You don’t need to be a high roller to enjoy online casinos in Canada. In fact, you can get your bankroll off to a flying start by making the minimum deposit of between $10 and $25. This unlocks bonus offers, free spins and loyalty rewards that go way beyond the size of your initial buy-in. With the biggest international casino brands competing for your business, there are plenty of small deposit casino deals to choose from for Canadian players.
This page takes you through making the most from a minimum deposit at a Canadian online casino. You will find out how this type of offer works, the best games for bonus clearing, and practical ways to get your deposit made and profits back out again below.
Canada casinos accepting small deposits of $5, $10 and $20
Best low deposit casinos and bonus offers
Bonuses are one of the best features in every online casino in Ontario. There are minimum deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses, and other ways to pad your account balance all the time. Here are some of the best options you have to grab some goodies in the Great White North:
- Caesars Casino – Caesars Casino should be a familiar name for most Canadians as the online casino for the gambling company of the same name. The site itself is notable for a tremendous number of MEGAWAYS slots options, which allow you to play on hundreds of thousands of paylines at once. You can also find a wide selection of Slingo options onsite. With a $10 minimum deposit, Caesars has some incredible new player offers, including a first-time deposit bonus!
- Stars Casino – Stars Casino is the online casino representing PokerStars, one of Canada’s best-known online poker sites. The most noticeable aspect of Stars Casino is its preference for quality over quantity. Instead of an overwhelming onslaught of slots titles and table games, each offering is realized in sleek, beautiful detail. Stars Casino also offers one of the best minimum deposit bonuses available. All you have to do is make your first deposit and bet a single dollar.
- Bet365 Casino – Bet365 is a well-known casino brand in North America, and is one of the better options available to Canadian players. The site doesn’t drown you with game options, but there are plenty of wonderfully-realized games to play, including a solid selection of exclusive titles that you cannot find elsewhere. New players can receive a bonus in bet credits on the site! Bet365’s minimum deposit for casino players is $10.
Why $5, $10, and $20 deposits at casinos work
Casino games are entertaining when played in demo mode. When you put real money on the line table games and slots become even better. The good news is that you do not need to risk much money to give yourself a shot at those big wins. In fact, the minimum deposit at many of the biggest and best casino brands is often as low as $10.
This minimum deposit will usually unlock bonuses worth many times what you risked. The 100% welcome bonus is just the tip of the iceberg. You will find free spins offers, entry to slot tournaments, loyalty rewards, and (at some casinos) get offers of extra chips to enjoy mobile casinos or live dealer rooms.
Here are the key reasons to make a minimum deposit today:
- Get a 100% matched welcome bonus
- Unlock free spins, free chips, and other promotions
- Get used to the deposit and withdrawal process without risking a lot of money
- Access slots and table games not available in demo mode
You will not be losing out by making a smaller or minimum first-time deposit. No casino will let your account go quiet without offering you bonuses or incentives to return. If you like what you see at an online casino in Canada, then you will have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of bonuses and promotional offers.
Best casino games for small deposits
You can get all the benefits of a minimum deposit while enjoying every type of casino game. When you are clearing bonuses, there are some games that get the bonus credits into your account much faster than others. These days, the biggest casinos have 1000s of games to choose from. They range from slots and video poker, to live dealer casino table games.
- Minimum deposit slots: Not only do you have the biggest selection of games, but slots are the best for clearing casino bonuses. Canadian players can enjoy slots from the biggest live game creators, including IGT, Bally, and WMS. You can also play jackpot slots from online slot studios ranging from giants like MicroGaming and NetEnt, to new and upcoming game creators. Slots work best for bonuses because 100% of your play counts towards bonus clearing. You can play for small stakes, and win huge prizes, including multi-million dollar progressive jackpots on some titles.
- Minimum deposit video poker: You can play small stakes video poker at online casinos in Canada. The advantage of this format is that the house edge is low, especially compared to slots. There is plenty of choice. You can play ‘classics’ like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild and Joker Poker, or go for games with entertaining bonus games. The downside of video poker is that it rarely contributes more than a small amount to your bonus clearing requirements.
- Keno/Slingo games: Entertaining variations of bingo, keno, and game show formats can be enjoyed with a minimum deposit. Slingo games are an entertaining hybrid of slots and keno. These games can have a higher casino house edge, which means less play for your deposit. There is big win (or even jackpot) potential.
- Table games: This broad category includes classic games like blackjack, roulette, and craps. There are now versions streamed in real-time from remote studios (see below). Games played against software work on casino apps and desktop sites. They often include multiple game variations, jackpot side bets, and 3D graphics. Software-based table games are ideal for smaller bankroll players as the stakes start small. You can enjoy casino games like baccarat, or blackjack from just ten cents and up. Weightings of table games towards bonus clearance will vary between casinos.
- Live dealer table games: All the big-name casino brands that welcome Canadian players offer live dealer table games. These games work just like the tables in real casinos. You see a dealer and can interact, and bet on real cards or roulette wheels. Minimum bets are higher than for software-based table games, so your smaller deposit will not last as long.
Many Canadian casinos have other forms of gambling available via a single account. You can enjoy poker games, sports betting, and virtual betting games from a single account.
Types of bonuses available for minimum deposit players
Before you even make a deposit, it is worth checking out no deposit bonuses at Canadian online casinos. This type of deal gets you a small bonus simply for registering. No deposit or credit card information is required. No deposit offers let you check out the games with zero risk. It is worth reading the terms and conditions for this type of deal. There are often restrictions on the maximum withdrawal, or strict time limits for the bonus credits.
Minimum deposit bonuses get you a lot of benefits for a small amount of money.
