Features
Fascinating Tanzania!
By MARTIN ZEILIG Our small motorized mangrove and mahogany canvas covered boat bounced along the choppy turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean as the captain and owner, Ahmed, manoeuvred the outboard engine towards Changuu Island, a small island about six kilometres northwest of Stone Town, Unguja Zanzibar.
As we sped along, a number of cargo ships and a Chinese fishing trawler were moored off shore, while long thin hulled dhows with billowing sails skimmed speedily on that sun searing day through the world’s third largest ocean.
I was at the tail end of my second trip to Tanzania in just over a year. The first trip was an eight day safari adventure in Northern Tanzania in June 2018. It was, as I wrote in a major two part article for the Lifestyles supplement of The Jewish Post & News afterwards, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to go on safari in some of the big game parks, including the fabled Serengeti National Park, of East Africa.
This second trip in October 2019 was unplanned and unexpected. I was invited by a Canadian based representative of the Tanzanian government to attend the Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE), a three day event (October 18-20) held at the modern Julius Nyerere International Conference Center in Milimani City a region of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Dar es Salaam, which is situated on the Indian Ocean, is the largest city, former capital and commercial centre of Tanzania. The yearly event attracted 426 exhibitors, including safari tour operators from throughout Tanzania and other parts of Africa, and almost 1000 visitors over the three days. It also featured speakers, including representatives of the government of the United Republic of Tanzania.
I jumped at the opportunity. Why not? It also included a selection of four day side trips, or Familiarization Trips, afterwards to other parts of Tanzania. I chose to visit the historic town of Iringa and Ruaha National Park— the largest national park located in the middle of Tanzania and covering an area of about 13,000 square kilometres about 130 kilometres from Iringa. I also spent two days in Zanzibar upon returning from Ruaha.
Here are some other memorable moments:
The Expo centers around inbound and outbound travel business to and inside Africa. Tourism companies from 60 countries —Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Ukraine, Malaysia, South Korea, Canada, India, among others — participated in the event.
“Protection and Sustainable tourism, and in addition tropical tourism and going inside East Africa, (is the goal of S!TE),” the Tanzanian Minister of Tourism, said during the opening address. “The tourism industry is here to help the economy of our country. Tanzania is a safari country in Africa. We are proud that Swahili was born in Tanzania. We encourage our foreign guests to see why we say, ‘Unforgettable Tanzania.’”
(at left): Being entertained by the Dar es Salaam based, Tot Jazz Band, one of the biggest jazz bands in Tanzania, at the opening entertainment event at SITE. They perform a fusion of Swahili jazz and more recognized numbers.Strolling along the shore of the Indian Ocean by my hotel, located on the outskirts of Dar, in the evening with the twinkling lights of yachts and merchant ships moored in the distance was a peaceful way to unwind after being at the hectic SITE all day. The surf’s fresh and salty smell combined with the exotic locale was intoxicatingVisiting the National Museum & House of Culture: It takes you on a journey through Tanzania’s colorful past. The museum displays important fossils of some of the earliest human ancestors unearthed during the Leakey digs at Olduvai Gorge. You can also learn about Tanzania’s tribal heritage and the impact of the slave trade and colonial periods. Other highlights of the museum include ethnographic displays on traditional crafts, customs, ornaments, and musical instruments, as well as a small collection of vintage cars, including the Rolls Royce used by former president, Julius Nyerere.
Iringa: Iringa is a city in Tanzania with a population of 1,211,900 (as of 2020), according to Wikipedia. The name is derived from the word lilinga, meaning .
Iringa is the administrative capital of Iringa Region. Iringa Municipal Council is the administrative designation of the Municipality of Iringa. “Iringa has been one of the coldest regions in Tanzania due to its geographical location but that has attracted a lot of tourists from colder regions abroad especially Western Europe,” notes online information. Iringa also hosts one of Africa’s largest national parks, the Ruaha National Park.
We also visited the Isimila Stone Age site, which lies about 20 km (12 mi) to the southwest. It contains archeological artifacts, particularly stone tools, from human habitation about 70,000 years ago. Homo Erectus lived here 300,000 years ago.
Excavation work was done by paleontologists from the University of Chicago, 1957-58; University of Illinois, 1968-70, and South Korea in 2003. Scrapers, slingshots, knives from stones, and different weapons were found and can still be seen in large open sided enclosures.
Iringa Region is home to the Hehe people.
