A recent survey suggested that out of every 100 people in Canada, 76 will at some point gamble. Whether it’s playing their favourite card game in the local casino or placing a parlay on their favourite hockey team, the stats show that many Canadians enjoy playing casino games and betting.
For the Canadians that like to play at a casino online, Let’s take a look at the top 5 games that Canadians like to play – as chosen by Canadians themselves.
Slot games
The most played casino game on the planet, slots come in both land-based casinos in the form of traditional slot machines and also online slots.
Slots are also the most played casino game in Canada, which may come as no surprise. These machines offer players a chance to win big and have fun, offering exciting bonuses. They also come in pretty much every theme you can think of – from big bands like Guns ‘n Roses to hockey related games.
The whole idea behind slot machines is to basically match 3 or more symbols in a row, with different payouts for different symbols matched. Whilst this is the basic premise behind these games, they’ve come on leaps and bounds in terms of the mechanics – some slots have over 200 different combinations of symbols!
You’ve also got progressive jackpot slots. These machines take a small amount of every single bet that is placed into them and put this small amount into a giant pot. These pots can sometimes reach into the millions. Then one lucky winner walks away with it all.
Slot machines are also being optimised to be enjoyed on mobile devices, which allows players to enjoy their favourite slots wherever they want. All you need is an internet connection!
Blackjack
Another vastly popular casino game is Blackjack. Whilst totally different from slot machine games, being more based on skill and strategy, Blackjack is the second most popular game in Canada.
It’s incredibly easy to pick up. The whole idea is you vs the dealer to see who can get as close to the number 21 with the cards they are dealt. The beauty of Blackjack is the fact that there are different variations and versions of this simple game with added bets and fun twists.
One of the biggest draws for Canadians when it comes to Blackjack is the incredibly low house edge. Players can devise strategies and methods to take this house edge even lower – something you can’t quite do with slot machines.
Poker
For the players who like a more competitive type of game, poker is the king of card games. You’ve got video poker machines which are quite popular but the card version surpasses it in almost every way.
Poker is a more complicated game than blackjack. Players have to learn different hands, the betting rounds and even watch their opponents’ moves. Players have also got quite a few different varieties of poker to choose from – including popular Texas Hold’em and Omaha to the lesser well-known High low Chicago.
You can see why Poker is so popular not just in Canada but in casinos all over – the sheer amount of variety and competitive nature of the game make it, unlike any other casino game.
Roulette
A totally different style of casino game that Canadians enjoy is Roulette. Many online and land-based casinos will have some form of roulette available thanks to its popularity.
A simple game that sees a dealer spin a wheel and a ball with numbers on and players guess where it will land. There are plenty of different things you can bet on – from the colour of the number the ball will land on to the actual number itself – all offering different odds.
Another card game that comes in multiple variants – the most popular being European roulette and American. By the way, it’s advisable to try and play the European variant if you can as you have better odds!
Baccarat
Canadians love their casino card games! Last on the list we have Baccarat, which is a casino game that is influenced by Blackjack but different enough to warrant its own game.
The cards in baccarat are counted differently – it’s not just simply adding the face value. There are also a few different types of bets – including betting on the player who’s facing the dealer.
Yet again players have multiple variations of the game to enjoy – such as Chemin, Punto Banco, Banque and more – all with slight twists on the original rules.
