As a true poker, blackjack, or roulette fan, you probably love sending hours of your day immersed in your favourite game. While playing that game you resort to in your leisure time with your beloved holiday cocktail in hand, you might be taking for granted the fact that doing so would be unthinkable just a few short decades ago. The history of online casino industry in Canada begins with land-based casinos, which have paved the way for modern forms of entertainment. Here’s everything you have wanted to know about Canada’s online casino industry and its inception.
The year of change for the Canadian gambling industry
Did you know that up until 1969, all forms of gambling were illegal in Canada? This was due to the official document named the ‘Canadian Criminal Code’ which prohibited all gambling activities. Luckily, the Canadian government soon realized that people loved gambling and enjoyed spending time playing casino games, after which they started thinking about making some changes.
With the 1969 law change, gambling and lottery became legal for all residents of Canada. And that’s all that land-based casinos needed to start their rapid expansion. For many years to come, land-based casinos had absolutely no competition, as online casinos were nowhere near inception. However, that was soon to change, after which the casino industry as we know it was completely transformed.
The history of online casino industry in Canada
While it might seem impossible, the first online casinos in Canada date back to 1994. However, as you can imagine, they looked nothing like the fast payout casinos in Canada that you can see nowadays. Instead, these casinos featured poor graphics and a slow Internet speed which, in return, demanded a lot of patience.
Likewise, people who actually visited online casinos during their early days didn’t have a lot of games to choose from. They could only access the most basic games which might get boring after a while, depending on which type of game you find yourself drawn to. That’s completely different from everything you have nowadays as, the moment you access an online casino, you are instantly hit with live dealer games, different versions of the roulette game, as well as game shows and slots.
Plus, we don’t even have to mention the fact that not everyone had access to a computer and an Internet connection – the two things that we couldn’t imagine living without. Therefore, even if someone had the necessary desire to frequent online casinos, they might not have been able to do so, as they lacked the appropriate equipment. Luckily, we don’t have a similar problem nowadays, as we all have access to a smartphone, PC, and a stable Internet connection.
The reigning rules and regulations of Canada’s online casino industry
While online casinos were launched almost three decades ago, it’s important to mention that gambling wasn’t legal until 2009. That’s when the government took the necessary action and allowed different provinces to set their own rules. Therefore, it’s important to mention that gambling rules and regulations in your country can vary based on your area of living. At the moment, you are perfectly allowed to visit any online casino under one condition – that it is located offshore. Although, you should know that some provinces will even allow you to play at Canadian-based places.
That’s why we suggest that you research casino rules and regulations by yourself, as they can differ significantly based on your area. Likewise, you should know that there are some basic requirements that you need to meet in order to be able to play at most online casinos, such as being at least 18 years old to be able to register.
What does the future hold?
While the history of online casino industry in Canada allows us to understand how games of luck came to be, the predictions for the future let us look forward to the things that are to come. Of course, it’s impossible to predict the future, as the future happenings in the casino industry greatly depend on the laws and regulations that different provinces impose. However, we can see that one thing is very likely to happen – the inclusion of cryptocurrency in gambling.
Make no mistake – there are already many crypto casinos circulating around, but there will most likely be many more. Since betting laws are adapted to suit consumer needs, and consumers are investing in crypto more than ever, there’s a high probability that a significant portion of casinos in the future will offer crypto as an important method of payment. Likewise, you should keep in mind that, while usually the one most talked about, Bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency that’s accepted. Crypto players can play using Ethereum, Dogecoin, Binance, Litecoin, and many other cryptocurrencies.
Know that you can already find many casinos that accept crypto payments in combination with regular money transfers. Thus, if you want to harvest the potential of gambling with crypto (such as lower transfer fees, improved safety, and anonymity), we suggest you research your options. A simple Internet search will reveal a lot of valuable pieces of information regarding which casino to use for making an account.
The online casino industry in Canada is developing at an incredible speed
While the history of online casino industry in Canada shows how land-based and online casinos came to be, a simple look into what the future holds reveals that the casino industry is showing no signs of slowing down. Just look at how much the casino industry has changed since 1969, and how much online casinos have evolved since 1994. Since technological advancements are happening at breakneck speed, we can also expect that casino establishments will undergo some massive changes. One of those changes will certainly be the inclusion of cryptocurrency on the list of accepted payment methods, although gamblers will still be able to play their beloved games using their good old credit card. The future is all about what’s most useful for you, so you can feel free to choose.
