The Novitiate’s Canadian Poker Adventure begins Online at Betsson Poker
Betsson Canada Poker Review for Novitiates and Pros in 2022
Advising Canadian poker players on where to place their trust in the online market is something we take great pride in. We are highly experienced online poker players ourselves. We don’t spew mindless reviews with hyped-up details. As serious players, you can rest assured every bit of information you find here comes from our extensive experience with countless Canadian-facing poker sites.
There aren’t too many operators we actually recommend for Canadians. Among them is Betsson Poker, a trusted brand that’s been around for more than half a century. It may not be the largest online poker room, or utilize a proprietary software network, but its qualities go far beyond that. You’ll learn about these, and much more, in our in-depth…
Betsson Canada Poker Review |
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Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the Betsson Group (dba Betsson AB) is a family business that can be traced back to 1963, when Bill Lindwall and Rolf Lundström founded AB Restaurang Rouletter (later named Cherryföretagen AB, aka Cherry). Years went by before Bill’s son, Pontus Lindwall, bought into an English company called Betsson. Cherry was later re-branded Betsson in 2003. As of 2017, Pontus Lindwall took over as CEO of Betsson AB. Betsson Poker was launched in 2004, just as the online poker boom was taking off. After a long stint on Microgaming’s MPN network (formerly Prima Poker), Betsson made the shift to the iPoker Network in 2019. The move nearly doubled Betsson’s player base overnight, thrusting the Canadian poker room into a top-3 position in terms of size. The same goes for Betsson sister-site, Betfsafe Poker; both of which operate under the Betsson Group umbrella. |
Ownership, Licensing and Regulation |
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Betsson Poker is owned by Betsson AB and operated by BML Group, which holds an international regulatory license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Malta is universally recognized as one of the strictest iGaming regulators in the world. Operators must comply with strict rules, lest they risk hefty fines and suspension, if not forfeiture, of that license. You can check on the current status of the BML/Betsson MGA License here. In 2020, Betsson chose to withdraw the majority of its operations from the United Kingdom. Betsson Poker was among those that rescinded its UKGC license. It’s worth noting that the decision was based entirely on profitability (or lack thereof), as opposed to regulatory concern. While the UKGC was slapping licensees left and right with fines for non-compliance, Betsson was never once sanctioned, nor given a warning, from the regulator. This speaks volumes to the group’s level of responsibility to their players. |
Software and Cash Games |
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As part of the iPoker Network (developed by Playtech), Betsson Poker offers a sturdy software platform. The operator offers various ways to enjoy the games, including a downloadable desktop client for Windows, a mobile app for Android and iOS, and an instant-play version that requires no download, and is compatible with all desktop and mobile devices, including Mac. Playtech’s iPoker software utilizes RNG-based random shuffling technology. It undergoes regular testing for fair-game certification by Technical Systems Testing (TST). In addition, Betsson has received the accreditation of eCOGRA, certifying that:
In contrast to the great quality of its software, the game variety is about as small as you’ll find anywhere. Only the most popular variants are provided, with NL/PL/FL stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $5/$10. Variants include:
Most of the traffic is found on micro- to low-stakes Holdem tables, but you’ll find a few mid-level to high-stakes games running at peak hours. Don’t expect to find much action at higher levels outside of weekends and peak hours. Anonymous Tables / Recreational FriendlinessThe iPoker platform does not provide 100% anonymous tables, as MPN once did. However, their friendly attitude towards recreational players remains in what we can only call, “semi-anonymous” poker. No player names are revealed in the poker lobby, nor will you see them when you first take a seat at a table. Instead, you only see generic titles; Player 1, Player 2, etc. Real nicknames only appear after posting the Big Blind. Another recreationally friendly cash game option exists on the network’s Speed Poker tables. Speed Poker is fast-fold cash game variant in which players participate in typical games, with one unique twist. The moment a player folds, they are immediately whisked away to another table, ready for action. No sharks – no wait times – just fast and furious cash game action. |
Finding the Fish |
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Betsson has made it very difficult for bum-hunting sharks to lurk in the deep, waiting for the fish to appear. It’s still possible, but in the way a pro fisherman would like. It’s not that the fish aren’t out there. They most certainly are. The network is swarming with schools of inexperienced players who employ no real strategy. As usual, they tend to school around the lowest stakes Texas Holdem games. But the software makes it very hard to find and stick with them. The problem is that lobbies don’t reveal player names, and neither do cash tables until the Big Blind posts. You could always just sit out and wait for the names to come up, but if you’re a multi-tabler, it will ruin your game. If you press the sit-Out option, it will automatically sit you out at every cash game you’re in. Thus multi-tabling in the fishy waters is incredibly difficult. |
Tournaments |
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SNGs are consistently active at Betsson, especially during peak hours. Most SNGs are the 6-10 player variety, but you’ll also find heads up SNGs, as well as multi-table editions. The Texas Holdem SNGs get the majority of attention. Omaha SNGs aren’t too uncommon, but depending on table size, you may have to wait a bit for the seats to fill. What’s really hot at Betsson are the Twister Jackpot SNGs. These are quick 3-handed, lottery-style tournaments. They are fast-paced SNGs with buy-ins ranging from as little as $0.50, to as much as $100. When entering a tournament, the prize pool is determined by random dynamic output. It could spit out anywhere from 3x to 1000x the buy-in. the odds of striking one of those highest paying events is incredibly low, but it does happen. Multi-table tournaments are, of course, a major attraction. Betsson has a full schedule of events every week with buy-ins of $0.50 to $300. Freezeouts, knockouts, turbos, rebuys, satellites, bounty hunters, freerolls- you name it, they have it. Most of the smaller dailies carry buy-ins of $1-$20, while the bigger weeklies and monthlies will set you back out $25-$50. Thanks to a healthy player base, Betsson is able to promise regular guarantees of $10k-$30k. Regular GuaranteesSome of Betsson Poker’s most popular, regularly scheduled events include the following.
