Best Live Dealer Casinos in Canada for 2024

Live casinos have been extremely popular among the Canadian gambling community since they came out a few years back. This is because live dealers make players really feel like they are in an actual casino, even though they are placing bets through their computer or mobile phone.

Once you log into your account, it's like entering a real money casino with endless choices of live games, with real live dealers facilitating them. You also get to bet against other live players not just from all over Canada but around the world. 

It's quite amazing how many of these gambling sites can replicate an actual mobile casino. The stakes are very real, and the excitement is at a whole different level.

No wonder live casinos continue to soar in popularity in Canada and are expected to become even more popular in the years to come.

How Live Games Work

Live casino games happen in real time. They are not simulations nor pre-recorded videos. Best casino operators have a real casino setup at studios around the world, many of which are located in Latvia, Malta, and the Philippines. In these studios, there are live dealers who facilitate the game, handing out cards to the players and whatnot, reading the messages sent in by players and responding to these in the stream, while also carefully following the bets made, and basically overseeing the entire game through a large monitor. As you can imagine, live casino dealers have to be rigorously trained in order to perform their job well.

From the players' viewpoint, it looks just like the croupier is interacting directly with them. This is made possible with the use of high-definition cameras that stream live feeds of the physical casino setup to each of the players' screens.

Not only that, the cameras come with a high-tech Optical Camera Recognition or OCR feature that lets casino software "see" the players' cards, thereby enabling them to determine the outcome of each round.

Live Dealer vs. Regular Online Casino Games

Live dealer games are played online just like regular online casino games, but that's just about everything they have in common. These are two very different game types, both with their pros and cons as well as distinct features. 

To begin, the live game selection of any fast payout casinos typically offers only table games. But the number of titles to choose from can be extraordinary. In most online casinos in Canada, you can choose from multiple varieties of live poker, roulette, and blackjack, usually from reputable game providers like Evolution Gaming or Ezugi. More importantly, the live casino section gives you a more realistic casino experience as you play with other people around the world and interact with a live dealer.

Regular casino games are suitable for Canadian players who prefer a more solitary but still exciting gaming experience. The games are meant for single players, and there will be no interaction with other players or croupiers. However, a great upside of online games is the much bigger selection. Instead of just table games, you will also get to choose from hundreds of video slots.

Also, most online games let you play for free using a demo mode, whereas this is not offered in the new casino. Some games let you sit in for free and watch other players compete, which is not only entertaining but can be educational as well.

Live Casino Games

As you may have noticed, the games that are offered in the live casino section of gambling websites are those games that require a croupier. Slots, for instance, do not have this requirement so they are not included in the choices. So now let's take a more in-depth look into some of the most popular live casino games among the Canadian online gambling community these days.

• Live Roulette. In live roulette, a croupier spins the wheel for the players whereas in online roulette, the spinning is done through a regularly tested RNG feature. The odds of winning are pretty much the same in both roulette varieties. Some are skeptical that online roulette is rigged, but that is not the case since the outcome is always randomly determined. 
• Live Blackjack. In blackjack, the objective is to draw cards whose sum is higher than those of the dealer's cards without going over 21. The same process is followed in both online and live versions but there is surely more excitement in live blackjack, especially if the dealer does their job really well.
• Live Poker. As with other live card games, the dealer in live poker is in charge of dealing out the cards to the players. A significant difference between live poker and online poker is the pace, which is much slower in the live version since it unfolds in real-time. Online poker is RNG-based, so it is much faster, and you can also play at multiple tables at once. 
• Live baccarat. Live Baccarat is a live version of a popular card game that brings the casino action right to your screen. With real croupiers managing the cards and live streaming, players can follow every shuffle, deal, and bet in real-time and can be sure everything is 100% fair.
• Other live games. Roullete, poker, and blackjack are the most popular live games among Canadian players, but there are also many others, like Monopoly, craps, sic bo, dream catcher, and so on.

When choosing a live game to join, it is also important to check aspects like the language spoken by the dealer, the types of bets that are accepted, and whether the game is exclusive to high rollers or open to everyone.

