The Best Online Casinos in Saskatchewan

Online Gambling’s Legality in Saskatchewan

Canada’s gambling laws are controlled at the provincial level. The Saskatchewan government, like all the other provincial governments, is therefore free to choose its own regulations – an approach that’s caused lots of confusion for potential online gamblers in Canada over the years. 

Officially, online gambling across Canada is considered illegal, unless the practice is conducted at a state-run site. In Saskatchewan, no such site currently exists, but the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation, commonly known as Sask Gaming, recently struck an agreement with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) to develop one. This new casino site will be regulated by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority and will offer a place for Saskatchewans to freely enjoy online casino games. 

Although online gambling at a non-government site is frowned upon, there’s no explicit legislation that forbids it. Gambling laws are targeted at operators as opposed to members of the public, illegalizing the act of private operators offering online gambling services to citizens within Canadian borders. This means that all Canadians are legally permitted to access online casinos licensed in other gambling jurisdictions, without fear of breaking the law and being prosecuted. 

The ‘Grey Zone’

If you’re unsure about how this legislation reconciles itself, you’re not the only one. In fact, such is the vagueness surrounding Canadian gambling laws that it’s generated its own recognized term: the ‘grey zone’. The grey zone refers to the space in which gambling revenue is played and lost by Canadians at online casino operators based in other parts of the world. 

Rather than imposing draconian measures on Canadians in all provinces, many argue that government at both the provincial and federal levels would be better off by formally opening up Canada to this lucrative market. Since it’s commonly known that Canadians across the country already gamble at these offshore sites – indeed, it’s estimated that $100m leaves Atlantic Canada every year through offshore gambling sites – it would be far more profitable to welcome this revenue instead of sending it elsewhere. 

With the 2021 passing of Bill C-218 in parliament – also known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act – it’s clear that perceptions are turning on Canadian online gambling. Although this bill refers to sports betting in particular, campaigners hope it will engender a new dawn in Canadian online gambling legislation. 

How We Review the Best Online Casinos Available in Saskatchewan

When we talk about the best online casinos in Saskatchewan, we’re referring to those sites that Saskatchewan residents are able to access. There are plenty of them, operating in recognized gambling territories all over the world. To narrow the field down for you, we only bother reviewing the top sites based on a series of essential ranking criteria – below are some of the key areas we look at. 

Licensing

All of our reviews start in the same place: licensing. Even if the site excels in every other area, we simply won’t give it any oxygen without a licence from a reputable regulatory body, such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) or Malta Gaming Authority. Licences from bodies like these are a mark of commitment that player data is appropriately protected, and that the site’s games undergo regular inspection from third-party auditors. 

Games Selection

The best Saskatchewan casinos won’t just have a large games library, but they’ll also be able to break it up with lots of sets of subcategories. For example, all online casinos feature plenty of slot games, but do they also host progressive jackpots and Megaways titles, as well as a collection of classic slots? This is the kind of variety we look for, and we apply this approach to all casino games, including table and live dealer games, bingo, scratch cards, and more. This section of our review also favours sites that host games from a wide variety of the industry’s most celebrated creative studios. 

Bonuses and Promotions

There are two parts to our review in this section: the site’s promotional offers, and the terms and conditions they’re bound by. As online gamblers ourselves, we understand that you can only truly arrive at an assessment of the former when considered in conjunction with the latter. The best sites will offer new members a chunky welcome bonus, and then follow this up with a series of offers for their existing customers. 

Customer Support

Although we hope it’s not the case, there may be times when you need to urgently get in contact with the casino’s customer support team. The top sites will provide this service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and those that do are well regarded in this part of our review. Failing that, it’s important for online casinos to make use of as many communication channels as possible, including live chat, social media accounts, and email and phone support. 

Site Design and Layout

Online casinos might perform well in all the above areas, but if the site is simply too difficult to navigate, then who can tell? Clearly laid out, colourfully designed, and intuitive sites are what we’re after here – this might not be your priority, but it makes a big difference in determining who sticks around.

Games at Saskatchewan Casinos

You’ll find that at all online casinos, there are four main categories of casino games – we’ve outlined these below. 

