The Best Interac Online Casinos in Canada

What is Interac?

Interac is a Canadian interbank network that allows financial institutions and other enterprises to make electronic monetary transactions, and also serves as Canada’s debit card system.

Interac’s e-transfer and online payment services are popular banking methods at Canadian online casinos. The e-transfer function is commonly used to send payments to friends and family, but doesn’t involve the direct transfer of money between two different bank accounts.

Instead, payments are approved via a third-party payment solutions company called CertaPay, which then authorizes the transaction and sends a notification to both participants by email. Interac e-transfer is widely available at both Canadian financial institutions and casino sites, and is regulated by the Bank of Canada.  

When using Interac e-transfer at a gambling site, the casino will issue users with a specified email address as a destination for the transaction, followed by a security question as a layer of authentication. Interac e-transfer can therefore be used by any customer with an email address and a Canadian bank account.

Interac Online

For Interac online, or Interac debit, customers can pay for deposits by directly transferring funds through the online banking system. This option is faster and more seamless than Interac e-transfer, as there’s no need to authenticate payments through email addresses and security questions.

However, the downside is that Interac online is not as widely available as Interac e-transfer, as the service is only available to customers of four of the five largest Canadian banks: RBC, BMO, Scotiabank, and TD Canada Trust. CIBC, the sole outlier, uses Visa Debit payments for online transactions between bank accounts.

History of Interac

Interac, whose current CEO is Mark O’Connell, was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between five of Canada’s biggest financial institutions: RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC, TD, and Desjardins. Today, the number of participating institutions has risen to over 250.

In 1994, Interac launched Interac Debit, which allows users to make purchases using the money stored in their bank account. Almost 10 years later, in 2003, Interac expanded into the world of electronic payments with their e-Transfer service. These two services, Interac Debit and Interac e-Transfer, still form the basis of the Interac company model.

Interac’s headquarters is located at the Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto.

How to Make Casino Deposits with Interac

Follow this simple step-by-step guide and you’ll be making an Interac casino deposit in no time:

1. Browse through our recommended list of the best Interac online casinos
2. Read our reviews and compare the welcome bonuses on offer at each 
3. Click through to the gambling site that best suits your needs and interests 
4. Sign up by entering your personal information, such as your name, address, and email address
5. Click through to the cashier page to make your first deposit
6. Select your Interac deposit method – either e-transfer or online services 
7. Key in the deposit amount and follow the on-site prompts
8. Select your banking institution and click confirm
9. Wait for verification checks and processes – this can take a bit of time when new players first sign up to an online casino 
10. Place your first wager!

Benefits of Using Interac

While playing at an online casino – which can sometimes be a pressurized environment – gamblers want to feel secure about their online banking infrastructure and the method by which they’re depositing their own money. Since Canadians have been familiar with the Interac brand for a number of decades, it’s a well-established candidate for online casino transactions.
Of course, if Interac was a perfect online casino payment method, it would be the only one to choose from. While Interac is an excellent all-round banking option, each individual will have their own set of preferences when it comes to payment methods based on their own gambling habits.

Games Available at Interac Casinos

Once you’ve signed up and deposited some funds at an Interac casino, you’ll have a whole library of exciting online casino games at your disposal. For those who are new to online casinos, or are interested in trying out a different sort of casino game, below is a brief summary of some of the most popular options.

Slots

Slots are the most common type of games at online casinos, and you’ll no doubt be greeted by quite an overwhelming number of options when you enter your new Interac casino. 

The best course of action is to try out some free slots before deciding which ones you want to stake real money on. Another nice way of navigating your way through the slot offering is by learning about the different types of slot games. Progressive jackpot slots, for example, feature jackpots that accumulate over time, and can therefore produce some astronomical jackpots. In 2019, for example, a Canadian player won $20,059,287 CAD on the popular progressive jackpot slot, Mega Moolah, from one of iGaming’s biggest and best slot providers, Microgaming.  

Table Games

There’s a number of different table games available at Interac casinos, which will each suit different kinds of players. We’re sure you’ll already be familiar with most of these, but just in case you need reminding, here’s a brief description of the most popular:

• Blackjack – For the uninitiated, the aim of blackjack is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going bust. Your options are to hit, stand, split, double down or, at some blackjack tables, surrender.  
• Roulette – Roulette is all about betting on the potential outcomes of the spin of the roulette wheel. You can bet on the roulette ball landing on red, black or any various selections and rows of numbers, with varying payout odds. 
• Baccarat – The winning hand in baccarat is that which gets closest to 9 from a two, or sometimes three card deal. Unlike blackjack, which is quite a similar game, players can bet on which hand will win between theirs and the dealer’s, or even on a tie. 
• Craps – Craps is a game based on the potential outcomes of two-dice rolls. Though this may sound simple, the rules are rather complicated. In short: rolling a 7 or an 11 is a win; a 2, 3 or a 12 is a loss; any other number establishes a ‘point’. To win after the point is established, you’ll need to roll that number again before rolling a 7. Of course, you can bet on a number of different outcomes, so it’s not quite as simple as winning or losing, but those are the basics.  
• Keno – Keno is a lottery-style game in which players place bets on up to 20 numbers between 1 and 80. The more selections you get right, the bigger your payout. 

Leading Software Providers at Interac Casinos Canada

We’re always on the lookout for the best software providers when reviewing Interac casinos in Canada. They not only provide assurances about the quality of the games on offer, but being partnered with industry’s most esteemed developers is also testament to an online casino’s trustworthiness and reputation. If you’re not sure who the main players are in terms of software providers, here’s some brief information on a few of the biggest names. 

Responsible Gambling at Interac Casinos

Responsible gambling is all about being able to gamble for casual fun and entertainment. For the industry itself, it’s an umbrella term for the practices employed by regulators, operators, and charities to raise awareness of the associated risks and harms. 

Licensed online casinos are required to provide responsible gambling tools such as deposit and time limits that can help players manage their spending and activity. Operators are also audited to ensure they monitor excessive spending on their sites.

There’s also plenty that casino players can do themselves to maintain healthy gambling habits. Here are our top tips for gambling safely and responsibly:

• Set a clear budget
• Use on-site spending limiters
• View gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money
• Only bet what you can afford to lose
• Don’t chase your losses in an effort to win money back
• Don’t hide your gambling from friends and family
• Never gamble when upset, angry, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Seek help if you need it

Where to Get Help

If you or someone close to you is struggling with a gambling problem, there are several organizations in Canada that can help:

• Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) – The RGC has worked for over 35 years to establish safeguards and support for people who gamble. It also recently released a new app, SPRinG, designed to support the self-management of gambling urges amongst Canadians aged 19 and over. 
• ConnexOntario – Ontario residents can use ConnexOntario’s free and confidential support for problem gambling via live chat, phone, email, or text. The website also has a directory for other local services that can help.
• YMCA – The YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program is a free service offering interactive awareness-raising workshops and a range of relevant audio series.