How to Play Blackjack with Bitcoin and Crypto in Canada

Hello and welcome to BTCblackjack.ca, your premier destination for all things related to Bitcoin (BTC or XBT) and online/mobile blackjack gaming in Canada. Here you’ll learn how Canadians can play card games such as blackjack with crypto currencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and others. We write at the intersection of finance and gaming.

BTC Blackjack Canada – Who We Are

We know the internet gambling industry inside and out, from the technology that runs it, to the games on offer; from jurisdictional legalities around the globe, to the authoritative government agencies that regulate it. Our writers haven’t just been researching these materials, we’ve been playing the games ourselves, and even learning advantage play methods. We’ve had real money on the line since the first mobile gambling apps were introduced for flip-phones. Yeah – that was a long time ago!

As risk takers, we were naturally drawn to the cyrpto-currency phenomenon. While none of us got in early enough to become Bitcoin millionaires, we have dabbled – some more heavily than others – in crypto exchange markets. We’ve been a part of Bitcoin history for nearly a decade, and are happy to report it’s a lot more stable these days. We have blockchain technology to thank for that. Not only can that technology provide anonymous crypto transactions, it’s being used to create provably fair crypto casino games in which the players can go back any time and view the sequence of non-deterministic output.

If any of that doesn’t make sense, don’t worry. That’s what we’re here for – to explain everything, one subject at a time, in terms everyone can understand.

How to Play Real Money Blackjack with Crypto

We’ve got a lot in store for our readers. Blackjack in Canada is a subject matter that spans geography, technology, history, and even banks. So we want to help you break down your interest first. Click any item in the list below to jump to the topic you resonate most with — you’ll find a lot more in-depth information. We’re constantly updating, so be sure to set a bookmark and check back often. As always, best of luck in all your endeavors.

• Frequently Asked Questions: We start off with a basic FAQ section to answer the most common questions about playing real money blackjack with crypto in Canada.
• Online & Mobile Blackjack: Here, we discuss blackjack in great detail, going over classic rules, variations, house edge, basic strategy, card counting and more.
• Other Casino Games: Find out about the rules, strategies and opportunities to play slot machines, video poker, roulette, baccarat, craps and more at Bitcoin casinos.
• Bitcoins & Altcoins: Discover the ins and outs of blockchain technology, the most popular crypto currencies, and the many ways you can get them.
• Crypto Gambling Market: Learn about the evolution and benefits of the BTC betting market, and what crypto currencies you can gamble with online.
• BTC Blackjack Sites: A list of tested, respected, and impartially reviewed online and mobile casinos that accept BTC and altcoins in exchange for CAD.
• Legal Opportunities and Constraints: The online gambling industry is rife with legal regulations and limitations. It can get pretty confusing where decentralized crypto currencies are concerned. Here we discuss what is and isn’t legal in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. The five most common inquiries are answered below, followed by a link to our complete FAQ page.

1. What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital currency. Unlike fiat currencies (i.e. CA$), you cannot touch or hold it. Bitcoin, like every other crypto currency that came after it, only exists in the a virtual realm. It is, however, just as genuine as any fiat currency, with an equally deterministic value. Being decentralized, it is not controlled by any single government authority. As such, the use of Bitcoin can be made anonymous and, due to its digital nature, transfers take palce instantly, or very close to it. Learn more

2. Is online gambling even legal in Canada?

Yes! Canada is one of the least restrictive countries when it comes to internet gambling. British Columbia was among the world’s first jurisdictions to adopt iGaming regulations back in 2004, coinciding with the launch of BCLC’s PlayNow online casino. Over the years, more provinces followed suit. More importantly, however, online gambling with international websites has never been prohibited. End result – most Canadians have access to both a home-grown, locally regulated iGaming operation, as well as a highly competitive and well respected international market. Learn more

3. Are Canadians able to play blackjack with Bitcoin?

Yes! Canadians are welcome to buy, sell and trade Bitcoin and altcoins, just as they are welcome to gamble online. Thus, there’s no reason why Canadians cannot combine the two, enjoying blackjack and other gambling amusements with crypto currency as the means of risk. Learn more

4. Are Bitcoin casino games different?

Yes and no. For the most part, you can play the same casino games with crypto as you would with fiat money; blackjack, roulette, video poker, slot machines, etc. However, some games aren’t built the exact same way as games found at traditional online casinos. Some games, exclusive to crypto casinos, are built on a different type of software engine (as opposed to RNG algorithms). They use technology very similar to a crypto blockchain. In this way, the results of the game can be ‘provably fair‘, just as anonymous crypto transactions are verifiable without KYC protocol.

5. What does ‘Provably Fair’ mean?

Anyone familiar with blockchain algorithms knows that each transaction can be tracked and proven to exist. Provably fair casino games work the same way. A player can actually go back and view the randomized algorithms produced for each game result, proving it to be fair, unpredictable, and untampered with.

