Casino.com’s Ranking Methodology

ziv chen
By:Ziv Chen
Last Updated:

You want to be absolutely certain that any online casino you play at is legit. This is where Casino.com can help. Our experts carefully rate and review Canadian online casinos so that you can play with confidence, knowing that the sites we endorse are trustworthy, fair, and safe.

But how exactly do we review and rank Canadian online casinos? Well, we will explain the key steps involved in the process and tell you why each one is so important. When you reach the end, you’ll understand why things like licensing, security, game selection, bonuses, and available payment methods matter. You’ll be able to use the information provided on this page to confidently choose the best online casino option for you.

Why Trust Casino.com?

Casino.com is dedicated to helping Canadians get the most out of their online casino gaming experience. Alongside having decades of combined experience in various sectors of the online casino industry, our team are passionate casino players themselves, and they want to share that experience and know-how with you. We want you to be able to tell the difference between a truly great online casino and one that you should avoid.

We only endorse reputable Canadian online casinos that meet our high standards. Our credibility would take a huge hit if we ever steered you toward a sub-standard casino. This is why you can trust our recommended operators to keep you safe, pay you quickly, and provide you with the ultimate casino gaming experience.

Read more about us

Our Casino Ranking Process

Our experts consider a wide range of factors when they rate and review Canadian casinos. Let’s go over the most important ones to show you why these considerations are vital.

  • License & Security - 25%: You should only play at online casinos that are licensed by respected gambling regulators. In Ontario, stick to sites that have an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario license. Elsewhere in Canada, where players can visit internationally regulated casinos, look for Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) and Curacao Gaming Control Board (CGCB) licenses. A license demonstrates that the operator follows strict player safety, fair gaming, and responsible gaming standards.

    Unlicensed sites, on the other hand, don’t have to answer to anyone and can treat you with impunity. In the same vein, we also insist that the sites we promote use the latest security measures to keep you and your information safe, like SSL encryption, secure payments, and fraud detection.

  • Fairness – 25%: We make sure that the games on offer at our favourite Canadian casinos are fair. This is why we look for games from the most reputable software providers, like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Games Global, and Play’n Go. They only provide licensed games that are certified by eCOGRA, iTech Labs, GLI, and other accredited software testers. In other words, we ensure that the games are fair and cannot be manipulated to give the house a bigger advantage than it already has.

  • Game Selection - 20%: There is no point in playing at an online casino unless it offers the games you want to play. While a massive collection of games is impressive, we focus more on variety. We want to see a full range of slots, including big progressive jackpots. We expect access to a full range of table games, live dealer games, and specialty games, like Bingo, Keno, Crash, virtual sports, and scratchers. Access to a superior variety of game types greatly reduces your chances of getting bored.

  • Deposits & Withdrawals – 10%: It should be easy to deposit and withdraw funds. For Canadians, it helps when an online casino supports popular Canadian-friendly options, like major credit cards, Interac, and Instadebit. This is because most Canadians already use those options in their day-to-day lives. As such, they have what they need to make instant deposits and fast, reliable withdrawals. While we’re on the topic, we also give preference to operators who offer the fastest payouts. These days, anything under 24 hours is considered fast processing.

  • Bonuses & Promotions – 10%: Bonuses and promotions are important because they give Canadians the opportunity to boost their bankrolls and play for longer. However, we closely scrutinize the terms and conditions of each offer to ensure they are fair and offer real value, such as fair wagering requirements. Even though two offers may look the same, the T&C will inevitably reveal notable differences. Moreover, we expect online casinos to provide Canadians with a steady supply of bonus offers beyond the welcome bonus. You should always have access to perks, like free spins, bonus cash, cashback, and VIP rewards. This equates to lots of ongoing value.

  • Player Reviews – 10%: While we rely on our experts’ experience, we also pay attention to what other players have to say about their experiences. Sites like Trustpilot, the Google Play Store, and the Apple App Store are wonderful sources of player reviews. Reading these reviews gives you a good idea of each site’s strengths and weaknesses. Thus, you have better insight into what to expect.

Meet Our Team

How We Keep Rankings Updated

If you follow our reviews and rankings, you’ll discover that they sometimes change. This is mainly because the casinos themselves change. Something like a new welcome offer, the addition of new games, or an improved casino app can easily alter a site’s rating.

We consistently track our featured Canadian online casinos to ensure the information we provide is factual and up to date.

Responsible Gambling

The last thing we want is to see you develop unhealthy gambling habits. Not only does problem gambling suck the joy out of the experience, but it can also cause grievous harm to you, your family, and your friends.

This is why we urge you to take advantage of the many safe gambling tools available at our favourite online casinos. Start by taking a quick self-assessment test to gauge your current gambling health. You should also set limits as soon as you open your account, including deposit, wager, and loss limits. You can set daily, weekly, and monthly limits on the amount of time and money you spend at the casino.

You can permanently or temporarily self-exclude if things start going downhill. During these periods of self-exclusion, you won’t have access to your casino account. And if things go this far, we urge you to contact any of the many free and confidential gambling support entities in Canada. These include:

Online Casinos that Didn’t Make the Cut

As our experts go about their ratings and reviews, they come across operators that should be avoided at all costs. Something as simple as not having a valid gambling license or not offering licensed games automatically prevents a site from receiving our endorsement. So do verified reports of not paying out, needlessly dragging out the verification process, and other aggravating antics that rogue sites are known for.

We encourage Canadians to let us know if they encounter any issues or have complaints regarding an online casino. This will help us be more accurate in our assessments, while helping others avoid the same pitfalls. In terms of the online casinos you should avoid, we’ve outlined three sites that didn’t make the cut below:

  • Royal Ace Casino: Alongside a low 1.8/5 score on Trustpilot (with 77% of reviews awarding the casino just one star), Royal Ace Casino lacks valid licensing and has been known to delay withdrawals at random.
  • Captain Jack Casino: From existing user reviews on websites like Reddit and Trustpilot, it’s come to light that Captain Jack Casino sometimes offers fake and unfair promotions.
  • 21 Dukes Casino: A sub-par 1.9/5-star score on Trustpilot and a history of restricting payouts means that 21 Dukes Casino has landed on our blacklist.

FAQs

All considerations mentioned here carry a lot of weight. However, we consider licensing and security, along with game fairness, to be the most important factors. These are non-negotiables.

Some welcome bonuses are definitely worth it. The best ones are generous, and they come with player-friendly T&Cs, like low wagering requirements, reasonable time limits, and few restrictions. On the flip side, some welcome offers are far more trouble than they are worth. Only the T&Cs and an understanding of how bonuses work can tell you if a specific deal is good for you.

A license from a reputable gambling authority is important because it means the site is required to adhere to player safety, fair gaming, data protection, and responsible gaming standards. If it falls short, then the regulator has the authority to fine the operator or even revoke the site’s license. Non-licensed operators really don’t have to answer to anyone, meaning you have no recourse if the site fails to pay out, leaks private information, or offers rigged games.

If a site offers games from top licensed providers, like Red Tiger, Microgaming, and Amatic, then you can trust that they are fair. All games from these premier developers are thoroughly tested and certified by accredited testing houses, like eCOGRA, iTech Labs, and BMM. Most top sites display their certifications near the bottom of the site’s main page. This ensures that neither the operator nor the player can rig results.

Ziv Chen brings over 20 years of experience in the online casino world. A true industry veteran, he helped shape modern iGaming through leadership roles with top operators. Today, he blends that insider knowledge with a passion for journalism, covering the gambling scene with flair. Off the clock, he's a proud Pitt grad and diehard fan of all things Pittsburgh sports.