The Mobile Casinos In Canada

The advancements in mobile technology over the last decade has been the driving force behind the mobile casino boom. As many players now are accessing casino brands via their phones instead of their desktop, this number is only going to continue to rise.

What we are starting to see are casinos that are not only offering mobile options, but even starting life as a mobile focused entity and then bringing in an online version. The opposite of what we’ve seen over the last 20 years or so.

There is little doubt that this is progress for the casino sector, but at the same time, there have been teething issues. At CasinoSource we have created reviews that take into account where mobile casinos currently are and where they should be.

Throughout this article, you’re going to be able to learn not only how an online mobile casino works, but also what to look out for to access the best mobile casinos. This includes things like what to consider, games selection, how to find the mobile casinos that offer the best casino bonuses in Canada and of course, banking options that are an essential part of any casino.

How We Review The Top Mobile Online Casinos

An integral part of CasinoSource has been to bring together what we think are some of the best casino minds in the industry. Our team is not only based around mobile casinos, but all areas of casino from online slots to banking.

Between the team, there are over 50 years of online and mobile casino experience. They’ve been hand-picked and with that comes a level of expectation that we demand from our casino reviews.

However, this is all to aid you, the reader. We want our reviews to be the best they can be so we invest dozens of hours with each mobile casino to see how it works and then ultimately decide if it’s any good or not.

We talk about this a lot, but it’s crucial to note that what works for one player might not work for another. Just because a casino has a rating of “X” doesn’t necessarily mean it will be right (or wrong) for you. The reviews are in place to allow you to decide if the casino is a good match for your playing needs.

Each review has criteria that we like to work through. However, no two sites are ever the same, so sometimes we do need to adjust this.

Game selection on mobile

An obvious place to start is the selected games on offer and how they copy across from online to mobile. The number of games that copy across to mobile is exceptionally high these days and we would estimate that around 80% of the online casino is now accessible on mobile.

Mobile casino platform

We then switch our attention to the platform for the casino. This includes app-accessibility on iOS, Android and other mobile devices. This then moves into the mobile online casinos, which are accessed via your smartphone’s browser. Often, they are pretty much identical to the app, but not always, so it’s important to note what is happening across each platform.

Mobile casino bonuses

Bonuses and promotions are our next stop and we first look to see if there is anything mobile-specific here. If so, how does this compare to the main offers at the casino? Most offers are now clearable across all platforms of the casino, so mobile-specific offers are few and far between.

Other factors we look out for

Finally, we then start to look at more general areas of the casino that cross both mobile and online. This includes things like banking, customer support, licensing and features.

As we have stated, no two mobile casinos are the same, so we need to be prepared to mix things up a little bit where needed.

What To Consider When Choosing A Mobile Casino

As the number of mobile casinos continues to increase, the list of things that you need to look out for will start to increase. If you are new then it can seem like there is a lot to consider and to be honest, there is. However, don’t worry too much about this as the more time you spend around mobile casinos the easier the job becomes of picking one that is suitable for you.

The first thing that we would suggest is that a casino player needs to try and work out what you want from the new casino. It might be a certain game, a bonus, a banking option or even a specific promotion you want to take advantage of.

When you break it down like this it rules a lot of sites out, which makes your job that little bit easier. Conversely, if you’re just looking for a change of scenery or not sure exactly what you want, then we have a few guidelines for you.

Game selection is an obvious place to start. Take a look at what’s on offer and see if that fits with what you’re looking to play. For example, if you want to play roulette, then casinos with a large selection of mobile roulette games will be a good shout.

We then move onto the bonus or promotions section. Some may say this is the most important area, but we think that this is the range of games. The reason for this is that the games are going to be around a lot longer than the promotions will be. You should see promos as a nice additional extra, not a make or break reason for joining a mobile casino.

With bonuses and promotions, you have to take a good look through the terms and conditions. These will tell you how accessible that offer will be for the games that you want to play.

A good example of this is when it comes to table games or live casino games like Blackjack. Most of the time a casinos bonus offer won’t allow you to clear said offer with table games.

Finally, we would be looking to see what banking options are on offer. We are dead against having to pay fees to get your money in or out, so these are generally to be avoided. Aside from that just make sure that they provide a service you are comfortable with using and check processing times.

As a new player, you’re on good ground with many mobile casinos as they try and lure you through the door. But take your time before making your pick as sometimes if it seems too good to be true, it often is.

New Mobile Casinos

One of the best things about the industry at the minute is that it’s constantly changing. Mobile casinos are still relatively new and with that comes new features, games and even products that continue to be released all the time.

We strive to make sure that we test and review as many of these new casinos as we can. This then allows a mobile player to make as informed a decision as possible when it comes to a new or existing feature

What we will add here is that new doesn’t always mean good. Some mobile casinos and the features that are newly launched take a bit of time to bed in and reach a certain standard.