Imagine playing blackjack at a physical casino. After a hand of play, you ask to see the deck of cards so you can flip through it, making sure they’re all there. Not only that, but you also ask to watch a video recording of that deck as it was being shuffled, to ensure it wasn’t stacked or manipulated in any way. No casino would permit you to do this. But that’s the best way to describe what ‘provably fair’ technology does for players of blockchain-based casino games.

Have more questions? Good, we have a lot more answers for you. Feel free to review our complete Q&A here:

• FAQ: Gambling with BTC in Canada

The Ins, Outs and In-Betweens of Online and Mobile Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the oldest, most beloved casino games in the world. It has a rich history that dates back several centuries; as an internet-based game, more than two and a half decades. Unlike the land-based variety, online blackjack can be played for free or for real money. Alternatively, you can play blackjack with Bitcoin and other digital currencies. You can even play blackjack online with your friends.

A favorite of professional gamblers in Canada and beyond, blackjack features some unique, intrinsic qualities other casino games simply do not have. In terms of profitability, it’s among the lowest house edge games you’ll find. Just how valuable a game is depends on the underlying rules applied to the game you play. You may be surprised to know, there are about as many online variants of blackjack as there are casinos in Las Vegas; maybe more. The theoretical return to player (RTP) assigned to any one game is determined by each and every stipulation in its rules.

It’s easy to get excited when you see supremely high blackjack RTPs, like 99.82%. However, you have to understand that achieving that payout percentage means applying perfect strategy with every single decision you make. That sounds hard, but it’s not. The terms “perfect strategy” and “basic strategy” are interchangeable. Suffice it to say, achieving perfection is a basic task. You simply need the appropriate blackjack strategy charts for the games you play. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to beat the game, though. To do that, you’ll need to employ additional strategies, like card counting and situational bet sizing.

Learn more about Blackjack

• Rules
• Odds
• Side Bets
• Basic Strategy
• Card Counting
• Highest RTP Games
• Live Online Blackjack
• RNG vs. Live Dealer
• Tournaments
• Books & Guides

More Casino Games You Can Play with Bitcoin

Blackjack isn’t the only casino game you can wager crypto on. You’ll also find a wide range of online and mobile slot machines, video poker machines, table games and more. Some crypto casinos even offer BTC live dealer table games, which take the excitement and interactivity to a whole new level.

We’ve taken the time to review each of these games, including a complete set of rules and strategies, where you can play them, and what digital currencies you can wager with. Please click on any game listed below to learn more about it.

• Baccarat
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos
• Craps
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos
• Roulette
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos
• Slot Machines
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos
• Video Poker
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos
• Casino Poker
  Rules · Strategies · Casinos · Cryptos

Everything You Need to Know about Bitcoins & Altcoins

We touched on the subject of what Bitcoins and altcoins – collectively, crypto currencies – are in the FAQ above. Crypto currencies are digital (virtual) forms of currency. You can’t touch them. You can’t hold them. However, you can own them, trade them, purchase things with them and, as this primer was written to illuminate, play blackjack and other casino games with them. Unlike traditional money, crypto is not centralized, meaning no government has regulatory control over it. And that means no government can track or prohibit its use.

Crypto is most often acquired by purchasing it on an exchange website or app. All you have to do is sign up with your name and address, link a debit card or bank account, and you can start trading right away. The only problem is that these exchanges are public, and therefore monitored by their respective government regulators and securities agencies, and that’s something a central government does have control over. So if you were hoping to gamble anonymously with Bitcoin, you’ll need more than an exchange service to do it.

First and foremost, you need to set up a BTC wallet. This digital wallet comes with an ID code that you can use to deposit crypto into it. With a little luck, you’ll be cashing out winnings to that same wallet, too.

The following pages will provide more detailed information on the specific topics we discussed above.

• Canadian Crypto Guide: What is Bitcoin [BTC]?
• Buying, Trading & Gambling with Altcoins
  BNB · BCH · CSC · DOGE · ETH · LINK · LTC · TRX · USDT · XMR · XRP · XVG
• Buying Bitcoin in Canada, Online & In Person
• Setting Up a Bitcoin Wallet
• How to Mine Your Own Bitcoin
• Stability & Safety of Bitcoin Today
• Gambling with Crypto in Canada
• Eco Bitcoin (BTCE) – The Eco-Friendly Crypto

The Crypto Gambling Market – Then & Now

The very first crypto gambling sites were launched in 2012. They included sites like Satoshi Dice, named for its provably fair dice game that took place directly on the blockchain, and Anonibet, a prominent BTC sports betting operation. In 2013, Cloudbet, the first true Bitcoin casino, came along. It was quickly followed by a host of others. But the market didn’t become seriously competitive until January 2014 when the very first licensed crypto casino, Bitcasino.io, entered the fray.

