they can play at. Experts in iGaming will cover lots of different aspects of sites to provide a comprehensive, trustworthy review. Not only do these sites recommend good websites, but they’ll warn players which ones to steer clear of and state the reasons why.
Word of mouth doesn’t come from professional reviewers alone. Customers who have used an operator’s site will be eager to tell others about their experience, especially if they’ve had a lousy one. These reviews are also helpful to players.
Licensing
Licensing is another important way players discover sites. When choosing websites, players will look for details of an operator’s licensing to confirm whether the site is safe to play at. This is just one of several elements to check. Others include quality of customer service, game variety, promotions, and bonuses.
Most popular offshore sites for online slots
Online slots are immensely popular because of their ease of play and the random outcomes that make them highly unpredictable.
888 Casino
888 Casino is a huge operator and offers a wide range of slots. The UK-based operator offers generous bonuses, including 100 free spins for a small £10 wager (approximately 18.37 Canadian dollars). The slots range from old-school fruit slots to fancy video slots and progressive jackpot slots, and come in wide range of themes, such as movies, music, and more.
Draft Kings
Draft Kings is another titanic operator in the iGaming space and spoils players with a choice of more than 1,400 slots, including plenty of slots. The games come from top software providers IGT and NetEnt. The site also features games exclusive to the platform only. Some reviewers consider “Mega Joker” the company’s best slot, based on its 99% return to player (RTP) average.
Despite some provinces reforming their iGaming markets and regulations, heavy regulation in Canada is driving players to play on choose offshore sites. Other positives, such as better returns, less complicated regulation, greater flexibility, and easier transfer of credit and winnings, are also persuading Canadians to prefer offshore operators.