“After their stunning defeat at Lugalo by the Hehe on August 17, 1871, led by Chief Mkwawa, the Germans built a military station at ‘Neu Iringa’ to avenge the death of their commander Emil Von Zelewski and to teach the Hehe respect for German authority,” says information in the Iringa Boma – Regional Museum and Cultural Centre. “The fortress and headquarters of Chief Mkwawa was in the nearby village of Kalenga, Alt Iringa.” It was only in July 1898, after being trapped, that Mkwawa shot himself. The Germans removed Mkwawa’s head and sent it to Germany.
Mkwawa still has “the status of a national hero in Tanzania,” even after over 120 years. A movie should be made about this man.
Ruaha NP: Ruaha is in a northern and southern transition zone. 
Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. It covers an area of about 13,000 square kilometres.
It is located in the middle of Tanzania about 130 kilometres from Iringa. The park, which is located in the Great Rift Valley (East African Rift), is part of a more extensive ecosystem, which includes Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and several other protected areas.
The name of the park is derived from the Great Ruaha River, which flows along its South-Eastern margin and is the focus for game-viewing.
The park can be reached by car via Iringa and there is an airstrip at Msembe, park headquarters.
I was part of a group that included three Dutch journalists. Our safari driver/expert guide, Serafino, was the owner of the Center for Research and Action, Limited (CRA)– a new company that started in 2019– in Irigina.
During our two days exploring Ruaha we encountered lions– including a male and female that mated several times as we clicked away on our cameras or cell phones– resting under a baobab tree and along a dry river bed; a beautiful male leopard nestled in the shade of an acacia tree a few hundred metres away from the lions; elephants, Cape buffalo, zebra, giraffes, elands and more. Ruaha is believed to have the highest concentration of elephants of any National Park in East Africa.
And it’s home to over 10 percent of Africa’s entire lion population, which is estimated to be only about 20,000 animals whereas about a century ago there were more than 200,000 lions in Africa, according to the World Atlas online. The International Union Conservation of Nature, though, has estimated that there might be as many 30,000 wild lions left on the continent. “From 1993 to 2014, the planet lost 43 percent of its population of African lions, conservationists estimate,” says National Geographic magazine (October 2019).
The park is home to the Ruaha Carnivore Project, which was established in 2009 by Dr. Amy Dickman, as a Kaplan Senior Research Fellow under Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, says the RCP website.
“Ruaha’s Carnivore Project’s work in protecting lions and livestock, and helping local tribes, is clearly a win-win situation,” Sue Wats, an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation, wrote in an online article, How the Ruaha Carnivore Project is saving Tanzania’s Lions (SafariBookings).
It is also a place where magnificent mammals like Kudu, Sable and Roan antelopes can easily be spotted in Miombo woodland. The park is also a habitat for endangered wild dogs, although we didn’t see any. Other animals in the park include cheetah, giraffes, zebras, impala, bat eared foxes and Jackals.
The park also harbours a number of reptiles and amphibians such as crocodiles, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs. We also spotted hippos relaxing in the Great Ruaha River. Ruaha is famous for being “Tanzania’s bird paradise” because more than 570 species of birds have been identified inside its boundaries, and some of them are known to be migrants from within and outside Africa, says information in a the park’s headquarters.
At one point on our bouncy dusty ride in the Land Rover, Serafino stopped at the side of the narrow dirt road. He got out of the vehicle and grabbed a handful of still steaming elephant dung, and told us all about its different uses by villagers. He then broke it open to reveal insects that were using the manure as a food source and to lay their eggs.
“When I stop for animals and trees and dung, it’s best for guests to listen carefully,” Serafino said afterwards. “It’s better to share with my guests.”
“It was gross, but interesting,” said fellow traveller Noel Vanbemmel, editor of the Travel section in the Dutch newspaper De Volkakrant, the biggest serious newspaper in Holland. “I’ve been on many safaris in sixteen different African countries, but this was the first time I’ve seen this demonstrated. He was doing his best.”
I booked my two day tour to Zanzibar at the SITE with Hassan Luzuba Majid, the owner of Hazaim Holiday and Safaris. His company is based in Zanzibar City (or Zanzibar Town or Stone Town, often simply referred to as Zanzibar)–the capital and largest city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. It is located on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, roughly due north of Dar es Salaam across the Zanzibar Channel.