Best Live Software Providers

Something that many Canadian gamblers don't think of doing but is very important is to check the software provider before joining any game. This goes for both live dealer games and regular casino games. Unfortunately, there are some games out there that might be rigged or are simply of poor quality.

To make sure that you get the best live casino experience possible, here are some of the providers you should look for:

• Evolution Gaming. One of the biggest names in the live online casino industry, Evolution Gaming is based in Sweden and has been creating world-class live casino games since 2006. To date, they have 43 titles, including the very popular Live Blackjack, Crazy Time, Lightning Roulette, and Mega Ball.
• Ezugi. Established in 2012 in the United Kingdom, Ezugi has since earned the reputation of being the ultimate provider of live casino games and live lotteries around the globe. It is a highly trusted brand that currently operates from 9 global studios from where they broadcast their 24 exemplary live games to more than 100 online casinos worldwide.
• Playtech. Boasting a rich live games portfolio, Playtech has been one of the biggest casino software providers for more than two decades now. They claim to have the world's biggest next-generation live facility, which allows them to create a lot of unique games for the live casino market.
• Authentic Gaming. If you are looking for something as close to a real casino experience as possible, you must check out the Authentic Gaming offerings. The company has studios in Spain, Slovakia, and Malta and currently employs more than 300 gaming specialists to give players the best live gaming experience possible.
• Luckystreak. Although not as big as the other providers, Luckystreak does hold its own when it comes to live blackjack, roulette, and baccarat games. They stream the games from a very well-put-together studio in Riga to dozens of casinos globally.

Key Factors to Find the Best Live Dealer Sites in Canada

The number of canadian dollars casinos offering live dealer games has been rapidly increasing. While this is a good thing, it also makes it harder to pick the best site to play at. However, we have made the task easier for you by weeding out the reliable sites from the ones that are rather dubious. Furthermore, we have ranked all the good ones so all you have to do is go through the list and take your pick. 

Here are the key factors that we have taken into consideration in building the ranking:

• Licensing. One of the very first things we look for when rating live dealer sites is their license because this indicates compliance with gambling regulations and also serves as protection for the players. If there's no license, the site does not go into our list.
• Live dealer game selection. We look for variety in the games offered, but at the same time, we also check the names of the game providers. In other words, we want diversity and excitement without having to sacrifice security, fair play, and game quality.
• Bonuses. Most live games do not come with a free play option, but with generous bonuses, it would be just like getting to play for free. Thus, we look into the casino's welcome bonus program and its T&C.
• Minimum deposit. A deposit is needed to play live casino games. If you are just trying out a new game, it won't be very smart to make a big deposit, and then you end up not liking the game at all. Thus, smaller minimum deposits are much better.
• Withdrawal speed. Delays in withdrawal transactions are a common complaint among Canadian gamblers, so we pay special attention to the withdrawal speed when evaluating live casinos. 
• Mobile Compatibility. It is very important for online gamblers to be able to play on the go. Therefore, we check if there is a dedicated mobile app that can be downloaded or if the live games can at least be played on a mobile browser.

How to Play Live Casinos Online

Now that we have discussed pretty much all the fundamentals of live casino games, you're now ready to give it a try!

Here's a simple guide for getting started:

1. Pick a casino from our list and sign up for an account. Registration is very quick and easy – just follow the steps all the way to account verification.
2. Once everything is set, you can make a deposit by going to the cashier section of the casino. Don't worry because all the casinos in our list accept players from Canada, so you can use your CAD for the transaction. The amount will immediately be reflected in your account balance, as you will see.
3. Then comes the exciting part of choosing a live casino game to join. Select a game from one of the cataloges or if you already have a particular title in mind, you can enter it in the search bar. Click on your chosen game to launch it and join a table, then start placing your bets!

If you're using your mobile device, the process is almost identical. The only difference is that you first need to download a dedicated app or launch the casino site in mobile browser.

Why Play Live Dealer Casino Games

Live dealer casino games are highly recommended for gambling enthusiasts who want to elevate their betting experience from what is offered by the usual RNG online casinos. Live casino games offer more interaction, more excitement, and a more authentic feel. This is especially attractive to Canadian players who want to experience real-life casino playing since there are not many casinos in the country, and they are not legally allowed in most provinces.

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