Comparing Mobile Casinos vs Desktop Casinos

The most obvious difference here is being able to play on the go with a mobile casino site. You can play from anywhere in the world (some countries may be prohibited based on gambling laws) whereas, with a desktop casino you need to be seated at your desk.

Game availability is something that differs here as well. Mobile has thousands of games to choose from with the bigger brands, but a desktop only casino might have less as games are now being built to work on mobile. 

The most obvious, as with desktop, is that of the portability of the mobile online casino. You need computer access with online and yes, you can use a laptop, but it’s a lot more convenient to just get your mobile phone out than a large laptop.

Games are another section that needs to be compared. The differences here are much less than they used to be with most online games being copied across to mobile now. However, some are not accessible, with online generally having a slightly larger range.

To surmise, the future of the casino is with mobile. The trends are already heading that way with more people now playing on mobile than on laptops. The next 5 years will almost certainly see that number surpassed and games will start to be mobile-focused and then adapted for online, instead of vice-versa.

What we can’t do is say that one is better than the other. What we will do is provide you with all the facts, the differences, the features and games that you can expect, but then you need to decide which is best for you.

Mobile-Friendly Casino Games and Slots

The number of games that are now accessible on mobile casinos is growing. They’ve gone from around a 40% coverage of the online casino to over 80%. Some mobile casinos even have more games than online, which is a trend that we expect to continue.

What we are seeing is that most companies who are releasing mobile casino games are doing so with mobile in mind first and then adapting them to online. This isn’t the case with all games, but it’s increasing. You may be wondering why there is still a drop off between online and mobile and the answer to this is that for some games, it’s just not worth the effort to get them converted.

If you think, a game provider such as NetEnt has hundreds of games at their disposal, some of those games are likely going to get little to no traction at all. These are generally older, classic slots for the most part. The graphics and the software for these games just can’t keep up and therefore it doesn’t make sense to have them accessible both online and via mobile.

The evolution of HTML 5 has meant that games are much easier to copy across to mobile now. This has revolutionised the mobile sector and makes it much easier for a game developer to create one product and then have the software direct the game on different devices.

What we’ve also seen is an increase in one-finger gaming. This means that the games have been designed so that they can be played with one hand or just one single finger. So, instead of operating your phone like you would a game from a console, you can just use it as if you were sending a text.

The mobile casino games have been able to move buttons and change features to fit this. In a lot of cases, they are minuet changes, and most won’t notice them, but they make huge impacts as to how the games are both accessed and played.

We wanted to add that when we review a mobile casino, we pay a lot of attention to the ratio of games on mobile compared to online. There should be little drop off these days, but anything less than around 80% and we’re pretty unimpressed.

Mobile Casino Apps

Most of the mobile casinos that we test come in the form of an app or at least are mobile friendly. They work just as simply any other app would in that you download it, install it and then open it.

Apps are readily accessible on most iOS and Android devices. iOS is usually available from the App Store and most Android apps from the Google Play Store. However, Android still have issues with the Google Play Store not accepting casinos, so the casino company have been able to create APK files that allow you app access, direct from the casino.

It’s very rare that we ever see any differences between an Android and iOS casino app. If there is, it’s usually small features like Touch ID for login or Google/Apple Pay for banking.

Apps for other manufacturers are rare. The only other option is usually that of Windows, but again, this is not normally something that we have come across.

However, this does not mean that other devices cannot access mobile casinos, it just means that they need to do so via a smartphone browser. The vast majority are copies of the app and you don’t lose out on features or casino games. However, some do differ, but not always in a negative way.

An app will offer a different user experience than a mobile site. The usability is a little more focused and they are often a bit more stable.

The mobile site allows for a greater number of users to access the casino and those that aren’t linked to iOS or Android will benefit from this. Also, players who just don’t want another app on their phone will be pleased there is another way to access a casino.

Gambling Sites with the Best Mobile Apps 2023

The Swedish-based Mr Green has also taken a mobile-first design while creating their products, the main reason they are considered one of the top mobile casinos and gambling operators on the market.

Thanks to a complete site overhaul, PartyCasino is now considered one of the leaders in mobile game play, offering topnotch mobile access to all their favourite games, including live dealer games.

From cutting edge casino games, to live dealer offering, to jackpot slots and more, there is plenty for Canadian players to enjoy at Spin Casino’s excellent mobile casino offering.

Best Mobile Devices for Online Gambling

1. iPhone – The iPhone is one of the most popular mobile devices in the world, so it makes sense that it’s one of the favourites for mobile casino players. They are reliable, readily available and accessible for all mobile casinos that we have tested.
2. iPad – Apple’s tablet is another great product to visit mobile casinos on. Apps do sometimes struggle with the larger screens, so the mobile site can sometimes be a better pick here.
3. Samsung Galaxy – Probably Apple’s biggest rival in the mobile sector and mobile casinos sector is that of Samsung Galaxy. This is a hugely popular phone on Android and can access a wide range of mobile casinos.
4. Windows – The range of Windows phones are a little more limited than those mentioned above. Some casinos will have an app dedicated, but they are quite rare if we are being honest.
5. Xiaomi – This Chinese brand is becoming increasingly popular and with it have better access to a wide range of mobile casinos.