My boat trip was onboard a super fast twin turbine powered ferry boat operated by Azam Marine Boats in Dar. The trip took a little over two hours.
I stayed at the not too pricey exotically named Golden Tulip Boutique Hotel. The rooms are spacious and the service is first rate.
Its open rooftop restaurant has a stunning view of the harbour.
Among the places I visited were the Jozani Forest, the largest area of indigenous forest on Zanzibar Island. Situated south of Chwaka Bay on low-lying land, the area is prone to flooding, which nurtures a lush swamp like environment of moisture-loving trees and ferns. Josanzi is the home of rare Red Colobus Monkey, which is only endemic to Zanzibar. We also spotted some grey and black monkeys.
The nearby Jambo Spice Plantation, about 12 acres in size, is owned by three families. This is a demonstration farm where you can see all different varieties of spices grown in Zanzibar. This farm is only for demonstration system.
Changuu Island saw use as a prison for rebellious slaves in the 1860s and also functioned as a coral mine, say the historical markers.
The British First Minister of Zanzibar, Lloyd Mathews, purchased the island in 1893 and constructed a prison complex there. But, it never held prisoners. Instead it became a quarantine station for yellow fever cases. The station was only occupied for around half of the year and the rest of the time it was a popular holiday destination. Visitors are able to explore the old prison and even stop for refreshments at an outdoor restaurant.
Spending time, along with other tourists, amongst the 200 giant Aldabra tortoises on Changuu Island was a wondrous experience. In 1919 the British governor of Seychelles sent a gift of four Aldabra giant tortoises to Changuu from the island of Aldabra, say information signs. These tortoises bred quickly and by 1955 they numbered around 200 animals. The Zanzibar government, with assistance from the World Society for the Protection of Animals- Now known as World Animal Protection– built a large compound for the protection of the animals and by 2000 numbers had recovered to 17 adults, 50 juveniles and 90 hatchlings.
Their ages are painted in blue on their shells.
“The oldest right now is 195 years old,” said my outstanding guide in Zanzibar, Nemes Raphael. “The youngest brother is 161 years old, but bigger in size.”
Old Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s narrow, meandering streets mean that pedestrians vie with motorized vehicles for the right of way.
I also took a tour of the former slave market site. On June 6, 1873 the slave trade was officially abolished in East Africa. The slave trade continued underground, though, until 1909. It’s a sobering and claustrophobic experience to spend even a short time in the dank dungeons from the 16thcentury where slaves were squashed together under inhumane conditions before being taken to market for sale. The slaves from West Africa were sent to America. Those from East Africa were sent to Arab countries.
In 1869, Bishop Edward Steere from England settled in Zanzibar. Along with some British missionaries, Bishop Steere purchased the site of the slave market and began building the Anglican Christ Church there.
“He didn’t like the selling of slaves,” my guide at the site, Freddy, said. “He decided to go to the slave market. After purchasing slaves, he would teach them the bible and convert them to Christianity and then set them free. This is history. It’s very terrible. Sometimes I feel pain. My ancestors were among those who were set free from slavery by Bishop Steere.”
Having just seen the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, I visited Freddie Mercury House, which is now the Tembo House Hotel, on Kenyatta Road in Old Stone Town. Mercury, the former lead singer of Queen, was born in Zanzibar in 1946 where his name was Farrokh Bulsara. His father worked for the British colonial service and the family lived in various locations in Stone Town before immigrating to England.
Meanwhile, Forodhan Park is a busy seafood night market with n open sea front garden where people wait for friends or colleagues who are either arriving or leaving on the ferry.
I crammed so much into my two day visit to Zanzibar.
Tanzania is unforgettable.
Features
What Does The Future of Online Betting Look Like For Canadians?
There have been plenty of positive developments recently in how Canadians can place bets online. A major boost to the Canadian online gambling industry came when Ontario opened its doors to private companies. What further changes lie ahead in the future?
The expansion in Ontario has produced massive revenues for the Canadian gambling industry. Allowing private companies to operate in the province has given gamblers far more choice and they have been flocking to the new sites now available. Great news of course for gamblers and betting companies but also for the taxman. As has been seen in the USA, making gambling legal (especially on sport) has brought in billions of dollars of tax revenue. Canada is now also reaping the benefits and will continue to do so in the future.
