CNBNews

Online gambling is legal in both Canada and the US, though there are a ton of grey areas and inconsistencies surrounding the laws. The US is actually more welcoming of online casinos, as they actually hand out licensing laws but would prefer citizens to stick to onshore firms, whilst Canada is kind of the opposite, where they ask you to gamble with offshore firms.

Most of the best Canadian sports betting sites are the ones that can be accessed internationally and offer many large signup bonuses.

How to decide on which operators to trust?

The most important thing to consider when signing up for a casino is credibility. So, here are a few ways to help decide on which operators you can trust and which ones you can’t.

Licenses

Licenses are all about determining which companies are officially, formally, and legally operating in a given jurisdiction. The last part is important here, because many companies are licensed, but may not be licensed in your area. The good news is that if they’re licensed anywhere in the US, they’re likely a credible company. But even still, sticking with companies that are licensed where you live is important to stay protected, which is why gambling for Canadians is still in a bit of a grey area.

You can usually find the licenses on the footnote of the home page of the website. However, they will have a dedicated page for licensing to go into more detail.

Customer service

Customer service is one of the most important aspects of finding a trustworthy operator. Just because a company is licensed, it doesn't mean they'll reply to your urgent query. 

Customer service with online services is something that goes overlooked because you never really experience it until the day you need it. The issue is, if you need it, it's likely a very important reason - like your accounts funds being frozen or issues with withdrawal. Resolving these issues with a trustworthy firm is a big priority. 

Reviews 

A very quick way to determine whether a site is trustworthy is to simply look at the aggregated customer feedback. There are two limitations to using reviews to consider. Firstly, is the review site hosting balanced and legitimate reviews? Secondly, don't just look at the star rating but actually read what the negative reviews say. They may be severe, or they may be benign. 

So, only use reviews in conjunction with your own intuition and research.  Furthermore, it’s worth separating the review of the company itself and the app on the store. Whilst they’re linked, doing both will help give some sense of division between credibility issues and app UI issues.

Final word

The US and Canada share some common casino operators. There are so many to choose from - too many, in fact. This analysis paralysis can lead to a distraction of the most important priority: credibility and reliability. These companies will be handling your money, possibly large amounts too, if you're lucky. So, make sure to only play with licensed companies that have strong customer service, and use reviews to help facilitate this research.