Last January was a notable date for all Ontario residents with a passion for online casino games: the OLG has finally launched its highly anticipated online gambling portal, PlayOLG. The portal had its share of issues, but it has managed to survive its first year with no major problems encountered along the way. It is the first entirely legal online gambling option for Ontario residents, who were forced to turn to offshore casino solutions before its release. Now, more than a year after its launch, let’s see how the PlayOLG measures up to one of the most popular offshore gaming destinations in Canada, the All Slots Online Casino: allslotscasino.com.
PlayOLG is basically a browser-based online casino, like many others available over the internet. This means that players can run its games simply, without too much fuss, in a desktop browser window – this makes it easy for players to access their accounts and play their favorite games from whichever desktop computer they might like. But it still falls behind the All Slots Casino.
The All Slots Casino offers its players three ways to play: through its downloadable suite, with access to its complete game library (more on that below), through a desktop browser, with about half of all its games (the better half!), and through a mobile browser window, with close to 100 games to choose from, all of them with the same credentials.
I think I’m not mistaken when I say that this round has been won by the offshore operator.
The PlayOLG uses software provided by IGT, one of the largest international casino game developers. But IGT’s main focus is on land-based gaming solutions, which leaves its digital game library a bit weak. PlayOLG has about 80 games its players can choose from.
The All Slots Casino uses software provided by veteran online casino game developer Microgaming. Its complete game library, accessible through its downloadable suite, consists of over 700 titles its players can choose from, with new titles added every month.
Another win for the offshore operator.
New players at the PlayOLG are rewarded with a free credit worth $10 when opening their account. Furthermore, when they make their first three deposits, they receive deposit matches worth up to a total of $1,000 to play with. Players need to roll over their deposit + bonus funds 40 times before they can request a withdrawal.
New players at the All Slots Casino get free credit worth $5 when they join the casino. Furthermore, their first four deposits will be matched by the casino in variable proportions, up to a total of $1,600, plus a total of $30 in free credits to play with. Players need to play through the bonus funds 40 times before becoming eligible for a withdrawal.
Although by just a bit, this round was also won by the offshore operator.
Although it still falls behind its offshore competitors in many aspects, the PlayOLG is certainly heading into the right direction. The online gambling business is highly competitive, and patriotism alone is hardly ever enough to attract local players to local operators. With a few more improvements, and the launch of its planned mobile version, the PlayOLG can easily become the preferred online gambling destination for Ontario residents, keeping their tax dollars inside the country.