The industry was also changed when in 2021 it finally became possible to place single-event bets on sport. Until then it had to be parlays or as they’re also known, accumulators. Both of these changes have seen a great improvement in the online Canadian gambling industry. 2024 has already been a profitable year for the online betting industry in Canada. The first quarter of the 2024-2025 fiscal year certainly illustrated that. The total amount wagered was $18.4 billion and that was 31% higher than the results for the same period in the previous fiscal year.
Revenue in Ontario for the period April 1 to June 30 was $726 million. That’s from the 50 operators who have 80 gaming sites in the province. The total is 34% higher than in the same period in 2023 and 5.2% higher than the previous quarter. With the expansion in Ontario being so successful, the question now is whether other provinces will follow suit. It seems that opening up their gambling industry to private operators may well be the way forward. However, it is recognised that if this is to happen, it must be done safely. Wherever there is legal online betting, it seems that regulation is not too far away. It’s accepted that there is the need for some regulation. Protecting players is vital and with companies required to be licensed, this helps control them. Those who bet at unlicensed sites do not have anywhere near the same level of customer protection and are at risk of online fraud.
There have already been signs of increased regulation of the Canadian online betting industry. How gambling is advertised is always a thorny subject whatever the country. This year has seen the use of celebrities or sports stars in gambling related advertisements prohibited. A key reason for this is to protect youngsters who may be attracted to the industry. Studies have shown that youngsters can identify gambling brands more than they do those for tobacco or alcohol.
It’s also likely that there will be more betting on esports in the future. There has been an increase in the amount of coverage given to them by online betting sites. This was particularly seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when many sports events were canceled. Esports continued and sites such as PowerPlay began to give them increased levels of coverage and will continue to do so.
Technology plays an important role in the gambling industry. Those who love to go online and place bets will see technology producing even more changes in the future.
Banking is an important element of online betting. Improvements in technology in this area have made it far easier to place bets online. Improved encrypting of data and more use of cryptocurrencies also makes it safer when it comes to online financial transactions. Again, this will attract even more gamblers to the industry.
As for the games that are played, particularly when it comes to online casinos, huge strides are taking place. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are the way ahead, so expect to see more Canadian gamblers wearing VR headsets as time goes by.
The graphics seen in games are already staggering but they will get even better in the future. Putting on your VR headset will see players transported into other worlds and even forwards or backwards in time. Those who love to play at live casinos will be in for a treat. Using their headset, it can appear they are playing at one of the most famous casinos in the world, rather than on their settee.
AI is loved by many but hated by some. It will also have a huge influence on the Canadian online betting industry in the future. This won’t just be in creating games but also be used to deal with customers. AI has the ability to gauge the behavior of gamblers and identify if there is a possible need to help them if spending too much or betting for too long.
Mobile phone technology continues to make advancements. Rather than just playing on your laptop at home, many players download apps and try their luck on their mobile devices. Further advancements are fully expected in the future.
The future of online betting in Canada does look a rosy one. The amount earned by betting companies is expected to increase and that will be good news for those who receive tax revenue. Players will likely have more sites to bet on if other provinces follow in the footsteps of Ontario. The games that will be available will be even more thrilling to play and becoming a member of a site will be safer.
Features
New book chronicles what were arguably the most important – and controversial Olympic Games in history
Review by BERNIE BELLAN With the 33rd Summer Olympics set to take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, I thought it an opportune time to tell readers about a book that was released earlier this year and which provides a sweeping view of what were arguably the most controversial Olympic Games ever held – the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Written by two writers, Glenn Allen and Richard Kaufman, who have spent most of their careers writing and producing films, PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics combines fiction and non-fiction in a thrilling, yet somewhat confusing manner.
Although Jewish readers are likely to find themselves focused on the rampant antisemitism that pervaded the games – given the determination of Hitler to use the Olympic Games as a masterful propaganda tool, this book is sure to appeal both to fans of the Olympic Games and students of history.
There are many heroes mentioned throughout “PLAYED,” including such well known names as Jesse Owens, who embarrassed Hitler to no end by winning what was then a record four Gold medals in various track events. But there were many other heroes as well, especially Alan Gould, who was the Associated Press Sports Editor, and who wrote many columns calling for a boycott of the games; and William Dodd, the US Ambassador to Germany from 1932-1937, who was warning of the dangers posed by the Nazi threat long before it became all too apparent to politicians, including President Franklin Roosevelt – who adopts quite a sanguine attitude toward the Nazi threat in this book.
