Online poker has experienced several milestones since the first site was established in 1998. From the poker boom that brought the game to the limelight to the Black Friday that disrupted the industry in 2011, it has been a rollercoaster of a ride. However, it is also important to say the game has seen consistent growth in the last decade in Canada and globally, leading to the rise of several poker sites.
Wherever you turn today, you will see an influx of poker sites offering real money games to players in Canada. While some of these sites offer players a premium experience by providing the best variants of poker from the best developers, seamless website navigation, responsive customer service, and more innovative features, others don’t offer players enough features, and worse, some of these platforms are not even licensed to operate.
As a player, the last thing you want is to fall victim to scam gaming sites. So, you need to conduct in-depth research before choosing a poker site to ensure you are making the right call. Suppose you need information on where to find Canadian poker sites that are legitimate and offer the best features for players, visit Top10Poker Sites for a comprehensive review of the best real money poker sites in Canada.
5 Valuable Tips for Choosing a Credible Online Poker Site in Canada
Choosing a credible online poker site is important if you want a successful gaming adventure. Discover some valuable tips to use in making the right choice below:
1. Confirm the Legitimacy of the Site
Several licensing authorities have been set up to ensure that online gambling activities are regulated everywhere. Several offshore and local gambling authorities govern the activities of every gaming site to ensure they abide by the gambling laws and aren’t involved in foul plays.
You should ensure the platform is licensed by top local authorities such as Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and offshore gambling bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gaming Commission before signing up. This will ensure that you have a safe gaming experience.
2. Ensure it is Safe to Play on the Site
One of the things players must be sure of is the safety of the poker site. Playing at a site that doesn’t put adequate security measures in place can be disastrous to you. You could lose all your money and other data to hackers.
You should ensure that the casino you want to register with pays enough attention to the necessary security measures, including protocols like 2-Factor Authentication and SSL encryption tools that protect your data from cybercriminals and other third parties.
3. Look Out for Sites with Generous but Realistic Bonuses
Yes, it’s great to window-shop for companies that offer the best bonuses and promotions. But you should beware of sites with generous bonuses and ridiculous wagering requirements attached to them. For instance, a poker site might give you a $10,000 welcome bonus, with a clause stating that you can’t wager with that money until you deposit at least $100,000 in your account.
That’s ridiculous, and it ruins the whole point of the bonus because you might never deposit that much on poker games unless you’re a high-roller. You should read the fine print well enough before subscribing to their site to avoid being tricked into wagering more than you can win.
4. Great Customer Support Service
Customer support service is an important part of any legitimate platform. It’s also the best way to know whether you’re dealing with a standard gaming portal. Here’s how to find out. Email the customer support team about a general question, indicating that it’s urgent.
Any quality site should have an automated response that gives you a vague solution, connects you to a human agent that can answer your questions properly, direct you to the commonly asked questions, and let you know if you’ll be replied to in 24 hours or longer.
If you care about playing at a quality poker site, please endeavor to:
- Avoid sites that don’t reply to your email, whether automated or human. It means they would go missing when you need to resolve issues quickly.
- Avoid platforms that don’t get back to you in the promised time.
- Avoid platforms whose responses don’t answer your questions. This shows they’re inexperienced and may not even know much about poker.
5. Ensure their Reviews are Positive
There’s no better way of confirming a site’s legitimacy than through reviews. Online reviews are previous customers expressing discontent or love for the site’s services and games. So, they should say a lot about the platform and its offerings.
However, you also need to pay attention to avoid doctored reviews. Many poker platforms may pay people to leave good reviews online to trick players into patronizing them. To avoid these kinds of feedback, you should source your reviews from credible platforms like Quora and Reddit, where people express their feelings without reservation towards a platform.
Final Thoughts
Poker is an intriguing game that promises great rewards. However, you will need to register and play with credible and quality sites to have a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Before choosing an internet poker site in Canada, ensure it boasts features such as an updated gaming library from top-notch developers, enhanced security protocols, updated payment methods, a valid operating license and more to get the best out of the experience.