How Are Live Casino Bonuses Different
Modern online gambling is pretty much incomplete without live dealer games. These games started to become popular in the 2006-2007 era when the first smartphones came out. Since then, the industry has only improved itself to become one of the most popular areas of iGaming.
However, popularity is not the sole credit of the games or the providers. The operators have also contributed by offering very generous live casino bonuses. Just like the rest of the world, Canadian players also look forward to these bonuses.
In this guide, we plan to discover every secret live casino online bonus has to hide. We’re going to shed light on what these bonuses are, how they work, what are the terms and conditions, and lots of other helpful information.
The Best Live Casino Bonuses in Canada
To enjoy the live casino bonuses we’ve going to cover on this page, you first need to decide what online casino to sign up for. Live casinos are rarely on their own and are almost always a part of an online casino. So, here are the best online casinos in Canada that offer live casino bonuses.
What Are Live Casino Bonuses?
In simple words, live casino bonuses are online rewards that casino operators offer on live dealer games. These bonuses can be exclusive to these games or apply to other game types as well. From what we’ve seen, very few casino operators go for exclusive bonuses. Rather, they offer rewards that players with all kinds of preferences can enjoy.
To understand how live bonuses work, we believe a little background on the dynamics of the games is needed. By definition, these are online games that you play in the presence of a human dealer. At a first glance, these games look like they’re simple video streams from the provider’s studio.
However, the reality is quite fascinating. Live games currently use a technology known as the OCR (Optical Character Recognition). It’s often rigged right into the camera in front of the dealer and connected to your console.
The “console” is the control panel on your screen when you play a live dealer game. Based on your inputs and the movements on the table, the OCR can accurately determine the result of the game. At the same time, it automatically credits any winnings you may have generated during the process.
As you can see, these games are fundamentally different from what we’re used to with other online casino games. That’s why the type of bonuses you get on these games are also different in some cases.
If you’re interested in how live casino games work and where you can find the best of them in Canada, feel free to read our dedicated guide.
Different Types of Live Casino Bonuses
Similar to all the other casino online bonuses, live bonuses are broken into multiple categories. Some of them you’re already familiar with. As for the rest, well, let’s get into the details right away.
Free Chips
If you’re a regular at online casinos, you must know about free spins. The spins an online casino may offer for a particular online slot that doesn’t require any money from your account. Free chips are somewhat similar in the sense that they only apply to live dealer games.
The “chips”, in this case, are the same chips you get at land-based casinos. When you walk into a brick-and-mortar casino, you can’t offer cash to the dealers. Rather, you’ll first need to convert the cash into chips. For slot machines, you get coins instead of chips.
You can get different types of chips. Based on what casino it is, the minimum value may start from C$1 only. Then, you can get C$5 chips, C$10 chips, C$20 chips, C$50 chips, and so on.
A similar concept applies to the free chips at online casinos. The difference here is that all of the chips will be valued the same. The casino operator may or may not restrict your access to all games in the promotion.
Tournaments
In Canada, live casino tournaments are more common than live casino bonuses. All the games including live roulette, live blackjack, or live baccarat may be a part of the tournament. Like most tournaments, these are also leaderboard based. You rank higher based on how much you’ve spent in real money.
The top position holders from the leaderboard then take home big chunks of the prize pool. As you’re getting more than you would normally get, these tournaments are considered live casino bonuses.
Live Casino Welcome Bonus
Among all the other bonus types, this is the most common, even for a live casino. Many operators offer separate welcome bonuses for the RNG games and live games. Some operators only offer a live casino bonus for the new players.
Whatever the case is, if you find a welcome bonus that only applies to live casino games, it’ll be mentioned right on the label. If these are your preferred bonuses, check out the casinos we’ve listed on this page.
Reload Bonuses
Another common type of bonus for live casino enthusiasts. These are similar to deposit match bonuses or welcome bonuses but they’re for existing players. You get them when you “reload” your account.
Some casinos offer reload bonuses on a weekly basis while others may offer it monthly. Like every other bonus, we highly recommend that you read the terms and conditions before you claim one of these bonuses.