Finding the Best Mobile Casino Games

As new games are released for mobile casinos every week, finding the best mobile casino games can be relatively tough. There are a few key things that you can look out for.

• RTP (Return to Player) – This is the rate that the game returns to the player. The higher the percentage the more it pays back. Generally, anything over 96% is deemed to be pretty good, but the best games are 98% +.
• Progressive jackpots – These are the games and have huge sums for when the jackpots randomly drop. The biggest games have millions on the table here.
• Sounds and graphics – Gameplay is hugely important on mobile and these games not only need to look good, but sound good as well. Some of the best games have a feel of being in a real casino or with slots, they take you through a story rather than just pressing a button repeatedly.
• Features and bonus rounds – This is generally linked to a slot game more than anything, but a game that includes a good range of features and bonus rounds will make them infinitely better than those without. Ideally, you want several of each and you want them appearing frequently enough that they are very accessible and you can win some bonus funds easily.

Before we move on, we wanted to state that a lot of older games are being updated and refreshed as they make their transition from online to mobile. At CasinoSource we will re-review all games and casinos that have little tweaks to make them mobile ready so you can be sure you’re getting the most up to date info available.

Mobile Casino Bonus

You will find that almost all casino bonuses are accessible on mobile devices. Very few differentiate much here whether a player signs up online or if they sign up via the app in terms of what promotions are available.

The only thing we will note here is that some games are not always available on mobile, therefore, you are a little more limited as to what games that you can clear a bonus with.

Welcome bonuses are going to be most common here. This will allow you to get access to things like deposit matches where you deposit a certain amount of money and you get given a deposit bonus up to a certain amount that matches your deposit.

You will then need to wager through these offers, which again, you can do via the app.

Free spins are another promotion that you can expect to claim via a mobile casino. These are where the casino gives you a set number of spins to use on one of their slots. The game will be chosen by the casino and the amount you can win will likely be limited. It's still worth watching out for as everyone loves a free bonus spin.

It’s also worth noting that things like loyalty points and VIP rooms can prove to be one of the most lucrative parts of any mobile casino. If you are dedicated to one casino or play a considerable volume, these sections of a site are areas that you need to target.

Rewards include cash, bonuses, free spins, electronics, holidays, VIP events, concierge services and personal accounts managers. Here VIP Players can be offered promotions with a threshold well above the usual max bonus amount.

Mobile Casinos No Deposit Canada

Mobile casino no deposit bonuses are rare in the industry these days, but still accessible, so worth talking about. They are bonuses that are applied to your account regardless of whether you make a deposit or not.

The money should be used to get a feel for how the mobile casino works and also test out some new games. Most come with a large wagering requirement (35x wagering is very common), so it’s hard to get money as a withdrawable balance from these no deposit offers.

That being said, if you can find one of these, snap them up, as they often don’t stick around for too long.

Mobile Casino Deposits and Withdrawals

When mobile casinos first started to become popular, one of the areas that struggled were the banking methods. They were limited and they were often not very user friendly. Generally players will have to match a minimum deposit requirement of some sort to play with an online casino.

Thankfully, those days are long gone and it’s now easier than ever to move money about using your phone. The most common for Canadian players are going to be the likes of Visa and Mastercard. Given that most people own at least one, they are highly accessible. It is worth noting that Canadian users cannot bank with credit cards anymore, so bear that in mind.

Mobile only payment methods

You then move to mobile payments, with the likes of Apple Pay and Google Pay being two that are increasingly popular. Given that these are linked to your handset, it saves having to upload any information to the casino, which is a bonus.

The majority of the mobile phone casino brands are now able to accept payments that are linked to your mobile provider. So, you deposit your phone and then it comes off your monthly phone bill, be it Vodafone, O2, Three, EE or whatever network provider you are with.

Three companies do this better than most, and these are Pay By Phone, Boku and Payforit. E-wallets have been about since the start of the online era and they have managed to thrive for mobile payments as well. Standout names include PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and Paysafecard.

Finally, cryptocurrency is the buzzword on a lot of peoples lips right now and the mobile casino sector has got in on the action. Several providers are accessible, with Bitcoin being the most common.

Benefits of Mobile Casinos

• Games on the go
• Game developers are now starting to make mobile-first casino games
• Huge range of existing titles being converted to mobile
• More handsets being accepted for downloads
• Payment methods becoming more accessible and more options to choose from
• Slicker graphics and gameplay as developers start to go head to head to be the “best”