And then there are the villains, chief among whom was the despicable Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, who was determined to be appointed to the International Olympic Committee (of which he was later to become its president, from 1952-72). It is no coincidence that it was Brundage who was not only the key figure in overcoming resistance to the notion of the US boycotting the 1936 games, it was Brundage who was also central to the 1972 Munich Olympics carrying on even after the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes.
I admit that I knew quite a bit about Brundage’s unsavoury reputation even before reading this book, but the degree to which he connived to make sure America would be represented at the games when there was fierce opposition to exactly that position from many of the leading figures in the sports world in the US at the time is truly shocking.
But, while the historical record provides ample evidence of the extent to which Hitler and his henchmen were determined to use the Olympics as a showcase for Nazi superiority, while reading this book I couldn’t help but wonder just how much fiction was mixed with fact.
In the press release I was sent about the book, it was noted that “Based on real stories and real people involved in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, PLAYED plunges readers into a compelling, fictionalized account of the insanity and hysteria that unfolded across Germany, the United States and in much of the world from 1931 through 1936.”
I couldn’t help myself from questioning: Just how much is fact and how much is fiction in this book? Of course, given that the authors use their imaginations to conjure up the dialogue in the book, I kept thinking to myself – especially as I was reading about how sexually aggressive many of the female characters in this book were: Is this a case of two screenwriters using their past experiences writing movie scripts as an excuse to infuse something that might be passed off as a largely historical account with a great big dollop of licentiousness in order to attract readers?
Two of the major female characters: Martha Dodd, daughter of US Ambassador Dodd, and Eleanor Holm, a champion US swimmer, certainly led carefree sex lives – at least if you were to believe the accounts given in this book. Dodd, in particular, is such a fascinating character, because not only was she quite willing to go to bed with many Nazis (and it seemed – anyone who asked her), including Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstatengel, described as Hitler’s henchman – who would eagerly dispatch anyone Hitler wanted rid of, in time Martha Dodd ended up in the arms of a Russian spy – who himself was ordered executed by Stalin.
As for Holm, even though she was a champion in the swimming pool (in backstroke events), she hardly led a disciplined life as an athlete. In PLAYED, at least, she is one hell of a “player” – and this was well after she was married!
Unfortunately for Holm, however, one man who lusted after her – and whom she detested, was Avery Brundage. Now, I did try to find out whether the account given by Kaufman and Allen of what happened between Holm and Brundage when they were both on the same ship headed to the Berlin Olympics with the entire American team of athletes and officials, was in any way true. (In the book, Brundage attempts to rape Holm, but given her athleticism, she manages to deliver a solid kick to his nether regions – leaving him writhing in pain. The next day, he decides to kick her off the US Olympic team.) According to Holm’s own account, however, the reasons for her being booted off the team had to do with her not wanting to go to bed when she was told to do so. (I much prefer the PLAYED version – and if they ever make a movie from the book, I’m sure audiences would be much more interested in watching Holm do to Avery Brundage what a lot of women would probably fantasize about doing to men.)
Of course, the parts of the book describing some of the leading Nazis, including Hitler himself, along with Joseph Goebbels and Herman Goering, are luridly detailed – as one would expect any description of them to be, but one character who comes off quite favourably – much to my shock, is Leni Riefenstahl, the famed German filmmaker, who had already established a notorious reputation as a propagandist in her famous documentary about the 1934 Nuremburg Rally, “Triump of the Will.”
Rather than painting her as a tool of the Nazis though, the authors offer quite a sympathetic – even admiring portrait of someone who was wedded to her craft. According to this book, Riefenstahl actually fell in love with a member of the US Olympic team by the name of Glenn Morris, who goes on to win Gold in the decathlon competition. (Again, however, there is one unforgettable scene where Morris, after winning his medal, runs over to Riefenstahl, rips off her blouse, and kisses her breast. Is this a Hollywood screenwriter’s fantasy? Who knows?)
There are also many stories of Jewish athletes in this book – some of which are tragic. The female high jump champion in Germany at the time was someone by the name of Gretel Bergmann. Bergmann had gone to England prior to the Olympics knowing full well that she would not be allowed to compete for Nazi Germany. In the book, Putzi goes over to England and threatens Bergmann that she will have to return to compete for Germany, otherwise her family – who had still remained in Germany, will face severe consequences. When Bergmann reluctantly returns to Germany, Brundage points to her becoming part of the German Olympic team as a sign that the Nazis have softened their stance toward Jews, but once the American do agree to participate and cross the ocean to Germany, Bergmann develops a mysterious “injury” that prevents her from actually being part of the German team.