Cashback Bonuses
Live casino cashback bonuses are fairly common in Canada. If you’re not aware, a cashback bonus is offered based on how much you lose in real money. And a live casino cashback means you get a refund on lost bets for live dealer games.
The percentages for these bonuses are often the same as other cashback bonuses, between 5% and 20%. There is a time frame for when you need to lose and how much the loss should be. So, in retrospect, you can’t really “claim” these bonuses as there’s no guarantee you’ll lose the appropriate amount.
No Deposit Live Bonuses
Although you’re very unlikely to secure such a bonus, it’s possible. A no deposit bonus may bless your account any time during your adventure with an operator. The bonus may only apply to live casino games or all game types. Whatever the case is, you should seize the opportunity because it doesn’t require you to deposit any money.
The Most Common Terms and Conditions for Live Casino Bonuses
By now, you should be familiar with the terms and conditions. Every single bonus you get from an online casino in Canada will come with terms and conditions. The same goes for live casino bonuses.
Wagering/Playthrough Requirements
Without completing the wagering requirements, you cannot withdraw any online bonus. The wagering requirements for live casinos are often the same as other bonuses offered by a particular operator.
For example, if the bonus is tied to a 40x wagering and you secure a C$200 bonus, it means you need to spend C$200 x 40 = C$8,000 using the bonus. If you don’t complete the process, the bonus will get confiscated from your account to never come back.
Time Limits & Expiry Dates
No online casino will allow you to keep the bonus in your account without using it. Free chips are usually the shortest living bonus in a live casino. For these, you have to worry about 2 separate deadlines. One is for using the bonus and the other one is for wagering the winnings.
The rest of the bonuses, however, are only bound by the wagering requirements expiry date. Ideally, you look for longer expiry dates. That way you don’t have to stress over completing the wagering.
Max Bet
Let’s say you have to wager C$8,000 to release a bonus for withdrawal. What if you place a massive C$8,000 bet and call it a day?
Unfortunately, it won’t work in any online casino in Canada. It’s simply because all operators have what is known as a “max bet” restriction. It refers to how much money you can place on a single bet during the wagering period. If you go over, that bet won’t count toward completing the wagering.
How We Choose the Best Live Casinos
The casinos you see on the list of this page are backed by our experts. But it doesn’t mean they’ve shoved their preferred brands in there just for the sake of it. We take pride in our bias-free evaluations. To maintain transparency, let’s go over our ranking criteria quickly.
- License: Without a license, no online casino can ever make it to one of our lists. We can compromise with a lot of things but not with your security. At the same time, unlicensed casino operators are outright illegal in Canada!
- Other Security Parameters: Along with the license, the operator must also use SSL 128-bit encryption on the website to keep your personal information safe. Having a 3rd party auditing company means you can rely more on the fairness practices of the casino.
- Live Casino Library: As we’re dealing with live casino bonuses in the first place, it only makes sense the library of games is a major part of our ranking process. But we don’t solely focus on live games. Rather, we look for a dynamic overall game library.
- Payment Methods: To deposit the bonuses as well as to withdraw them, you will need a safe and quick payment method at your disposal. Canada is a land of many online payment methods and all the brands you can see listed here offer a varying combination of them.
- Customer Support: The very nature of live dealer games makes them prone to technical issues. It might be on your end as well as on the operator’s end. To know what exactly went wrong, you need a dedicated customer support team. You’ll see the reflection when you sign up for the brands we’ve recommended.
FAQ
What casino has the best bonuses in Canada?
Not all the players are after the same type of bonus. So, it’s hard for us to declare which casino offers the best bonus in Canada. What we recommend is that you go through all of our recommended sites and pick the one you think is best.
Which is the best live casino game?
If you’re asking for our opinion, we have to go with Blackjack. It’s our favorite game because it’s relatively simple and it’s not entirely based on luck. So, you have room to improve your skill in the long run.
What are live casinos?
Casino operators that offer games where you can interact with a live casino croupier are categorized as live casinos.
Are live casino bonuses safe?
As long as the terms and conditions associated with the bonuses are fair and the casino can prove a valid license, all the live casino bonuses are safe.
Which games can I play with a live casino bonus?
All the live casino games an operator might be offering in Canada. It includes roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, poker, and so on.