Lauren Lister, writer, NewsDirect.com | Fact Checked By: Sarah Lunness, NewsDirect.com
The top online casino games in Canada are all provided by some of the powerhouses in casino software development. When creating an account with a new online casino, it is important to understand that in most cases, it’s not the actual casino that creates the games you play. They are generally made by independent companies that partner with online casinos.
It was commonplace that one casino brand would work with one software provider and that was the end of the story, however, nowadays it is more likely that two or three providers and some of the most popular companies include Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming and Play n’ GO.
If you’re a fan of live dealer games then Evolution Gaming are the brains behind these game types. This company provides seamless, responsive and exciting live dealer games, as well as some fantastic online poker and table games.
The Top Casino Software Providers in Canada
- Microgaming
- Playtech
- Play n GO
- Evolution Gaming
- ELK Studios
- Hacksaw Gaming
- Pragmatic Play
More on the Top Casino Software Providers in Canada
Microgaming
Perhaps the most well-known casino software developer in the world, Microgaming is a leader in a highly competitive business, pioneering and consistently creating exciting games using innovative technology. The brand has developed more than 3000 games, ranging from slots to live dealer games to games with progressive jackpots! The developer is responsible for some fan favorite games like Thunderstruck II and Immortal Romance, which are widely available across most casino sites in Canada. Playing at a casino powered by Microgaming guarantees an excellent user experience.
Best Microgaming Casino – Zodiac Casino
After hours of extensive research, we have concluded that Zodiac Casino is the best online casino powered by Microgaming software. The casino comes with a whole host of amazing features, including a generous welcome bonus, exciting games with state-of-the-art graphics, and is independently verified for its fairness. Our team of experts highly recommend Zodiac Casino to all Canadian players.
Playtech
Since its inception in 1999, Playtech has climbed up the rankings of casino software providers, and partner with almost every major online casino in Canada. Playtech offer a unique and more premium type of game in the form of branded titles, including fan-favorite superheroes to fan-favorite movie franchises. Some of the more popular games that fall under this category would be Justice League, Superman, The Dark Knight, The Matrix, Gladiator and Robocop. Playtech are also responsible for some fantastic jackpot slot games like Age of Gods.
Something else to note about this casino software provider is that Playtech is the parent company of some other amazing software companies like Ash Gaming and Quickspin, so if you ever see these brands at your favorite online casinos, know that the game quality will be the same as Playtech.
Best Playtech Casino – Casino Tropez
Casino Tropez is a highly regarded online casino with over 20 years of experience providing a top online casino experience to Canadian players. Specializing in online slots, many of which are provided by Playtech, you can expect to find top-quality games here that are all completely mobile-optimized and come with a range of generous bonuses. We highly recommend Casino Tropez if you are looking for a top Canadian casino site.
NetEnt
This top casino software provider proudly partners with the majority of the online casinos in Canada and if you take a look at the Netent game quality, you will see why it is such a popular name. Even online casino novices will have heard of this company’s top games, Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst, which are perhaps the most highly rated online slots in Canada. These games are the feature of most welcome bonuses, allowing players to claim free spins to use on these games when they create a new account. Not only that, Netent is a trailblazer in mobile-compatible games and games with high RTP, proven by the Mega Joker game with a huge 99% RTP.
Best Netent Casino – Tonybet Casino
Founded in 2003, Tonybet Casino has been a prominent name in the world of online casinos in Canada for quite some time. The brand has a wide range of games available to Canadian customers, a lucrative VIP/loyalty program, and a payout speed to rival most of the top brands on the market. With some amazing slot games provided by Netent and even a comprehensive sportsbook platform, you are guaranteed to find something to suit your needs at TonyBet Casino.
Play n GO
Having been in the business for close to 20 years, Play’n GO have plenty of experience bringing you the best casino games. The Play’n GO brand has become increasingly well-known in recent years for its Book of Dead game. Other popular Play’n GO games include Troll Hunters 2 and Rally 4 Riches, which are featured at practically every online casino. What’s unique about this company is that their games are focussed around characters, such as Rich Wilde, that customers know and love. Play’n GO also works hard to deliver an optimal mobile experience and games with high RTP. In some cases, players can get more than 97% RTP.