The book is full of such stories – so many, in fact, that your head will be spinning trying to keep track of all the characters mentioned in the book.
Still, if you want to enjoy a rollicking read that may or may not have many parts that are wholly concocted from the writers’ imaginations even though they’re writing about actual events, then you might want to give PLAYED a shot.
As for this year’s version of the Olympics, while there isn’t nearly the same dramatic tension surrounding them as there was prior to and during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the cheating, skullduggery, and propaganda that permeated the 1936 games has forever tarnished the reputation of the Olympic Games and, while it’s a different type of antisemitism that we’re seeing on the world stage these days, we’re all holding our collective breaths wondering how Israeli athletes are going to be treated in Paris – the same way Jews were wondering how Jewish athletes were going to be treated in Nazi Germany in 1936.
PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Published 2024 by WordServe Publishing
419 pages
Features
Canada’s favorite online casino games
The people of Canada sure love to play casino games. Gaming and placing bets is a popular pastime in the country with 76 percent reporting that they have participated in at least one form of gambling within the last year. In recent years, the online industry has seen a significant boost as players look to play at the best Canadian online casinos as more provinces look to remove prohibitive legislation.
We take a deep dive into the current legal situation for both online and offline casino gaming in the country, in addition to which casino games are the most popular and what there is to love about them, as well as what the future of the Canada’s online casino landscape could look like.
Both online and offline casino gaming is popular. When playing games online, players look for convenience, security and a good variety in bet and game choices. When going to a land-based gambling venue, they look for a comprehensive entertainment experience, they expect a trip to a casino to be an exciting day out.
The laws in Canada are complex in regards to what types of gambling are legalized and how it is regulated.
The lowdown on gambling laws in Canada – online and offline
Under federal law in Canada, technically the provision of all gambling related services is prohibited. However, exceptions are applied when it is regulated at a local or provincial level.
Each province has the responsibility of regulating and creating laws that concern all types of gambling within them. If they chose to do so then they can provide licenses, manage revenue distribution and set their own age restrictions. Most provinces in Canada have now legalized gambling in some form, with some areas having a more prohibitive approach than others.
For example, Ontario is probably the least restrictive and there are a number of land based casinos venues here open to residents and tourists. Also, there has been a recent introduction of iGaming in the province too.
There are now more provinces looking to follow in Ontario’s footsteps with Alberta looking at taking a less restrictive stance. Currently, charities and religious organizations are allowed to register as gambling providers. There is also an online gambling site based in Alberta that is regulated.
In Canada, the Criminal Code does not actually make specific reference to online gambling activity, which has left it open somewhat to interpretation. The federal government itself has not created any laws specific to online casinos, some provinces are now establishing their own regulations. Also, online casinos and other gambling sites that are operated outside of the country are accessible to people within Canada.
There are a few casino games that are particularly popular in Canada
Slots
From electronic machines to table games, Canadian’s love all types of casino activities. Slots and online slots are one of the top games enjoyed in the country. One reason that people love slots is due to their simplicity, there are no complex rules to get to grips with.
Online games and offline slots are very similar, however online games tend to have more special features and bonus rounds. You might also find that the minimum bet amounts are lower. Slots come in all kinds of themes, from movie themed games to those inspired by ancient Egypt and the pharaohs, there are thousands to choose from online.
Poker
Another well-loved casino game in Canada is poker, a game that has been around for hundreds of years and can also be played online. Poker is a bit more complex and requires patience in order to develop the necessary skills and strategy to be confident when playing the game.
Texas Hold’em is the most common variant of the game in this region, although three card poker, omaha and seven card stud are just some examples of the other types of poker enjoyed here.
Roulette
Roulette is also a top game for Canadian casino enthusiasts. The three main variants are American, European and French, with the American roulette game being the most widely recognized across Canada. Each variation has a slightly different format and house edge as well as different betting options.
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known here as 21, is a top card game. The player is playing against the dealer and to win they must try to get to 21, or as close as possible, before the dealer does.
The future of online casinos in Canada
As casino related legalization across Canada becomes less restrictive and more online operators set up in the region, we can expect this industry to flourish in the years ahead. Player numbers are likely to continue to grow and new technologies like AI will further improve and personalize the experiences users have on gaming sites.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login