Photo by Jamie In Bytown
Playing the slots, blackjack, tables and cards at casinos is a popular pastime among many Canadians. This can be seen in the growing popularity of the Canadian online gambling industry which generates around $16 billion a year in revenue. However, while online gambling is popular thanks to its convenience, if you look at an award winning online casino like 32Red or other well-known sites such as BGO and 888, you’ll find that much of their appeal lies in the fact that they’re modeled upon the traditional land-based casinos. 32Red, for example, has a games arcade and live casino to give an authentic experience.
Nothing can beat the atmosphere you can get from playing at world renowned casinos in Ottawa. However, online casinos present you with quite a few advantages that bricks and mortar casinos can’t offer you. The prevalence of online casinos in Canada is not a surprise and can easily be explained by a wide range of real money opportunities gambling platforms provide their customers with.
Gambling online has become popular since the internet started and Canadians play online for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s easy and convenient. All you need is a connection to the internet. The online casinos are open 24/7. Secondly, you can take the time to learn how to play the games properly. Sites like Online Casino Bluebook offer reviews of online casinos that accept Canadian players, as well as offer tutorials to help you learn the rules of the game.
Whilst online casinos are licensed and regulated by various organizations in certain jurisdictions, there is no guarantee that they won’t cheat you. We recommend that you use a Canadian online casino portal –www.online-casinos-canada.ca has a great reputation. www.slot-machines.ca evaluate slot machines to ensure that Canadians will get the most out of their playing time.
Although, for most of us, dressing up to the nines and heading out to the casino isn’t a regular occurrence, it’s still a treat which we can all enjoy every now and again. While the gambling city of the world Las Vegas is simply too expensive for some of the people who plan casino breaks, Ottawa has many casinos that are both exciting and affordable. Here are some of the better casino options for those who may opt to go for this type of break in the Southern area of Canada.
Casino du Lac Leamy
The Lac-Leamy is still hot off its $50 million renovation project that began 2012 and visitors will have the chance to see the vast improvements that are in place, should they visit in early 2015. But for now, visitors will have to make do with what is currently on offer and it’s fair to say that is still a lot to contend with! With over 1,800 slot machines alone, Ottawa’s Casino du Lac Leamy boast an extensive range of gaming availabilities for players without even beginning to take the roulette wheels, card tables and machine games into account. 64 gaming tables are spread across the casino floor to complete what must be considered to be an elite gaming atmosphere and if that wasn’t enough for you, the activities and events on show away from the casino halls should swing it for you.
There is an annual fireworks competition in early August, dubbed as the ‘Casino Sound of Light,’ which visitors can attend from the Hotel du Lac Leamy, which is on site. The casino even boasts it’s very own Le Baccara gourmet restaurant, which is one of only a handful of Canadian restaurants that have been awarded the prestigious CAA-AAA Five Diamond distinction. The Hilton Lac Leamy, the on-site hotel, recently won a Certificate of Excellence at the hands of TripAdvisor and this is not the first award it has received. The casino and hotel have won five stars with the Quebec’s Corporation for tourism every year since opening in 2001 and have even earned the award of one of Canada’s top 20 resort hotels and one of the top 100 hotels in the world, courtesy of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
Hotel et Pavillons du petit manoir du casino
Residing in Quebec, the province neighboring Ontario, this casino is remote, calm and relaxing. With two golf courses, spas and condo rooms, this is the perfect location for those who want a relaxing getaway, with the gambling aspect covered not only by the on-site gambling area, but by the nearby Casino de Charlevoix, which is much grander and offers players several exciting packages. The Casino de Charlevoix contributes to the 10.3 million visitors that arrive in Quebec casinos each year, despite only originating in 1994, just 20 years ago. While the Hotel et Pavillons is not directly connected to the casino, the Fairmont Hotel is and this, in turn, helped the Casino de Charlevoix make history as the first casino to be connected to a casino in Quebec's history.
Rideau Carleton Raceway
Although the raceway primarily offers a different variety of betting, in the form of horse racing, there is enough at the raceway to make it a truly unique gaming experience. Racing usually occurs twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays, while the site has over 1250 slot games for players to enjoy 24/7. The games range from just one cent to five dollars, enabling those who want a budget experience to enjoy themselves just as much as the high-rollers at the track. A state-of-the-art Bingo hall is a recent addition to what is already a lively atmosphere, with the hall itself supporting as many as 28 charities. As if that wasn't enough, the raceway also plays host to more than its fair share of special events, with celebrity appearances, flea markets and even themed evenings available to customers both old and new, making it the ideal location for those wanting a bit more aside from the run-of-the-mill gambling experience.