Nova Scotia Gambling History
The first-ever legalization of gambling that took place in Nova Scotia, Canada was for lottery games in the year 1969 after the amendment of the Criminal Code. The authority of the lotteries was handed over to the Federal and Provincial governments.
From that point on, the laws for gambling have become less strict with time and in 1976, lottery games emerged for the first time in the history of gambling in Nova Scotia. The same year, The Atlantic Lottery Corporation was established.
The Video Lottery Terminals were legalized in 1991, after which games of dice and craps were made legal. Finally, in the year 1995, the Gaming Control Act was brought into effect. Since then two bodies, namely, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation NSGC as well as the Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority were made responsible for every gambling operation that took place.
And it was during this time period that the first two offline casinos were built in Nova Scotia called – Sydney Casino and Halifax Interim Casino.
Nova Scotia Online Casino – Is it Legal?
Before we get into the details, let us get the major question out of the way – Yes, it is absolutely legal to play online casino games in Nova Scotia! All the provinces in Canada have different gambling rules and all of these provinces allow online casino gaming for their casino lovers.
There are two ways of enjoying casino gaming in a province like Nova Scotia where gambling was once strictly prohibited.
First, you can play the casino games using the gambling website which is run by the provincial government, Atlantic Lottery Corporation. This will give you access to multiple online casino games including bingo and lottery games. You might even be able to bet on your favourite sports.
Secondly, you can sign up for offshore iGaming platforms where you will be able to play a multitude of online casino games. You can also register for popular casinos based in the US and Europe. Now although these sites are not run by the provincial government, it is still legal to sign up for offshore online casinos.
Stats show that offshore casinos are a lot more popular in Nova Scotia than the gambling websites run by the government. This is because of the limitations which still exist in those websites. And naturally, the casino enthusiasts in Nova Scotia wouldn’t want to be bound by these limitations.
The legal age for being able to gamble is 19 in this province. So as long as you are of the eligible age, you too can participate in thousands of online casino games offered by these websites.
Best Online Casinos in Nova Scotia
As we have already mentioned above, there are numerous online casino games that players can benefit from when gambling online inside Nova Scotia. However, these players have to know which casinos to sign up for. Otherwise, they might get scammed or fall victim to fraudulent iGaming websites.
Without further ado, here is a list of all the online casinos in Nova Scotia offering the best gambling services for its players.
How to Find the Best Online Casinos of Nova Scotia?
One can find plenty of online casinos from the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. But when so many options are presented in front of you, it can get quite difficult to choose one.
However, there are certain tips that may enable you to make the process a lot faster. To begin with, here are a few pointers that you may consider:
Bonus Offers and Promotions
Who doesn’t like bonus offers that give you an automatic boost, that too when you are gambling online?
The first bonus offer that you can avail by signing up at an online casino gaming platform is the Welcome Bonus offer, which is also sometimes regarded as the signup bonus. This offer acts as an automatic boost even before you start to play your first slot on the platform.
Like the Welcome Bonus offer, you will find a lot more bonus offers and promotions while playing casino games online. In order to achieve the best bonus offers in Nova Scotia, you will have to break a sweat and do your research. This research would require you to compare the bonus offers and promotions which are being offered by multiple websites.
An easy way of getting done with the research faster is to compare the offers of your 5 best picks. You can obviously add more to the list if you have the time and the means.
License
Every online casino requires a valid license. Without it, most players will not want to signup at a particular iGaming website. While some newbies will still signup, the majority of the experienced players will not.
Wondering why?
Well, the reason is pretty simple – online casinos without a license cannot entirely be trusted. There are professional licensing authorities set in place, like the Malta Gaming Authority which is responsible for handing out licenses to these online casinos.
However, in order to get a valid license, the online casino will have to provide, at best, the basic features that are expected by the players.
But if you do not know how to find out whether an online casino has a valid license or not, here’s a small tip – head to the bottom end of the homepage of the online casino. There, you will find the license number, as well as the name of the licensing authority. You can also click on it for more details.
Security
Valid license and security are both equally important features for an iGaming platform. One would naturally expect proper security tools set in place while using an online website. More so, if they are spending hours on it.
Not to mention, every online casino platform has a verification process that players have to go through by providing valid id and personal documents to the site.
Therefore, if the online casino is not using state of the art equipment for providing top-notch security service for its users, it is not worth signing up for.
User Interface
We come across multiple websites every day while browsing the internet. But have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to make proper use of a website when the features are all scattered through the homepage?
This is the same issue that players face after signing up for certain iGaming platforms. This is why it is better to sign up for online casinos which have a great user interface.
The overall gambling experience is taken up by a notch when the website has a friendly user interface. Organized designing for the casino features enables people to locate tools within seconds and make use of them without having to break a sweat.
Customer Support
Do you often end up calling your friends when you have a query while using an online casino website? Well, you wouldn’t have to do so in the first place if the website had prompt customer support like a 24/7 live chat option.
Proper customer support can take the baggage off of the shoulders of the players who are new to online casino gaming. This is a great deal of help as newbie players often face difficulty while navigating through the websites. And while the rules of some games are easy to comprehend for some, others may have difficulty grasping it.
In these circumstances, it is the agent from customer support who can be of the best help to you.
So the next time you signup for an online casino platform, make sure that they are offering adequate customer support for the users. Phone numbers and email addresses can also provide additional support in case one of the tools for communication is not working.
Payment Method
Flexible payment methods are added perks that actually enhance your experience of casino gaming online. If the payment provider offers 24/7 service, you can make deposits at any time of the day and even during the holidays.
Therefore, we would recommend you to vouch for websites that offer an extensive list of payment options for you. This way you can take your pick and get done with the transactions without any difficulty.
Nova Scotia Live Casino
In a classic brick and mortar casino, players get to interact with those playing with them and the dealers who are present in front of them. Although online casinos are not able to offer the same experience for its users, users can still take advantage of the live casino feature.
Live casinos can offer the players to experience at least 10% of what it is like to be in an actual offline casino. There are interactive tools set in place for the players to exchange comments and interact with the live dealer on the screen.
Nova Scotia Online Casino – Payment Methods
The importance of the availability of multiple payment options has already been mentioned above. The wider the variety of the payment methods, the smoother the transaction process for users.
At Nova Scotia online casinos, players can use Visa/Mastercard, cryptos as well as e-wallets to complete their transactions. Remember to only opt for the payment provider which is fast and reliable so that you can avert any mishap while making the deposits or requesting withdrawals.
Note: Maximum and minimum amounts for withdrawals and deposits vary from one casino platform to the other.
Nova Scotia Online Casino: Frequently Asked Questions
The legal age for online casino gambling is different for all the provinces in Canada. For Nova Scotia, however, the legal age is 19.
Nova Scotia online casinos are safe. But only if they have a valid license and proper safety tools like SSL encryption.
The one rule that the Canadian law has set in place for taxes is that players will not have to pay taxes for online casino gambling if they are doing it for recreational purposes.
Yes it is legal to gamble in Nova Scotia online casinos.
Yes. If the online casino you have signed up for has an app for its users, you can definitely use it from your mobile phone.
Summary: Online Casinos in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia online casinos can offer the best casino gaming experience for you if you are residing in Canada. With so many offshore online casinos as well as the ones run by the provincial government, there are endless opportunities for players to make a profit. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now to find out more!