Slots

The majority of online gamblers around the world spend their time spinning the reels. As a result, games libraries at Saskatchewan casinos will be packed full of these titles, supplied by an eclectic mix of software developers. The beauty of online slot games is that no theme is too out of place, with zany, crazy creations filling a blank canvas of casino fun. No two slots are the same – not just in terms of style and theme, but also by way of game mechanics. Things like return to player (RTP) percentages and variance ratings can have a big impact on a player’s overall enjoyment, so make sure you spend a little bit of time researching these and how they influence a slot. 

Table Games

When people think of gambling, the image that often appears is of classy casino settings, highly skilled croupiers, and that lovely green felt. Online gambling is no different, with table games at roulette sites, blackjack, baccarat, and more the second most-played category of game at casino sites. These games all have fascinating backgrounds, migrating across the world and picking up new variants as they’ve travelled. 

Poker

Because there are many dedicated online poker sites, these games are less well represented than the other categories mentioned so far. However, poker’s global popularity means it would be remiss for online casinos not to include any poker titles in their portfolio, and we like to see as many variants on offer as possible. 

Live Casino

Ever since Evolution Gaming burst onto the scene in 2006, online gambling has never quite been the same. Evolution created live dealer games by bridging the gap between online casinos and physical ones, creating a hybrid genre that demands inclusion at any site worth its salt. Table and poker games are popular here, as is the innovation of live dealer game shows adapted from family TV shows and board games.

Online Casino Bonuses

The best online casinos in Saskatchewan will offer their members lots of different bonus types. Before capitalizing on any of these offers, always remember to read the terms and conditions in full – these will lay out several important rules that need to be adhered to if you stand any chance of withdrawing some cash. Below are some of the most commonly offered bonus types.

Matched Deposits

Saskatchewan casinos will frequently offer matched deposit bonuses as part of their welcome offer. This is an agreement that the casino will match your deposit at a certain percentage and up to a set limit; for example, a common offer here is ‘100% up to $100’, which would see the recipient land $200 from a $100 deposit. 

Free Spins Bonuses

Also regularly included as part of a welcome offer are free spins bonuses – a bundle of extra spins that can be used on the site’s collection of slots. Free spins bonuses at other times are usually dependent on a minimum deposit, such as an offer of 25 free spins when depositing $10. 

No Deposit Bonuses

Fancy receiving some bonus funds without staking your own money? Well then pay attention to no deposit bonuses, typically issued to new players as soon as they complete registration.

Payment Options at Saskatchewan Casinos

There’s no shortage of payment options at the best online casinos in Saskatchewan, and we’ve explained what these are below. We’ve also included their expected deposit and withdrawal speeds – the latter is the time this will take once the casino has processed the request, which can take up to 24 hours. 

Bank Cards

If you’re playing at a site licensed by the UKGC, only debit card payments are authorized, since credit cards were outlawed back in 2020. The familiarity of bank cards is one of this method’s biggest perks, accepted at all Saskatchewan casinos and qualifying any depositor for bonuses and promos. The downside is that withdrawal times are the slowest of all options. 

e-Wallets

e-Wallets are now widely considered the most complete casino payment option, offering excellent security and lightning transactions on both the depositing and withdrawing ends. There are lots of brands competing in this space; Skrill, Neteller and ecoPayz are the most popular in Canada, all offering similar benefits. 

Prepaid Cards

The defining perk of using a prepaid card like Paysafecard is that this option gives users inherent control over their spending, since only preloaded funds can be gambled. This option works on a voucher-based system – purchased either online or at dedicated retail locations – with payments authorized by a unique PIN. The major downside is that only very few casino sites can process withdrawals. 

Pay by Phone Bill

The inclusion of niche options like pay by phone bill services such as Boku sets some casino sites apart from others. This method provides an extra layer of convenience, with deposits authorized simply by entering in your mobile number. Your network provider picks up the tab, and then deducts it from your PAYG allowance or adds it to your monthly bill. However, this is another method with no opportunities to withdraw. 

Interac

Interac payments run on the same network as banks, so withdrawals are roughly as slow as bank cards. Similarly, Interac availability is high, and many Canadian casinos offer both Online and e-Transfer services, but only the latter can facilitate withdrawals.