In addition to these, iPoker hosts an array of online tournament festivals throughout the year. They call these the iPoker Festivals Series, or IPF Series for short. They tend to pay out a few million in guarantees throughout each series, so keep your eyes on the poker room’s promotions page for details as they appear. |
Welcome Bonus Promotion |
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Betsson Poker promotes a generous bonus worth up to $600. How much you earn depends on how much you play. Bonuses are released in cash increments as you pay tournament fees and/or contribute to cash game rake. New players also receive 1 ticket into the Weekly $100 GTD Freeroll. It takes place every Sunday evening at 6:60pm (CET), open exclusively to new members of the poker room. The top players in this event will receive a share of the prize pool, plus an entry to an exclusive $1,000 Freeroll, held at 7pm (CET) on the last Sunday of each month. |
VIP Rewards & Poker Rakeback |
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Betsson Poker rewards all players with rakeback via the VIP Loyalty Program. It’s a 4-tier program that guarantees at least 10% rakeback to all members; up to 30% for avid grinders. A player’s status is determined by how many Loyalty Points (LP) they earn in a calendar month.
by jumping up the status ladder, you’re also increasing your Reward Point (RP) rate. RPs are like LP, except that they are exchangeable for cash and tournament tickets. Players can exchange 30 RP for $1 in cash, or 25 LP for $1 in tournament tickets. Don’t wait too long to use those points. They expire 180 days after reception. You’ll be able to see how many points you have, what you can exchange them for, and when they expire in your Betsson Poker account. |
Deposits & Withdraws |
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Betsson is among the most trusted operators in the online poker business. All transactions are secured with the most sophisticated SSL encryption technology, verified secure by VeriSign, and certified forthcoming by eCOGRA. The following payments methods are available. For your convenience, we’ve noted which are eligible for deposits and/or withdraws. Note that we have only listed payment methods available not all options may be available to Canadian players. You’ll be able to see exactly which deposit/withdraw methods are available in your area when logged into the My Account/Banking section.
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Customer Support |
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Betsson employs one of the most highly decorated customer support teams in the business (see Awards section below). Equally impressive is their extensive online help section. Not the FAQ section on the main page—that’s hardly worth looking at. I’m referring to the Help Centre, found at the bottom of each page of the website. If offers 16 different categories with a plethora of answers to common questions. It’s also searchable for ultimate convenience. If you don’t find your solution here, you have access to three more options. Fastest is the 24/7 Live Chat. For slightly less important issues, try the Call Back Request form, where the operator calls you back within 15-60 minutes. For questions that don’t require a quick response, you can refer to Email support, which generally replies in 2-12 hours. I haven’t had too many personal experiences with the support team here, only because I had little need to. But the few times my colleagues and I have dealt with them, the support reps have been extremely professional, knowledgeable and friendly. It’s no surprise they’ve won so many awards in the CS department. |
Awards |
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Last but not least, I’ll shore up this Betsson Canada Poker Review with a list of awards the company has received over the years. It is an impressive list, indeed! Note that Betsson’s software providers, Net Entertainment and the iPoker Network, have an extensive list of awards under their belts, as well. The following list only denotes awards bestowed specifically upon the Betsson Group. I’ve also chosen not to include those geared directly towards its casino or sportsbook offerings.
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Party Poker Canada, the most trusted Canadian gaming destination, and our editor’s pick for two years, now offers a wide variety of popular card games: from Texas Hold’em, to Omaha, to 7 card stud, to Limit Hold’em and even casino games like blackjack. Play for fun, for free, or play for real, for real money that is ! Our editorial pick for 2023.
www.PartyPoker.com
(Reminder to Gamble Responsibly)
About the Author
Adalene Lucas: is our jack of all trades here at DBC. She is a skilled coder, gambler, writer and webmaster. She lives in Manitoba where she enjoys the lush landscapes and camping near Tulabi Falls. Nature gives her inspiration to write. When she's not immersed in nature, her favorite words are "game theory". She lives with her husband and their two Labradors, Kophy and Whisper.
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