The Ottawa online casino scene has been growing despite the strict regulations and policies of the government in the region. Ottawa only allows government-run and regulated casinos, which led to the development of PlayOLG in 2015. It's an Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation-owned gambling website where you can play lottery games, online slot machines, table games, and poker.
However, this has not stopped the operations of the best online casinos worldwide. Residents of the capital city have access to these as long as the casinos are licensed by offshore authorities, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the Government of Gibraltar, and the Curacao eGaming Authority, among others.
In this article, we detail everything you should know about these online casinos in Ottawa, from the gambling options you get to their responsible gambling measures. We also delve into well-known physical casinos in the region, such as the iconic Casino Du Lac-Leamy and the renowned Rideau Carleton Raceway. But first, we highlight a list of the best casinos in Ottawa with the bonuses they offer.
With offshore online casinos allowed in Ottawa, there are dozens of sites you can play on from your mobile devices and laptops/desktops. As such, there's competition between these gambling sites, resulting in the use of lucrative bonuses to attract customers. In this section, we highlight some of the best online gambling sites with great bonuses in Ottawa. These include the following.
Casino Brand | Welcome Bonus |
✔️ PlayOJO Casino | 80 wager-free free spins |
✔️ Spin Casino | C$1500 and 150 free spins |
✔️ Jackpot City Casino | C$1600 and 150 free spins |
✔️ Ruby Fortune Casino | Bonus of C$750 |
✔️ LeoVegas Casino | C$1000 and 200 free spins |
✔️ Casumo Casino | Bonus of C$500 |
✔️ Betway Casino | Bonus of C$1800 |
✔️ 888 Casino | C$200 and 25 free spins |
✔️ Royal Vegas Casino | Bonus of C$1200 |
✔️ 22Bet Casino | Bonus of C$300 |
In this section, we review some of the top real-money casinos in Ottawa, Canada. We'll highlight their top features so you can make the best choice as you play for real money.
In Ottawa, best online casinos include this site, which has over a thousand casino games and an array of promotions. 22Bet is licensed by the government of Curacao, certifying its games and services as safe and legitimate. You'll come across games such as slots, online poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, Dragon Tiger, sic bo, and live dealer games.
22Bet also comes with a sports betting section in its gaming space, where you can bet on over 15 sports games. You get a welcome bonus of up to C$300, and you'll find other promotions, including reload bonuses, rebate offers, free spins, and a VIP program.
22Bet Casino has a mobile application for you to gamble easily and on the go. Software providers in its games library include Microgaming, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Playtech, BetSoft, and ELK Studios. Its customer support is 24/7, including a live chat option, an FAQ section, and several email addresses.
888 Casino is licensed by the UKGC, MGA, and the government of Gibraltar, making it one of the safest Ottawa and Ontario gambling sites. This casino operator has been in the business for over 20 years, offering over 2000 casino games. These include slots, table games, scratch cards, lottery, bingo, and live dealer games.
Its services are translated into about 15 languages, and the casino is compatible with several operating platforms. You're welcomed with a bonus of C$200 and 25 free spins. There are also several promotions offered, including a VIP program/scheme.
888 Casino has several payment methods, from credit/debit cards to e-wallets. There's 24/7 customer support, including a live chat option, email, support form, and FAQ section.
Established in 2006, Betway Casino is one of the biggest casino gambling sites worldwide. The casino & sportsbook is licensed by the UKGC and the Malta Gaming Authority. You get an exclusive welcome bonus of C$1800 and an array of promotional offers, including a reload bonus, a cash prize drop, and a reward program.
There are over 500 games, primarily from Microgaming, including slots, table games, and live dealer games. You get a mobile app to play with the casino on the go, and you get several payment options. These include credit/debit cards, e-check, e-wallets, voucher cards, mobile wallets, and bank transfers. The customer support service includes a live chat option, email, and an FAQ section.
The online casino gaming space in Ottawa has developed over the years, bringing some of the best gambling options to your devices. These gambling options include the following.
Some of these online gambling options are present in some of the well-known land-based casinos in Ottawa. We take a look at the popular bonuses on Ottawa online gambling sites.
As foreign casinos are allowed in the Ottawa gambling sphere, you'll encounter several types of casino bonuses. We'll highlight these bonuses and detail what you should expect in the following headings.
Welcome bonuses are a huge part of any top real money casino in Ottawa. These bonuses come in a package of deposit bonuses and can include no deposit free spins for gambling sites with an array of slots. Sometimes, well-established casinos present these welcome offers as no-deposit bonuses, where you only need to create an account to get a cash prize or free spins.