Best Play’n GO Casino – Dolly Casino
Despite only being a few years old, Dolly Casino has fast grown to become one of the most popular online casinos for Canadians. With its distinctive art-deco theme throughout the site, players get a luxury feeling when playing at this online casino. Dolly Casino provides a healthy number of casino games provided by the software giant Play’n GO, so when signing up for a new account and beginning your journey with this casino, you can expect high-quality at all times!
Evolution Gaming
As we mentioned previously, Evolution Gaming are responsible for almost of the live dealer casino games industry-wide and have been for a number of years. Their software successfully creates a live-stream between brick and mortar casinos where real games are happening and your device. You can access some exciting roulette, blackjack, baccarate and even poker games with a real dealer, but instead of having to be sat in the casino building, Evolution Gaming brings the experience to you in the comfort of your own home.
Best Evolution Gaming Casino – LeoVegas Casino
As mentioned before, Evolution Gaming is a software provider that specializes in high-quality live dealer games and the games they provide LeoVegas casino are no exception! This also means that you get an authentic casino experience from the comfort and convenience of wherever you are. Mobile-compatiblity and an excellent user experience are at the heart of LeoVegas and Evolution Gaming’s partnership.
ELK Studios
A newer online casino software developer on the scene is ELK Studios. Having been established in 2013, this brand may not have the same experience in terms of years than the bigger names like Evolution Gaming, Playtech and Play’n GO but ELK Studios does not let that lack of experience show. The brand provides top quality games to some of the best online casinos in Canada, with their most popular titles being Sam on the Beach, Taco Brothers and Wild Toro, which won EGR Operator Game of the Year Award in 2017. This kind of recognition shows the calibre of slot games offered by ELK Studios.
Best ELK Studios Casino – BCGame
BCGame is an online casino brand getting ready for the future! Established in 2017, BCGame is an online casino sat directly in the middle of a crypto world! The site’s main theme is crypto, with a whole host of cryptocurrencies accepted as currency, and of course a range of crypto-themed games powered by ELK Studios. If you’re interested in breaking into that world of crypto casinos, BCGame is a great place to start, but for those who are still on the fence about making that transition, the site also accepts mainstream payment methods. We highly recommend checking out the amazing games and graphics at BCGame, provided, of course, by ELK Studios.
Hacksaw Gaming
Another newbie to online gaming software is Hacksaw Gaming, a Malta-based company attempting to create a name for itself in the gaming industry. This brand, like all the others mentioned in this article, is known for its slot games, but the brand also creates some of the most popular online scratchcards. Over its lifetime, Hacksaw has released over 60 top quality games, and is definitely one to watch!
Best Hacksaw Gaming Casino – iWild Casino
Despite being a newly established casino brand in Canada, iWild Casino has a lot to offer its customers. With some of its wide range of games provided by Hacksaw Gaming, players, should they choose to create an account at iWild, can expect a high-standard online casino experience. The website interface is simple but effective with some vibrant colours and easy-to-navigate layout, making it easy to find everything you need. Why not check out iWild Casino, claim its amazing welcome bonus and play one of the excellent games from Hacksaw Gaming today?
Pragmatic Play
Even if you haven’t been playing at online casinos for particularly long time, you will probably have heard of Pragmatic Play, as it is one of the most popular software developers worldwide. With a primary focus on slots, the brand is also responsible for some amazing bingo games, table games and even some live dealer games. Pragmatic Play has released hundreds of games in its lifetime, all of which have undeniably great graphics and create an amazing online casino experience. These games are also some of the highest paying in the industry for Canadian players.
Best Pragmatic Play Casino – Spin Casino
Frequently featuring in the top 10 of most of our casino articles, Spin Casino is a first-rate online casino site with a undeniably amazing features. The site is bright, visually appealing and well-organised and of course features hundreds of outstanding games powered by the famous Pragmatic Play. Our experts had a real positive experience using this casino and playing its games, and it is all thanks to the amazing work that Pragmatic Play do.
How We Rate the Best Casino Software Providers
When rating the industry’s top casino software providers, our team of experts use a number of criteria to decide the final ranks. A casino software developer that gets a high score against all the different categories will be fast-tracked to the top of our list!
