Live Casino
Play At The Best Live Casinos in Canada – OCC Guide
Gamblers have been playing online casino games since 1994 when the first slots and virtual table games were released for the international market. Since the early days, technology has rapidly advanced and things that were not even dreamt possible then, are in practice today.
One noticeable advancement in technology can be seen in the live casino segment of the online market, where Canucks can log in to a casino for a more immersive style of entertainment that brings together the land-based atmosphere in a ‘play from home’ stage for your convenience. This form of entertainment is the perfect stage for social online gambling enthusiasts.
Live Casinos Explained
Live Casinos are gaming platforms that allow you to play exciting live dealer games online, from either your desktop computer or mobile smartphone and tablet. Games are hosted in a land-based casino environment set within state-of-the-art film studios. These studios are suitably equipped to live stream the gaming action through a live portal to your device.
Live Dealers and croupiers host a variety of prominent casino games at real tables, with real gaming cards, wheels, and other paraphernalia. This entertainment is then fed to an intelligent user-interface on your screen. With this, you can communicate with the dealer and other players while placing your bets and making all the vital game decisions that need to be made.
The experience is very life-like and immersive. The interface on your screen overlays the gaming table on the dealer’s side to make them look like they are the same table, allowing you to feel like you are right there playing.
The Perks of Playing Live Casino Games
Being able to play online casino games is already stacked with advantages, however, Live Casino gaming has a few unique perks that are exclusive to this style of gambling. The list of pros include:
- All gaming outcomes are naturally generated by real people using real cards and gaming equipment and not RNG software and computers.
- Gaming is more interactive, as you can chat with both the dealer and other players at the table via a chat link in the game.
- This game type feels true to life, presenting a uniquely authentic casino experience.
- Live Casino games can be played ‘’on the go’’ from your mobile phone for enhanced convenience.
Live Casinos provide the perfect solution for players who do not have access to a land-based casino nearby. Simply load up the action from the comfort of your home and play for hours without worrying about your trip home.
The Best Live Casino Game Providers
Of course, when you are playing any game, you want to be sure that you are playing a quality software product. There are several top-performing content providers in the Live Casino segment. Each of these uses high–end equipment to make sure that your experience is seamless. This includes:
- Cameras: Multiple camera shots per game bring the action alive on screen and maintain the immersive quality of the offering in high definition.
- Tracking Equipment: The gaming software tracks the cards, wheels, and movements of the dealer via sophisticated tracking technology. The equipment is barcoded and chipped so that you can have instant access to all the information you need while the passage of play is in progress.
- Instant Browser Software: Live Casino Games can be played directly and conveniently from your desktop or mobile browser without the need for an extra download. This is because the program software is written in HTML5 programming, which makes the interaction seamless across platforms.
The top names in the provider business that use this cutting-edge form of gaming technology include iconic names in the industry, like:
- Evolution Gaming: This is the leader in Live Casino gaming. Offering many table games and gameshow options, their innovation is world-class and has earned them multiple awards in this segment.
- Net Entertainment: Also known as NetEnt, their Live Casino games provide a competitive quality to that of Evolution Gaming. Their known quality in the slots and virtual gaming markets translates across to this genre too.
- Playtech: One of the biggest online gambling brands in the world, their diverse game library extends to the Live Dealer segment.
- Ezugi: This next–gen developer was recently acquired by Evolution Gaming and is a face for the future of Live Casino.
- Pragmatic Play: Pragmatic Play is an up and coming Live Dealer brand who have an established name in the slot’s arena. Their live gaming options are brand new and offer fresh designs to the marketplace.
- Microgaming: The oldest online gambling company offers a list of solid Live Dealer table games for your enjoyment.
With the innovation and gaming prowess of these above-listed studios, you can enjoy a host of exciting game titles that will keep you entertained for hours on end.
The Best Live Casino Games
The selection of Live games is impressive for Canadian players, with all the table game favourites making an appearance. A list of some of the prominent table titles covered includes Live Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, certain Poker Variants, Sic Bo, Tiger Dragon, and more.
Evolution Gaming excels in unique gaming options. For this reason, there are a few gameshow-type options available to those who prefer instant win games. If this excites you, then you can try titles like Live Monopoly, Dreamcatcher, Deal or No Deal, Lightning Dice, Football Studio, and Money Ball.
The best Canadian-friendly live casinos offer a large selection of games. Within each game type, there are often several variants to suit different budgets and playstyles. For instance, Live Blackjack comes with standard table limits or VIP limits. This is for two different classes of players.
Popular Live Casino Bonuses
Bonuses and promotions are an important part of online casino gameplay. Fortunately, Live Casinos often offer exclusive bonuses that can be used in conjunction with their live table games. Most ordinary bonuses offered online are more suited to slot machines, which makes these Live Dealer bonuses more welcome.
