Best Online Casinos in Manitoba

Online Gambling’s Legality in Manitoba

As is the case in all Canadian provinces, providing online gambling services in Manitoba is prohibited unless carried out by a state-run operator. For years, no such operator in Manitoba existed, but the success of British Columbia’s PlayNow site – launched in 2004, and owned and regulated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) – changed perceptions within the Manitoba government.

In 2013, Manitoba approved the launch of its own online gambling site, adopting the same business model as the BCLC and sharing its PlayNow platform. As a result, PlayNow Manitoba now operates under the wing of the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA). The site hosts a great selection of casino games, supplied by developing giants like IGT, Bally, and Big Time Gaming. 

However, our guide wouldn’t mean much if it were just a review of a government-controlled site. Although Canadian gambling laws makes any service provided by a private operator illegal, there’s nothing in the legislation that forbids Canadian residents from playing at sites regulated in foreign gambling territories. As such, our references to the best online casinos in Manitoba refer to any site that Manitobans can access around the world. These sites are perfectly safe and illegal to play at, licensed by respected gambling bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority, and others. 

The ‘Grey Zone’

This contradiction in legislation – that Canadians are legally allowed to gamble online, but no operators are permitted to provide this service within Canada’s borders – has led to plenty of confusion over the years. So much so that the term the ‘grey zone’ has come to represent this liminal space between legislation. 

The grey zone refers to the practice of gambling at an offshore site from within Canada, signifying all the lost revenue potential as this practice takes place. In Atlantic Canada alone, for example, it’s thought that roughly $100m is lost at offshore gambling sites every year. 

These financial losses have caused many Canadians on the ground and in parliament to argue for changes to Canada’s gambling laws. The launching of state-run sites over the past decade or so is part of this change, but many argue that this doesn’t go far enough – Canadians are still gambling at offshore sites, and revenue opportunities continue to be missed.

How We Review the Best Online Casinos Available in Manitoba

Online gambling is an incredibly competitive space, with many operators vying to claim your custom. So much choice can be overwhelming, which is where we step in. Our expert team of reviewers work hard to bring you reports of only the best online casinos, marking sites against a series of carefully thought-out criteria. Here are some of the key areas we look at. 

Licensing

Holding a licence from a respected industry regulator doesn’t make a site great. In fact, it’s the minimum requirement for a shoutout on BestOnlineCasinos, and you can rest assured that we’ll never recommend sites with questionable licensing credentials. Online gambling licences prove that an operator makes certain commitments to its members, such as appropriate data encryption, regular independent auditing of its games, and trustworthy banking processes. If a Manitoba casino doesn’t have a suitable licence, that’s where our review ends. 

Game Selection

The best Manitoba casinos won’t just have a big games library, but they’ll also host games from an eclectic mix of the most illustrious developers in the business. This guarantees an interesting ensemble of titles, covering all of the essentials: online slots, table games, live casino, bingo, and more. Within these broad categories, we also want to see as many variants as possible, such as plenty of different poker games. Gambling is entertainment, and the best way to provide this is through varied game selection. 

Bonuses and Promotions

High up on the priority of many online gamblers is the quality of a site’s bonuses and promotions. This all starts with the welcome bonus, which we expect to be of significance at the top Manitoba casino sites. From then on, regular, accessible, and varied bonuses are an indication that an online casino enjoys giving something back to its players. There are marks from us for creativity here, such as hosting on-site tournaments, leaderboards, and daily challenges. We’ll also take a look at the nature of the T&Cs, which is necessary to gain a full picture of the quality of a bonus. 

Customer Support

As gamblers ourselves, we understand how frustrating poor customer service can be in the crux of the moment. That’s why we look for sites that offer multiple channels of customer support, including helpful FAQs, email and phone support, live chat facilities, and good use of social media accounts. At the best Manitoba casinos, live chat will be up and running 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Site Design and Layout

There’s no bigger frustration of ours than sites performing well in the above areas but letting themselves down on UX and UI. Simply put, if a site is too glitchy, unattractive, or difficult to navigate, players won’t stick around for long. Well-designed sites extend beyond appearances, and we like to see lots of helpful account management tools and categorization of games. 

