Ottawa Online Casinos

Online Gambling in Ottawa – Is It Legal?

As the political center of Canada, Ottawa had a large role to play in the legal part of Canadian gambling. In short terms, Canada has given provinces the right to regulate gambling activities on their own. Ottawa was one of the first to legalize the business, resulting in a huge casino expansion over the past 2 decades or so.

Just like any other province, only licensed casinos are permitted in the province of Ottawa. However, online gambling laws in Canada as a whole are pretty loose, so offshore casinos can easily offer their services to players from Ottawa. Numerous Canadian casinos can do the same too, and thanks to the fact that online gambling is legal in the country, there are quite a few good options to pick from.

Rules and Laws

The current gambling laws in Ontario are based on the Ontario Lottery Corporation Act of 1975. In the beginning, it only legalized lottery drawings. The law has been reworked in the coming decades, adding new bills that have seen the introduction of online gambling and betting sites.

Just before 2000, the original bill was replaced by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Act. It virtually controls all gambling activity in the province, including real money online casinos.

---

The History of Gambling in Ottawa

Just like all throughout Canada, gambling laws were slow to come. In the XX century, Canada only allowed lotteries and pari-mutuel horse race betting. In 1975, the Ontario Lottery Corporation Act built upon that list. The Wintario jackpot game was one of the first legalized gambling games, with the law updated numerous times since.

In the early 1990s, there was a growing need to address the emergence of land-based casinos, mainly Casino Windsor in 1993. Experts were sure a new gambling bill would need result with a fantastic new revenue stream, while others questioned the morality of such a move. Problem gambling was also a point of discussion, but nothing stopped the industry from expanding further.

Enter OLG. Short for Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation, it owned most of the casinos in the area in the 1990s. It currently houses 10, generating over C$2 billion per year in net profits.

The gambling industry in Ontario went through a revolution in 1999. At that point, the original bill was reworked and renamed to Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Act. Now known as OLG, the firm runs all instances of gambling in the province, including numerous lottery games. Sports betting games are on offer as well.

More recently, OLG has moved into the online space as expected. Ottawa players can now enjoy a range of slots and casino games online in a fully safe and secure space. The first lottery site by OLG launched in 2015, and even though it was a bumpy start, the Corporation never looked back.

The number of operators is growing despite the fact that only Ottawa-licensed casino sites are allowed to operate. There’s no ban on offshore sites who are free to use their services to Ottawa players. Many flock to these sites that simply have a much better offer than PlayOLG, not even counting the offers players simply can’t refuse.

---

How to Choose the Best Online Casinos in Ottawa

Since the online casino industry’s been on a roll in recent years, it’s getting harder and harder to choose the right betting site. There are so many options with different features, but that’s why we’re here.

Below we’ve listed all the factors we believe you should take into account before choosing a casino in Ottawa’s online space.

• License: whether you’re playing on offshore sites or you’ve picked yourself an Ottawa casino, it must be licensed. Ensure that the site displays a badge in the footer before proceeding. Otherwise, you could be in big trouble.
• Bonuses and promos: a good online casino these days will have a range of excellent bonuses and promotions. We’re not just talking about the welcome offer that most of them have. Free spins, deposit and no deposit bonuses, and loyalty rewards are also worth claiming. Check the promotions page before joining and get a hold of the goodies.
• Game variety: online casino games have come a long way from their land-based beginnings. Slots have enjoyed a fascinating transformation and are closer to video games than they’ve ever been. Don’t rid yourself of the opportunity to try them all. Find a casino with thousands of games by dozens of providers instead of a site that works with one provider only.
• Canada-friendly payment methods: make sure that the casino of your choice accepts CAD and options such as Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Interac, or MuchBetter. It’ll save you a lot of trouble ahead.
• Customer support: always ensure that the gaming site you choose has a proper customer service team that responds to questions promptly, either via email or live chat.
• Overall ease of use: online casinos in Ottawa are easy to use and that’s how it should be. Choose a casino that has immersive and intuitive design that works great on PC and mobile devices.

---

Mobile Gaming Sites

Most players these days prefer their phones to play online casino games. Which shouldn’t be surprising at all. We do everything on our big-screen phones nowadays. We pay bills on the go, watch games, and play casino games too. It’s only normal for mobile gambling sites to be in the limelight, and sure enough, Ottawa online casinos are fully focused on smartphones.

Most sites have their own app, but even when they don’t, their mobile sites are fully touchscreen-optimized. Whether you’re using an Android phone or tablet or you’re an Apple fanboy, you can spin slots on the go with ease. Apps are better in terms of design and ease of use, but mobile sites work just as good. On top of it all, some Ottawa online casinos have exclusive offers and games that you simply can’t refuse.

Gaming on your phone is quite handy when you’re on the go. No need to miss winning opportunities while abroad. As long as you have a Wi-Fi connection or your plan allows for roaming, you can use your phone to stay in touch with new games or play your favorites – whatever floats your boat.

---

Casino Games to Play in Ottawa Online Casinos

There are thousands of different games you can play in Ottawa online casinos. Slots rule the industry anywhere in the world, and Canada is no exception. They come in so many shapes and sizes that it’s literally impossible to ‘beat’ them. With that being said, the variety of casino games has never been better, and that’s a huge win for the casual player.

Slots

Regardless of the casino you’re visiting in Ottawa, video slots will most likely be among the featured games. They come in hundreds or thousands with just as many themes. Beach-themed slots, sport-themed slots, horror-themed slots, and slots based on Hollywood movies and TV series are all a reality and very popular. There’s something for everyone in store, so you can and should explore all the options.

Another reason why slots are so popular is the fact that they can be played for free or real money. Playing for fun gives you a chance to try new games before you splash the cash. And they’re very rewarding, of course – some slots can pay life-changing sums of money on tiny bets.

And that’s before we even delve into progressive jackpots. Your chances might be one in a million, but it’s better than nothing.

Table Games

Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and poker have enjoyed a revolution since going online. They come in more variants than ever before, and they can be played for free too. These are RNG variants of table games, with live dealer games coming close to the Vegas experience.

Live Dealer Games

If you’ve never set foot in Vegas casinos, you’re missing out on a unique atmosphere. While Ottawa online casinos can never replicate it in full, they come close with live casino games. These are table and card games streamed from real-life casinos or studios where you play against a live dealer rather than a computer.

Of course, it’s an immersive experience unlike anything else, but it requires a funded account. These games can’t be played for free.

---

Payment Methods at Ottawa Online Casinos

Funding your account in online casinos these days has been made very easy. You can deposit in minutes thanks to e-wallets such as MuchBetter, PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller among others. Banking options such as Interac are great for Ottawa players too.

Visa and Mastercard are also undying options with plenty of advantages. They are connected to the biggest banks in Canada and allow you to deposit and withdraw straight to your account. On the other hand, e-wallets need no bank account, and can be funded with plenty of options.

When choosing a payment method in Ottawa online casinos, make sure it’s fast and with low fees. Once again, e-wallets are the best option, although you should take a look at cryptocurrencies as well. If any casino offers them, of course – not all have jumped on the crypto train.

---

Ottawa Online Casino FAQs