Best Casinos to Play with Friends in Canada

Why Playing with Friends Changes Everything

So what makes gambling with friends so fun? A loss becomes a joke. A win is worth celebrating. Your friend losing a hand is not as big of a deal when you lose the same hand, especially if someone is there to call the dealer a clown.

When you play with friends, winning becomes about more than the money. One big win becomes the basis for a lifetime of stories. A bad beat becomes a joke. Friends help you through the rough patches and make the good times even better. They can even tell when you are taking things a bit too far and slow things down.

Now, some casinos can bring a form of social gaming to you. You and your friends can all play the same live dealer games and watch the same game shows. You can all do it from different locations and still be on the same group video call.

Key Social Features to Look For

Here's a few things to keep in mind when finding the right group play casino.

1. Live Dealer Variety

You’ll want to be on the lookout for plenty of live dealer games. Other fun games like Lightning Roulette help add to the overall group experience.

2. Tournaments

Frequently held tournaments are a draw for a lot of players. Tournaments should have clear rules about scoring, both free and paid entry tournaments, and a live leaderboard.

3. Working Chat

Interaction is key for group play. Thus, make sure the live dealer tables you are considering have a responsive dealer.

4. Mobile Compatibility

Mobile compatibility for live dealer games and tournaments is crucial, as not the entire group will be at a computer.

Best Canadian Casinos for Social Play

Here is what we found during testing regarding group games at the online casinos that we reviewed. Also check the location of the players first. Players in Ontario can only access sites regulated by the Ontario government, and players in Alberta can only use the casinos regulated by the AGLC, see our list of casinos for Alberta. Once you confirm that, let's see if there are games for the whole group to enjoy.

Live Dealer Games: Play Together, Win or Lose Together

Live Casino games, especially blackjack, offer a more interactive way to play compared to RNG games. The whole table is cheering when the dealer goes bust or booing when the dealer hits 21. Plus, you and your friends are all on the same team against the house.

How it works: You all choose a casino and open the live casino lobby. Find a game by name, for example “Roulette 7”. Many games of Blackjack will allow 7 players, however other games such as Roulette and Baccarat will allow as many players as desired. All players will see the same game and dealers often interact with players via the chat function.

Best Live Casino Games for Groups

• Blackjack: Everyone plays their own hand against the dealer, so the whole table is rooting for the same thing. Seats can fill up, so grab them together.
• Roulette: Bet on different numbers and compare results, or all back the same bet for a shared sweat.
• Game shows (Crazy Time, Monopoly Live): All entertainment, no strategy, and great to watch as a group.
• Baccarat: Simple, fast and easy for casual players.

Casino Tournaments: Compete Against Friends

Certain casinos will have tournaments where players will be placed on a leaderboard to score based on game play. Rules for each tournament will vary and are important to consider such as buy-ins or time frames.

Tournament Types

• Slot tournaments: The most common type. Everyone plays the same slot, and points are based on your results.
• Blackjack tournaments: Everyone starts with the same chip stack, and whoever has the most chips at the end wins.
• Prize drops: Random prizes awarded to players on selected games during a promotion.

Slots and Shared Casino Experiences

While you can’t all play the same game at the same time, nothing stops you from playing your favorite game while enjoying some virtual group therapy in the process. Your friends will cheer you on when you land a big multiplier and help you endure a long dead streak.

• Progressive jackpots: Everyone chasing the same jackpot slot, like Mega Moolah, makes for a fun shared goal. Just remember that jackpot slots usually have a lower RTP (see our RTP guide).
• Bonus buy slots: Where the feature is available, friends can buy bonus rounds at the same time and compare results. Bonus buys are expensive, so agree on a limit first.
• Watch and react: One person plays while the group watches, by screen sharing on Discord or casting to the TV. Every spin becomes a group moment.

How to Coordinate Playing Together

For remote play, everyone should create an account at the same casino, and fund their accounts, before the agreed play date and time (Sundays at 8 PM, for example). You can use Discord or Zoom for voice chat. After everyone agrees on the game, they can also share tournament or table links, via the chat. Agree on a time to end your remote play sessions. A 2 hour remote session is long enough.

Live play: Our spin on the party game is here: Casino Night! Project the casino app onto your TV via screen mirroring. Order some pizza and spend the night rallying for bragging rights. You'll need to take turns playing and watching. Each person plays for roughly 30 minutes or until they hit their personal spending limit.

Staying Responsible When Gambling with Friends

Nobody likes to see their friend spin their money away. Your friends will happily hype up your wins and call you away from the table when they see you're chasing losses.

Set some rules. Everyone says their spending limit out loud and once you hit that, no more deposits. If someone is on an unlucky streak, they can tap out and no one is allowed to give them a hard time. Anyone can leave at any time for any reason.

Keep an eye on your friends. If your buddy is obviously just spinning to get his money back, you're allowed to call them out. Gambling can be fun, but it's not the only thing you should be doing and it shouldn't take over your group activities. No one should feel pressured to raise their bets to match your group.

Final Thoughts

You play against the house no matter if you're playing solo or with others, so luck remains unchanged either way. The difference lies in the experience. Good friends have your back and know when to give you a dose of reality after a huge (or devastating) win or loss. They make the experience worthwhile with their company and help you make memories to share for years to come.

A good alternative is to set up a live dealer game. You can play with friends over voice chat while placing bets on the same game. Just remember to set betting limits for yourself and your friends so you don't get carried away.

Frequently Asked Questions