Understandably, our expert team will investigate a developers history and reputation, which can be a huge clue as to whether the brand is trustworthy. The giants in the software industry are generally thought to be more trustworthy than the newer brands, but that isn’t always the case. Our team of experts will not “judge a book by its cover,” they will open the book and read every word before making a decision, whether the brand is new or well-established. A sure-fire way to show that you are a trustworthy company is to obtain a license to operate in Canada, as this means you must adhere to the rules and regulations of that country!
Every year, there are industry awards hosted that give casino brands and software companies recognition for their practices. If a brand wins an award, they are typically displayed on the site to further show trustworthiness. Brands and companies are scrutinized by an independent judging panel that check for reputation, game offering, prioritising fair play and customer safety, as well as adhering to the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction in which they operate.
Whilst the aforementioned criteria create a solid foundation for finding the best canadian casino software providers, there are some other things to consider. Our team of experts will go straight to the source and test out the software at the online casinos themselves. We look for game selection and variety, jackpots, RTP, site speed, and site aesthetics to truly gauge a software provider. Lastly, customer reviews are a great benchmark to find out how the casino and its software provider truly performs, and luckily for you, our experts have reviewed the most popular casinos in Canada, which you can find here.
Slot Game Developers
Despite the occasional venture into producing alternative casino products like table games, scratchcards and live dealer games, the primary and most successful product created by these software providers is slot games and online slot machines. These games are more successful and highly played by Canadians due to their RTP, ease of use, and because they are the focus of many casino promotions. Some of these games are even based on fan-favorites like movie franchises, TV series and characters which just adds to the enjoyment. It gives players a sense of familiarity and home-comfort when playing online slots.
New online slots are developed and added to game portfolios daily, so it is a constant task to make sure that the best online casino software developers are maintaining high standards. Our experts are committed to updating you should a software developer’s standards start to fall.
Mobile Casino Software
It is obvious that there has been a shift from playing at online casinos on desktop to playing on their mobile devices, so it is now more important than ever that online casino software companies adapt their principles to accommodate this change. The expectation is that you should be able to play your favorite games on your mobile and there should be no limitations despite the smaller screen size. It is still possible that you will find casino games that can’t be played on mobile, but nowadays this is unlikely to happen. If you find this is happening to you, you may need to consider downloading the casino app to access the entire mobile game portfolio.
Live Casino Software
It is really no surprise that Evolution Gaming is the name behind some of Canada’s best live dealer casino games, as they have asserted their dominance in this field worldwide, not just in this country! Whilst it is clear that the majority of online casino-goers tend to gravitate towards online slots, there is still a demand for live casino games. Evolution Gaming is not the only provider competing for the best live casino game, you will find that Netent and Playtech are also putting up a good fight.
Live casino software works by setting up a connection between you, the user, and a real-life casino game that is happening in an actual casino somewhere in Canada. This technology is advanced, and creates a genuine casino experience without actually having to go to a physical casino. You can play blackjack, roulette, baccarat and many more games with a live dealer, and running this sort of operation is not dissimilar to a live stream. This type of gaming software has opened up a world of opportunities for online casino gameplay, and is growing in popularity day by day.
If you’re interested in finding our detailed guide to Canada’s best live casino sites, head over to our article.
Alternative Casino Products
Following the launch of online casinos, software was basic because of a lack of knowledge, investment and experience. Live casino games and table games were not as readily available as they are today.
In present day, you can now access a huge variety of alternative casino products from the comfort and convenience of your own home or wherever you choose. You can play online poker, bingo, and even online scratchcards all thanks to the advancement in technology provided by the giants of software development. A developer that is blazing the trail in the world of online scratchcards in particular is Hacksaw Gaming!
Licensing, Safety and Security
As we have mentioned before, you are mistaken if you think it is only online casinos that can’t operate without a license. Online software providers need to take the steps to obtain a license as well. This is not only to assure customers that they are safe and secure when playing online, it is to ensure that the company is operating transparently. All online software providers need to submit their games for independent testing for fairness. This is typically done through the use of random number generators (RNGs) to ensure that a game’s advertised RTP is accurate. This also ensures the legitimacy of progressive jackpots.
All online casino software providers that we recommend are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, or the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) which means players in Canada can rest assured that their safety and security is of the highest importance to these providers, leaving you to have fun while using online casinos.
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 19 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: