The Best Poker Sites in Canada for 2024

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In this review of playing online poker in Canada, you can find a list of the best online poker sites for Canadian players. You can read about how we made our list featuring the best online gambling sites for Canadian players, how to sign up for a poker site, the types of promotions they offer, as well as how to choose the right site for you. To help you do these things, we have created how-to sign-up guides and criteria lists. An FAQ section can also be found at the end of the article. 

Best Online Poker Sites Canada

Best Real Money Poker Sites 2024

Pokerstars

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At Pokerstars, you can find one of the best live dealer sections on the market right now, with every variety of poker available. On top of this, players can enjoy a range of slot and table games and 23 versions of online poker. All of these games can be wagered on with top payment methods, such as Interac, Skrill and Neteller. We highly recommend checking out this best online casino site and its vast offering of online poker. 

Pros: ✅

  • Sports markets and other casino games are on offer
  • Variety of payment options
  • Extensive how-to-guides

Cons: ❌

  • Only live chat support is available

GGPoker

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GGPoker is much newer to the industry than some of the other online poker sites on this list, it was established in 2017, and in this short time, GGPoker has made quite a name for itself. At this site, players can enjoy betting on the World Series Of Poker (WSOP) and any other poker tournaments or games happening, all of which have their own specialized competitive odds. 

Pros: ✅

  • A dedicated mobile app is available
  • Huge range of promotions
  • Top poker variants on offer

Cons: ❌

  • Deposit and withdrawal methods are limited

888 Poker

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Being one of the biggest names in the industry, it is no wonder as to why 888 Poker has made it on this list. One thing in particular that stood out to us is its large variety of deposit and withdrawal options offering anything you could want, from e-wallets such as PayPal and Neteller to paying by mobile options such as Apple Pay and Pay By Phone. These methods are all safe, secure and fast so players can make the most of their betting experience.

Pros: ✅

  • Many awards under its belt, including awards for poker
  • Guides on how to play poker variations
  • Details can be used to play at all 888 sites

Cons: ❌

  • Only three currencies are accepted

WPT Poker

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The VIP program at WPT Poker is one of the best available; players earn points by betting across the site, whether that's on poker, slots, table games, video poker, jackpot games or blackjack. As you move up the loyalty tiers, you will receive many rewards, such as free spins/tickets/bets, deposit bonuses, and reload bonuses. Here players can also take advantage of numerous tournaments, all with top-tier prizes; not only this but bettors can also compete in the Player of the Year Competition, where bettors can win great prizes based on their overall ranking. 

Pros: ✅

  • Advanced poker strategy page
  • Tournaments are constantly ongoing
  • Top-tier VIP program

Cons: ❌

  • The site can be hard to navigate and use

Party Poker

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The considerable amount of poker games at Party Poker is one of the key things that put its name on this list. Players can enjoy the 9 game variants; Texas Hold’em, Pot-Limit and No-Limit are all included. Customers can also enjoy over 1,500 slot games, including all the famous names; these games come from top software providers. Jackpot sloth, roulette, blackjack, live dealer, scratch cards, table games and instant win games are also available. 

Pros: ✅

  • A frequently updated blog for updates in the industry and on the site
  • Many promotions to pick from
  • Social media account with updates

Cons: ❌

  • Long and detailed terms and conditions which can be hard to understand

Finding the Best Canadian Poker Sites

Choosing the best Canadian poker site out of the vast array on the market is a long and tedious process, so let us do all of the hard work for you. The above sites have undergone a meticulous assessment process, using all the factors we have listed below to make it on our list. All of the points below have been deemed to be essential by us and other gamblers. 

Range of Poker Games

If you are a regular bettor, you may already know the many variations of poker games, such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Pai Gow and Stud Poker; the best poker sites offer all these and more. At our listed sites, you can play Pai Gow poker online, which is extremely popular among poker fans worldwide. Players should look out for payout levels and game quality when deciding which game to play. Another perk of the sites on our list is that they offer a range of live poker options alongside other live casino betting options

Poker Bonuses and Promos

Bonuses can make or break a site; you want a site that not only offers a range of promotions to both new and existing customers but also one that has fair terms and conditions. Great bonuses players should keep an eye out for free spins, free tickets, free bets or free chips, reload, match up, no deposit and VIP promotions. Why not create an account and claim one of these promotions today?

Background Check

We ensure that all of the sites undergo a rigorous background check; this involves looking at customer reviews, other review pages and any news articles on the brand. We look for complaints about slow payouts, not receiving money or lost/stolen information. You can rest assured that all the sites on the list have passed these checks with flying colours. 

Mobile Poker Options

Being available on mobile platforms helps poker sites stay popular; it is rare that a site that will not have a website that is available for mobile browsers. However, it is more uncommon for a site to provide an app, let alone an app that is applicable for both iOS and Android. All the sites on our list have either a mobile-compatible site or a dedicated mobile app. 

Customer Support

Ensuring that customers are safe and supported at each and every site we suggest is vital in our list-making; we look for sites that provide a range of support methods, whether that is phone numbers, email addresses or live chat. You will also be able to find links to gambling support pages and extensive FAQ sections for all customer enquiries, whether they are out of curiosity or urgency. 

Poker Software Providers

As we mentioned previously, having a range of online poker games is important to players, but on top of this, the games should come from the top online pokers software providers such as iGaming and Playtech; these providers offer secure and fair games so players can feel at ease while betting. 

Payment Methods

At these poker sites, you can find an extensive list of payment methods to fulfil your payment method preferences; e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, prepaid cards and debit cards are all available. These payment options are all secure and highly trusted in the industry, such as Paypal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard and Bitcoin. 

Rake and Online Poker Fees

A rake is a commission taken by a cardroom operating any poker game; it ranges from around 2.5% to 10% of the pot in each hand played. Depending on the pot size, this will only go up to a predetermined max amount. However, something that you need to look out for is some card rooms take a set amount from the pot, no matter what size it is. 

How to Sign Up to an Online Poker Site

Signing up for any online poker site is a quick and easy process; if players follow the listed steps below, they can be signed up and betting in a matter of minutes. 

  • Step 1: Click the link at the top of the page for the site(s) you want to sign up to.
  • Step 2: Press the ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Create Account’ button at the top of the page.
  • Step 3: Create an account by entering all the required information, including date of birth, address, age, name, phone number and a valid form of ID. Here you will create a username and password.
  • Step 4: Log in with the details you made earlier and start betting.

Poker Bonuses and Promotions

There are many promotions offered by online casinos, both for poker and general gaming; all of these are unique and vary from site to site. All terms and conditions are different for each site and offer, so always be sure to read them thoroughly before claiming. 

Match Bonuses

This kind of bonus is prevalent amongst bettors; these bonuses can be found all over a site as new, existing and loyal customer promotions. In these offers, players make a deposit; the site will then match this a certain amount of times. For example, a 200% bonus would reward players an additional $20 if they deposit $10, meaning they will have $30 in total.

No Deposit Bonuses

A no deposit bonus is usually a new customer offer; for these promotions, players only need to do a few things; create an account or enter a bonus code. These promos are so popular as bettors can get familiar with a site or get used to betting without having to spend any money. It is important to note that almost all no deposit bonuses will come with wagering requirements. 

Reload Bonuses

A reload bonus is offered to players who have ever made a deposit at the casino; it is similar to loyalty bonuses in that it rewards players for continuing to bet at the casino. Some reload bonuses require you to deposit a certain amount in a given time, like a month, to claim it. Bonuses can include anything from free chips to multipliers to free spins. 

Tournament Tickets

Some sites provide players with regular tournaments; these tournaments can be entered several times. Free tickets can be used to meet the tournament's requirements; some sites reward bettors from getting to certain levels of the tournament, and some offer rewards for placing. Better rewards will be given for a higher place. Tournaments can be for a range of games; poker, slots, bingo and sports are all included in this. 

Referral Bonuses

This is an excellent bonus for a casino as it rewards customers and new players and attracts bettors to the site. Players can claim these by following a few steps; these will vary from site to site, but generally, gamblers share the link to the site, and when the other player is signing up, they use a specific code that is individual to each customer. Once this is done, bonuses will be rewarded into one of both of the players’ accounts; these can include free spins, deposit bonuses, multipliers, free bets, free chips and more. So if you find a site with a referral bonus, it is always worth giving it a try. 

Loyalty Bonuses

These are used to reward players for continuing to bet on the site; when a customer bets a certain amount over time, they receive bonuses. These can include free spins, free chips, reload bonuses, free bets, match bonuses and tickets. Some loyalty programmes are specific to the game selections, like Poker. Players move up tiers by earning a range of things, and this will depend on the site, sometimes XP points, tokens or even credits. One site in particular with a great loyalty program is WPT Poker.

Is Online Poker Legal?

It is easy to become confused by Canadian gambling laws regarding online gambling, so we’ve broken it down for you. Canadian laws state, namely the Criminal Code of Canada, that any casino operating within Canadian territory is illegal. However, nothing is said about offshore gaming; therefore, that is what bettors do. For example, the Kahnawake Commission, which is not bound by Canadian law, offers casinos that players can sign up to. 