Welcome bonuses come with wagering requirements, which is the number of times you must wager a bonus fund before you can withdraw. For instance, if you get a bonus fund of C$10 with a wagering requirement of 10x, you must bet C$100 on slot machines and electronic table games before you can withdraw the $10 bonus. Also, these bonuses come with a validity period of up to 30 days.
Cashback offers are bonuses where the casino gives back a percentage of your losses on slot machines and table games. This cashback percentage can be up to 20% or higher if you're a VIP member of the casino. You get a wagering requirement of 1x, and there's usually a validity period of 7 days to claim your returns.
Free spins apply to slot games, letting you spin the reels to your favourite titles without betting. However, the winnings you get from the free spins are subjected to a wagering requirement. Sometimes, these wagering requirements are as high as 35x, similar to what you get on welcome packages.
A VIP/Loyalty program is common in online casinos in Ottawa, where you get to be a VIP member from frequent deposits and point accumulation. A VIP program exposes you to extra perks, including an account manager, a birthday bonus, priority customer service, and higher cashback rewards.
The land-based casinos in Ottawa Gatineau are regulated and controlled by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. In Gatineau, the land-based casinos allow citizens from the age of 18 to partake in all their games, from slot machines to table games.
The Online Lottery and Gaming Corporation has a dedicated website for lottery games. Also, lottery tickets are sold in stores across Ottawa. You have to be 19 to purchase a lottery ticket and participate in the different lottery games. For sports betting, you can wager on racing events at your local casino.
The only rule that concerns online casinos in Ottawa is that they must be licensed offshore casinos. Hence, you won't find any locally registered Ottawa casinos online other than the PlayOLG website.
There are a few indicators to highlight the top online casinos in Ottawa. So, if you want to gamble with an offshore online casino operating in Ottawa, this is what to look for to know it's top-notch.
A top-notch casino will have a good collection of games to ensure you have variety when playing for real money. You should look for casinos with a collection of slots, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker, craps, keno, and lottery games. Ensure these games are audited by authorities such as eCOGRA and IGT labs. Also, having a live casino section is something you should look out for.
The online casino you find should be licensed by an offshore authority, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the Government of Curacao, or the Government of Gibraltar. Also, the website should be secured by protocols such as SSL encryption technology, Transport Layer Security, and RSA encryption, among others.
Look for software providers such as Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Playtech, Red Tiger Gaming, Yggdrasil, and Evolution in its portfolio. These are some of the reliable game providers in the industry that guarantee worthwhile games.
With the competition in the online gambling scene, it's only right you play with casinos that treat you as a priority with bonuses. As such, the top casinos will have great bonuses, including welcome offers, reload bonuses, cashback offers, free spins, and a VIP program. Also, ensure these bonuses come with fair terms and conditions, from the wagering requirements to the validity period.
You should have an array of options when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals with the best casinos. These should include credit cards, e-wallets, checks, voucher cards, bank transfers, and mobile wallets. Also, you should look out for the transaction times and the limits of deposit and withdrawal amounts with these options.
Another quality of an excellent online casino in Ottawa is its customer support channels. A good casino should have 24/7 customer support service, and it should include live chat, an email address, and an FAQ section. Also, be sure to check that these channels respond within minutes to your inquiries and requests.
This depends on your preference in your style of gambling. If you love legal gambling with a crowd and revelry, a land-based casino is the best to be. With brick-and-mortar casinos, you'll be sure to meet people of legal gambling age to network and enjoy life in the moment. There are also tournaments and points to win with land-based Canadian casinos if you play with them regularly. This may turn you into a VIP member, where you can be open to perks and incentives from the casino.
However, if you'd rather keep a low profile and gamble online from the comfort of your room, online casinos are the ones for you. There are also more online casino options compared to land-based casinos, and you can weigh your options according to the bonuses and services they offer. Also, there's no queue involved with online casinos, and you can get straight to your favourite games whenever you log in.
Gambling in Ottawo can be exhilarating, especially with the array of online casino games to pick from. However, it's always encouraged to practice responsible gaming by setting time and budget limits when signing up with an online casino. This helps you remain disciplined and keep casino games fun without having any problems.
However, if you ever find yourself struggling with gambling in Ottawa, there are non-profit organizations ready to help you through it. For instance, there's ConnexOntario, which is an organization set up to provide counselling services and support for gambling problems. In addition, there's the AccessMHA, an organization set up to help with mental health issues and gambling addiction in the region.
Author
I am a full-time Casino and Sportsbook Writer from UK, who has years of industry knowledge, covering a broad range of different sports and casino games. If I don't know about it, it's not worth knowing! My favourite sports are tennis, football, golf, cricket, snooker, boxing and MMA. As you can tell...I am big sports guy!