Here are the most frequent types of bonus available for a small deposit:
- Matched welcome bonuses: Bonus funds are matched at 100% to your deposit amount. If you make your deposit, you get that same amount extra to hit the tables or slots with. You will need to clear your bonus by playing the amount through a set number of times. Small bankroll players should look for welcome bonuses which can be taken over two or three separate deposits.
- Free spins bonuses: Casinos offer free spins on selected slots as an incentive to deposit. You will find the same number of free spins awarded for a big deposit or a small one. This makes the minimum deposit proportionally more valuable. It is worth checking whether there is a cap on wins from your free spins and how many times you need to play through your winnings before they can be withdrawn.
- Free chips: Casinos offer free play bonuses to get you to check out new areas of their casino. Examples can include incentives to download casino apps, chips for live dealer casino rooms, or crossover promotions for sports betting or poker games where the brands offer these.
- Loyalty rewards: Every online casino has a loyalty scheme to reward and incentivize their higher value or volume players. Even with a minimum deposit, you can unlock extra bonuses and birthday rewards and redeem the points you collect for cash. As you climb tiers, the benefits get bigger and better.
- Reload bonuses: If you need to make additional deposits, look out for reload deals. These work in a similar way to the matched welcome offers. Minimum deposits might not be matched at 100%, though a 50% bonus is a welcome boost no matter how big your bankroll.
- Double points: Casinos will run promotions that offer extra loyalty points for playing specific games. This is a popular promotion to use when new slot games are released.
What this list does not include are the many one-off/unique promotions that casinos come up with. As a depositing player, you will get to take advantage of the deals as they appear. Look out for tournament entries, promotions linked to social media, and offers around major sporting events or holidays.
Bonus terms and conditions for minimum deposits
Whether you are a minimum deposit player or high roller, it always pays to check the terms and conditions of any casino bonus you take. While the better Canadian casino brands never cheat their players, there are often terms that make the deals less attractive to players than they first appear.
Things to look for include zero-weighted games and games that are banned completely while you are clearing a bonus. Zero weighted games will not contribute anything to your playthrough requirements, and banned games could see your bonus withdrawn if you play them. Weightings for some table games are so low that it is almost impossible to clear bonuses playing them.
When it comes to free spins or no deposit offers, you will often find a cap on the amount you can win. For example, if you can only withdraw a certain amount with a free spin offer, then it would not be the best time to play on a slot with a $1 million progressive jackpot. Some casinos allow jackpot wins with bonus deals, while others do not.
Other conditions to look out for include the total playthrough, game weightings, time to clear your bonus, caps on winnings, deposit methods that do not qualify for the bonus, banned games, and whether your minimum deposit bonus is released in one lump sum or in increments.
Note that making a withdrawal before your welcome offer is completed will almost always result in this bonus being withdrawn.
Minimum deposit casinos: how to make a deposit
There are well-established methods for getting your money into your casino account. These work just as well for minimum deposits as for larger ones.
Credit and debit cards are regularly blocked by Canadian banks. You will not lose any money, though your transaction will be declined. The banks are aware that online casinos in Canada are legal, but they continue to decline these transactions. Major eWallet services including PayPal and Skrill have also stopped casino deposits in Canada.
Alternatives include payment gateways and wallet systems. All of these services have been allowing deposits at Canadian online casinos for years. They are safe, secure, and keep your own bank statement clear of casino transactions.
- iDebit: This is an online wallet that you can directly connect to your bank account. It provides a secure third party gateway. You log on to iDebit to approve a payment to the casino, which is then taken from your bank. This means there is no need to give bank details directly to the casino.
- InstaDebit: Another online wallet, this works in a similar way to PayPal or Skrill (which are not currently available for Canadian casino deposits). You can load money into your InstaDebit wallet, then use this for secure online payments. This adds security to both deposits and withdrawals from online casinos.
- Interac: A popular way of making online purchases for years, Interac can now be used for casino deposits. There are two variations, e-transfer and Interac online. They offer secure ways of making transfers from your bank to online casinos, without needing to give the casino banking or card information.
- eChecks: Also known as ‘ACH’ transfers, this is a local bank transfer deposit option that uses the same setup that was used for paper cheques for decades. You write the cheque electronically at the casino cashier, approve it, and your money is then electronically transferred.
Withdrawing from Canadian casino sites
Once you have cleared your bonus and won some money at the tables — and maybe even scooped a progressive jackpot — you will need to withdraw your winnings. Keep in mind that making a withdrawal will cancel any bonuses you are currently clearing.
Before any reputable casino allows you to withdraw, they will request ID verification. This process is known as ‘KYC’ or ‘Know Your Customer’. Backup ID, and in some cases proof that you own the deposit method, will be required.
You will also be asked to withdraw to the same method you made the deposit with. This will not always be possible, in which case an alternate method (a paper cheque if all else fails) will be found.
Initiating a withdrawal is simple. Head to the cashier at your casino, choose ‘withdraw’ and enter the amount (there will be a minimum depending on which method you choose), and method. Casinos process payments after verifying your play, which will involve a short delay of between 24 and 48 hours.
Wrapping up: small deposit casinos in Canada
Small deposits can unlock big rewards at online casinos. Canadian players get to choose from the biggest and best international casino brands. While there are no deposit bonuses at many casinos, making a smaller (even minimum) deposit will unlock a lot of benefits. They include matched welcome bonuses, free spins. and different player promotions, depending on where you play.
Whatever the size of your deposit, choosing the right games will help you get the most from your money. Slots are perfect for clearing bonuses fast, though they do have a higher house edge compared to video poker or table games.