Online gaming, including gambling done from mobile devices, is legal in some forms in Canada. Whether your favorite is blackjack, slots, horseracing or poker, individual Canadian provinces allow certain online gaming destinations that are legal to access for those living in that province (more about the laws here). This includes the fun and quite possibly profitable world of playing games of luck and skill right from your PC, tablet or smartphone.

Come Prepared

Before trying any sites or apps that offer real-money play, make sure you have a solid understanding of the game. You will often be playing against other real players and you don’t want to be the one making newcomer mistakes that only encourage the most-seasoned veterans to target you.

You should play in free-to-play online cards and other just-for-fun gambling destinations, which sometimes even show ads while you are playing and then offer rewards to frequent winners like gift cards and discounts. The point is to make sure your strategy is top notch once “the cards are on the table.”

Research First

A vital part of preparing to play for cash on your mobile device is to research the company running the site you will be doing business with. Gambling is a business like any other, and you wouldn’t walk in to a shady, illegal casino that may or may not pay you your winnings when it’s time to cash out.

The same goes for any company offering electronic wagering. Some are legitimate while others are operated by scam artists who skew the odds for greater profits at the expense of the player. Web-based casinos have not hesitated to place “shill” players against wagering customers, the ringers having full access to every player’s hand at all times.

Find out everything you can about mobile wagering in Canada and the companies offering betting within each individual province. The important part is to make sure the provider has displayed many trusting, positive reviews from real players. Be wary of fly-by-night operators as some players have sadly even found their virtual bankrolls simply disappear outright.

Stay Within Your Limits

If you live on a modest income, don’t gamble your whole check on a longshot or make a string of ill-advised bets hoping to come up big. Especially when first starting in the world of virtual wagering, it is essential to start out at a very low limit. You’ll find the quality of play is generally poorer. You’ll be able to get your feet wet and begin to build your strategy when there’s real money on the line.

Once you have some time under your belt playing at the lowest possible limit and have hopefully built your bankroll a bit, it is time to move up. Here you will find the quality of play in skill games improves drastically, but there’s still plenty of players around who have little idea how easily they are throwing away their hard-earned funds. The key is to take advantage of those players rather than be one of them.

Know Your Device

If planning to use your smartphone or tablet for mobile gaming it is important to proceed with extreme caution when installing third-party apps. “Jailbroken” devices with untrusted applications can easily be used to access sensitive data like passwords and bank transfer information. Always stick to apps from trusted and verified-safe providers when any mobile money transfer will be involved, including for gaming.