Games at Manitoba Casinos

There are four primary areas of online casino games at modern sites. Let’s take a look at them below. 

Slots

Software developers treat slots like a blank canvas. All of these games involve spinning reels, but themes, design, and game mechanics are as varied as the imagination – from Greek gods to cat gangsters, nothing is too weird in the world of online slots. The top Manitoba casinos will break this category down into classic slots, video slots, progressive jackpots, and Megaways titles, offering players lots of variety. It’s important if you’re playing these games to make sure you’ve understood concepts like return to player (RTP) percentages and variance, both of which will have an influence on your budget. 

Table Games

Blackjack, roulette, baccarat – whatever you like to play, the best casinos in Manitoba will have them all. But this is standard at most casino sites, and we like to see variants of dice games too, such as sic bo and craps. Table games are a departure from the quirky world of slot animations, evoking the kind of gambling depictions we’ve become used to seeing in popular culture. All of these games have fascinating histories, which goes some way to explaining their enduring popularity. 

Poker

Poker occupies its own category because it typically involves playing against other players as opposed to the house. Poker’s admiration around the world has overseen the launching of lots of dedicated sites, which has caused its appearance at online casinos to diminish somewhat. Still, we expect to see a decent handful of options available across a range of variants. 

Live Casino

If you think gambling online is too impersonal an experience, then perhaps you should give live casinos a try. The live casino craze took off once Evolution Gaming and other software developers proved how successful they are, with operators marrying the convenience of online gambling with the authenticity of a real casino. Live casino games are streamed from actual casinos or purpose-built studios, and are managed by professional croupiers. Table games are incredibly popular here, but so too are live dealer game shows, adapted from family TV entertainment. 

Online Casino Bonuses

Manitoba’s best online casinos will follow up on their welcome offer with a series of other bonuses. We’ve outlined some of the forms these bonuses take, but before taking advantage of them, it’s essential that you read the terms and conditions in full. Factors such as wagering requirements, game contributions, time limits, and winning caps will all have an effect on the bonus. 

Matched Deposits

Welcome bonuses usually involve a matched deposit – an offer made by the casino to equal a portion of a player’s deposit. There are two parts to these offers: the first is the percentage at which the deposit will be met, the second is to what limit. For example, a popular matched deposit welcome bonus is 100% up to $100, which would double a player’s deposit with bonus funds. 

Free Spins Bonuses

Free spins bonuses often make up the second part of a welcome bonus, issuing players with a bundle of spins to use on the site’s slots catalogue. When free spins are offered as standalone bonuses, players will usually need to make a qualifying deposit. 

No Deposit Bonuses

The best online casinos in Manitoba may even offer new players bonus funds just for signing up. Known as no deposit bonuses, these will be smaller in value than their matched deposit cousins, but are no less valuable as a result.

Payment Options at Manitoba Casinos

Part of our reviewing process also takes into consideration the casino’s use of banking options. Today, there are many different methods with which online gamblers can pay for their bets, and we like to see as many options as possible. Below are some of the most common, along with their expected deposit and withdrawal speeds. 

Bank Cards

All Manitoba casinos will offer either debit or credit card deposits, and all deposits made with this method will qualify players for bonus offers. The downside is that withdrawals are slower than any other option. 

e-Wallets

Favoured by many Canadian gamblers, e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller and ecoPayz offer great speed without compromising on security. Withdrawals will be received instantly once your details have been authorized – a benefit too good to pass up for many players. 

Prepaid Cards

If you’re looking for a payment method that helps encourage conservative spending, then prepaid cards like Paysafecard is a good option. Only preloaded funds can be spent, and these are transferred to online casinos in the form of vouchers, bought either physically or online. There are very limited opportunities to withdraw, however. 

Pay by Phone Bill

Pay by phone bill providers like Boku are less prevalent at Canadian casinos, but we like to see players given this option. Working in partnership with mobile network providers, these payments are initially paid on behalf of the user, before being charged to their monthly contracts, or subtracted from PAYG credit. A quick and convenient option, but players can’t make withdrawal requests.

Interac

Canadians can also use Interac Online and e-Transfer services to make casino deposits, but only the latter can handle withdrawals. Interac functions on the same network as banks, so withdrawals will also be slow with this option.