The most popular kinds of bonuses you can expect, include:
- Bonus Bet Promotions: Here, the casino will award you with bonus funds to place bets on games like Roulette or Blackjack if you bet a certain amount of money on the game first. A common offer would read: Bet $100 on Live Roulette and receive a Bonus of $20 to bet with.
- Deposit Match Offer: If you place a certain deposit, the casino promises to match the deposit by a stipulated percentage. For instance, an offer might read 100% Match up to $50. Any deposit from $10 to $50 will be matched by the casino to effectively give you double your money in bonus credits.
Like with all bonuses, there are playthrough requirements attached to Live Dealer promotions, so be sure to read through the bonus policy on the site to familiarise yourself with what is required.
Canada-Friendly Payment Methods
The best live casinos for Canadian players are those that cater to your needs and make playing on their sites convenient and seamless. Making deposits and claiming payouts is one of the most important parts of online gambling. To get the best experience for your region, the casino must provide you with a decent selection of payment methods to help you transfer cash to and from the site in the fastest timeframes and with the minimum fuss involved.
Some of the Canada-friendly banking methods available at the top Canadian Live Casinos include:
- Visa and Mastercard
- Paysafecard
- Interac
- Instant Banking by Citadel
- Instadebit
- iDebit
For more in-depth information on the banking line-up, withdrawal costs, limits, and more be sure to read our OCC Payments page.
Staying Safe While Playing
Security and safety while playing online are of utmost importance. The best Live Casinos will guarantee that you can play safely. The various avenues that are used to verify the standard of a safe casino include:
- Licensing: The best casinos are licensed by prominent regulators, including brands like the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, and Spel Inspektionen, to name a few. This licensing ensures ethical business practice and professionalism on the part of the operator.
- Site Security: All top sites are secured by Secure Socket Layer Encryption. Look out for the ‘S’ in the ‘HTTPS’ prefix of the site’s URL to ascertain the degree of safety you will experience while using the platform.
- Responsible Gambling: The top Canadian sites will always promote responsible gambling and back up their talk with some fabulous tools to help you play safe and stay responsible while gambling. For more information, read our section on Responsible Gaming.
At OCC, we want our players to play with peace of mind. Therefore, we have provided you with ample casino reviews to help guide you to the best online and live casino experiences available for Canucks.
How to Prepare Adequately for Live Casino
To gear yourself for Live casino play, there are a few things that you can do that will boost your confidence and help you on your way to total enjoyment:
Learn the Gameplay and Rules Thoroughly
This segment of the games market does not offer you demo options for practice play, so you need to know your stuff when you join a table. Here are a few ways to streamline your learning of the game:
- Read our helpful ‘how–to–play’ guides for the rules and strategy you need to know for the successful play of each game type.
- Play virtual games to practice your strategy and get to know the basic passage of play involved in various game types.
- Watch videos on the gameplay of your favourite Live Dealer game to familiarise yourself with the passage of play and the requirements set out by the dealer.
Following these three steps will adequately prepare you for the game and ensure that you can gain the maximum advantage from every round.
Learn Basic Live Dealer Etiquette
When enjoying Live Casino games, you will be playing with other real people. As such, your conduct at the game must be a little more controlled than if you were playing virtual games on your own. Some basic tips to good etiquette at the table include:
- Table Spread: Be aware of the table limits and take a seat at a table that suits your budget.
- Friendliness: Be sure to make the atmosphere as pleasant as possible at the table by being friendly to the dealer and as cordial as possible to other players.
- Streamlined Play: Be sure to keep up to pace with the passage of play and play out your bets speedily to ensure maximum enjoyment for all involved in the game.
An enjoyable gambling atmosphere is needed for maximum enjoyment all round. Bad behaviour at the table could give you a nasty reputation in no time at all.
How to Get Started Playing at a Live Casino
To enjoy the excellent games and favourable bonuses available, you will need to sign up at a top-rated casino. Once you have selected one of our partnered operators you will need to complete the following steps to start playing:
- Register an online account, by clicking on ‘Join’ (or equivalent) at your selected operator.
- Complete the form submission with your particulars.
- Claim your bonus from the bonus page or if it automatically comes up after registration.
- You will be led to the cashiers/deposit page to make your first deposit. Simply select the amount you want to pay and choose a convenient payment method to complete the transfer with.
If the deposit is approved, your account will be topped up within seconds. You can now navigate to the Live Casino menu and choose a Live Dealer game of interest and start playing.
FAQ about Live Casino in Canada
How do I play live?
The best Live Dealer casinos have a dedicated Live Casino section, where you can conveniently browse the titles available and view the gameplay via the portal before claiming your seat and playing for yourself.