In those first two years, the majority of online gamblers were too wary of crypto currency to gamble with it. What attracted the minority, however, was the ability to play casino games from anywhere. It didn’t matter if you were in a country where online gambling was strictly prohibited. The anonymous nature of crypto was the primary force behind the industry’s growth. And that wasn’t the only factor drawing in new players.

Bitcoin and altcoins are decentralized. No government or government bank makes money by processing crypto transactions. Plus, they only exist in a digital format. Therefore they can be moved instantly, without the big fees today’s fiat payment processors and federal banks charge. Why wait up to 10 business days for a cheque to arrive in the mail, when you could have access to your winnings in moments? Why pay percentile fees to third-party payment processing companies, when you could keep it all for yourself? These are just some of the advantages of playing blackjack online with crypto currency, as opposed to the slower, more expensive use of fiat currencies.

Time & Technology Brings Trust to Crypto Market

Over time, trust in crypto has grown immensely. Since its skeptical inception in 2009, by some mysterious creator(s), it’s become quite obvious that Bitcoin isn’t going anywhere. Its value isn’t the most stable, but it’s presence has been woven into the fabric of everyday existence. We live in an age that is becoming more and more reliant on digital technology. Crypto currency is just another natural progression in modern society; one that will inevitably grow more and more accepted as time goes on.

It is for this very reason that more and more online casinos are making a point to amend their payments list with the most reputable and stable crypto currencies. Already, there are near 700 online casinos that accept Bitcoin as a method of payment and/or wagering. That represents about one-sixth (16%) of the iGaming industry as a whole. Approximately 200 of those crypto casinos permit Canadian customers and accept BTC for CAD. It’s interesting to note that those sites represent bout 20% of the Canadian-facing iGaming market; a clear sing that Canada is one of the premier nations helping to spearhead the steadily emerging BTC gambling market.

BTC Blackjack Sites that Accept Canadian Players

If there’s one section of this website we expect to evolve greatly over time, it’s this one. As stated above, there are about 200 crypto gambling sites that accept Canadian players and CAD in exchange for Bitcoin / altcoins. By no means will we promotes just any operator that fits that bill. We at BTCblackjack are internet gamers ourselves. We have been for many, many years. That means we know what constitutes quality, and what types of sites should be strictly avoided.

I can assure you, there are some unsavory websites out there you don’t want to get wrapped up in. I can also assure you that we do not deal with any websites that haven’t proven themselves to be legitimate, honorable and worthy of our own deposits, much less yours. That being said, we welcome you to read our genuine, unbiased reviews of the following Canada Bitcoin blackjack sites. Note that as of April 2022, we’ve released an in-depth section regarding all Canadian-facing player deposit options. I’ve provided a little information to help you pick and choose which ones you’d like to read more about. Or, simply click the Play Now button beneath each name to go straight to the website and either sign up an account, or perhaps do your own investigating.

What Canadian Law says about Bitcoin Gambling

The Canadian government is well aware that crypto currency is decentralized. Therefore, the government has no means of regulating it as a currency. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t found loopholes for ensuring Canadians pay taxes on their use of crypto – at least, the traceable variety. In a 2014 review, the Senate determined that all crypto currency, as a digital representation of value, is not legal tender in Canada. It is, however, defined as a digital asset, and is thereby taxable under the stipulations of the Canada Revenue Agency.

As a digital asset (a.k.a. altcoin or crypto asset), virtual currency is a viable medium of exchange for goods and services. The CRA sees crypto as any other commodity. Users are required to signify crypto as income or capital to determine how such revenue is treated in regards to income tax. If you’re trading crypto on an exchange, it is considered a business activity. If you’re purchasing goods/services, the CRA will treat it like a barter transaction (i.e. an exchange of goods or services that doesn’t involve legal tender).

You can learn more about crypto currencies and CRA income tax reporting here.

Truly Anonymous Cryptos (i.e. Not Bitcoin)

Bitcoin isn’t the 100% anonymous virtual coin that it was once believed to be. In fact, if you’re looking to buy, sell, trade, or gamble with crypto without any prying eyes, Bitcoin is probably the last digital currency you should be using. Then again, the more private a crypto is, the more susceptible it becomes to shady activity. Please bear that in mind when choosing how to proceed.

According to a recent report by Investopedia, the six most private cryptos are:

1. Monero (XMR)
2. Zcash (ZEC)
3. DASH
4. Horizen (ZEN)
5. Verge (XVG)
6. Beam

In his “bottom line”, the author of that report notes that much of the virtual realm thrives on privacy and anonymity, which naturally attracts a criminal element. If you’re dealing in superbly anonymous crypto, there are potential dangers and pitfalls that, if encountered, will leave you without the standard protections of law enforcement.

This is just one reason that, despite the lack of total anonymity, those in the know continue to trade in Bitcoin and other major cryptos that aren’t 100% private. If, however, you’re hoping to operate beyond the watchful eye of the government, Monero and Verge are two wholly anonymous, untraceable cryptos found at some crypto casinos.

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