Although operating casinos in Canada is not currently legal, that may change in upcoming years; this will be partially due to Ontario becoming the first province to open a legal gambling market in Canada in 2022. 

Tips for Choosing the Right Poker Site for You

Every customer has their priorities and requirements for an online poker site; these factors are all personal to each player, so when you make your final decision be sure to consider all of the following factors. So although our criteria aims to appeal to each player's requirements, there are some things you must consider yourself.

Poker Games

Any avid poker player is aware of the many poker variants; these players are aware of which ones they like more than others, so for these players picking a site that offers it is important. Whereas newer poker players may want to test out the waters of each version, for these punters, it is vital that the sites they are signing up for offers multiple poker versions. Some poker variations you might want to consider are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 3-Card Stud and Caribbean Stud Poker. All of these types have slightly varying rules, so you can enjoy learning and playing new games whenever you get bored or when you just want to try something new.

Aim of the Game

Bettors need to ask themselves what they want to get out of their poker-playing experience. Some sites are great for just playing online poker for fun, others for teaching new bettors and some for helping those who wish to improve their online poker strategy or even those who want to improve their poker face. Be sure to pick the site where you can get the most out of your experience. Players who want to work on poker strategy might want to try Pokerstars, and those who just wish to play for fun could give Party Poker a try. 

Mobile or Desktop?

Some players prefer to bet on the go, so picking a site that offers either a mobile app (for iOS and Android) or mobile-compatible site, or both, is vital in their final decision. The sites on our list do exactly that; you can choose from apps, mobile-compatible sites or just the regular desktop, depending on your preference. We know that some players prefer the comfort of a bigger screen, so picking a site with an exciting and easy-to-use site is more important, which is what we’ve made sure to do. Some sites are better optimized to one than others, so this is also worth checking out.

How Much do you Want to Deposit?

Like in life, some customers have a higher budget than others, so those with a higher one can enjoy playing poker games without worry, but some players may wish to opt-in for some free poker games or promotions to get them started. Some games and promotions will require you to deposit a minimum amount, but don’t worry, not all games will require this, and the minimum deposit is not usually anything too extreme, around £10 more often.

Poker Bonuses

Having a range of promotions is vital for all kinds of poker players, so bettors want to pick a site that offers bonuses and promos for both new and existing customers, which are available on a range of games. Some promotions customers may be looking for include no deposit, free spins, free bets, reload, VIP, match deposits and welcome offers. All of the websites on our list offer a great variety in this field, especially welcome promotions and loyalty bonuses. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best poker online site?

The best poker site is up to you, as you will have your own preferences and needs. However, all of the sites cater to specific and general requirements, so be sure to check them out when making your decision. 

Can I play online poker in Canada?

Yes, as long as you find a site that operates in Canada and offers poker games, like the ones on our list, you are free to play poker online in Canada. There are multiple variations available at these sites as well, so you will be spoilt for choice. 

Can Canadians play on Pokerstars?

Yes, Pokerstars has made its site available to Canadian gamblers, so if you reside in Canada, you can sign up and bet with them. 

Is online poker legal in Canada?

Fortunately for Canadian bettors, yes, so long as the site is managed by a provincial government and has all of the valid licensing, you can legally play in Canada.

Can I play online poker in Ontario?

Yes, a number of betting apps and sites are legal in Ontario and offer Ontario online poker, including those on our list; in Ontario, bettors can also bet via lottery or in-person outlets. 

Do any online poker sites offer a mobile app?

There is a huge range of poker sites online that offer mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices; if not, some sites have optimized their sites for mobile browsers. 

Summary

Overall the sites on our list are the very best poker sites for Canadian players; they provide customers with all of the best casino games, poker and otherwise, and they also offer all of the best promotions and customer support options. The final verdict on the best online poker sites Canada is up to you, based on your preferences and desires for a site.

DISCLAIMER: We would like to emphasize that gambling is risky and should not be used to resolve financial difficulties. The saying “the house always wins” is worth keeping in mind.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, we firmly advise you to call the Gamblers Anonymous at 1-626-960-3500 to speak with an expert about getting assistance and making gambling safer for you or your friends and loved ones. Remember that all gaming websites and instructions are intended for people aged 18 and above.

Some of the casino sites featured on our site may not be available in your location. Check your local regulations to see if internet gambling is permitted in your area.

Check out the following organizations for free gambling addiction resources:

This post originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.