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From online to brick-and-mortar vendors – how to pay your way in Toronto

  • January 25, 2021
  • technology
  • Comments Off on From online to brick-and-mortar vendors – how to pay your way in Toronto

Making payments in the modern world is a much more varied interaction than it was in the past. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has changed the way that many residents of Toronto will perform their transactions in the long term. Indeed, there are a significantly higher number of ways to make payments now than at any other time in history.

This means that it can sometimes be difficult for people to choose what method they would like to use. In order to help make the right choice, we have gone over all of the most important ways to make a payment that are available. Whether you’re shopping at one of Toronto’s brick-and-mortar retail outlets or online, read on for insight into the different ways to pay and the positives and negatives for each.

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are mainly used for online shopping and other online vendors. It’s rarely an option that’s available in a brick-and-mortar outlet. A bank transfer works by sending funds directly from your bank account to the account where you are shopping – so if you have purchased an item from an online seller, you might transfer the money into their bank account.

This could also be used when playing at online casinos. Here, you would make a bank transfer to the casino account. Once this has been done, the money will be instantly available in your casino account. It might not be transferred from your bank account right away, but due to markers that the bank uses, this money would be marked as used and you won’t be able to spend it. However, because the money has been marked, you can start using it instantly at the online casino.

The positives of bank transfers are that they allow for instant payments to be made and they have excellent safety in place. When it comes to negatives, they do take longer than other payment methods for withdrawals or refunds to be processed.

Debit card and credit card payments

These are probably the most common methods of payment that are available to people in Toronto. While Visa and Mastercard are generally the most common names associated with this method, the debit system in Canada is actually operated by Interac. While Interac actually has its own specific debiting method, which we will cover in more detail later, within Canada, debiting is carried out by the network.

Most shops, both brick and mortar vendors and online, allow people to use debit cards to make payments. A debit card works by debiting your bank account directly when you purchase something. This works in a similar manner to the market system that bank transfers use, and as such, if you make a deposit at an online casino, you will be able to start playing right away.

Credit cards make payments in a similar manner – the difference is that you will be provided with a line of credit when using a credit card. Obviously, this will acquire interest as you play. Some online casinos don’t allow credit cards as part of socially responsible gambling regulations. Other than this, it makes a deposit in the same manner as a debit card.

The positives of debit and credit cards are that they are simple to use, make fast deposits, and have excellent security in place. In terms of negatives, withdrawals and refunds take quite a while. On top of this, credit cards accrue interest if you don’t pay them off on time.

E-wallets

E-wallets are becoming a much more popular way to make payments for users all over Toronto. At this moment in time, there are very few brick and mortar outlets in the city that allow purchasers to use e-wallets for payments. However, online retailers are allowing e-wallets much more regularly. PayPal is obviously the most famous e-wallet that’s in operation. However, Skrill, Interac and Neteller all have their own e-wallet option available.

What e-wallets offer is the ability for customers to make both deposits and withdrawals instantly. It means that waiting days or even weeks for a refund or withdrawal to be processed is no longer an issue when using an e-wallet. At online casinos, players are able to use a large range of different e-wallets in order to make payments. Interac is one of the most popular e-wallets for players in Toronto due to it being behind the debit system within Canada. However, other options are available if players don’t have an Interac e-wallet.

The positives for e-wallets are that they tend to have high levels of security in place and they allow for extremely fast withdrawals to be processed. In terms of negatives, they’re not fully available everywhere at the moment, so you might have to use another method if your favoured site doesn’t cover e-wallets.

Cryptocurrency

This is the least common method of payment at this moment in time. In fact, making payments using cryptocurrency is extremely difficult at brick-and-mortar outlets within Toronto. While there are some cryptocurrency wallets that allow people to have a debit card that will make an instant conversion from crypto to Canadian dollars when you make a payment, this isn’t truly using crypto for a payment. This is mainly because it will incur an exchange charge, which does remove some of the benefits that crypto offers.

Crypto is much more common in the online space. People are mostly able to use it at online casinos, which tend to have a much larger take-up of crypto payment methods than other online retailers. As the price of crypto fluctuates a lot more than more traditional currency, it can be a little more volatile as a payment method, but it is becoming more popular and more stable over time. Bitcoin is obviously the most famous crypto on the market, but there are lots of others, all offering slightly different services to people.

The positives of crypto payments are that you can make deposits and withdrawals instantly and you have anonymity when using it. The negatives mainly focus on how volatile it is – your payment for an item could conceivably have cost double the next day if the price changes rapidly, so it can be a risk to use it for payments.

The 5 Most Famous Canadian Gamblers

Canada is not one of the countries that have a very clear gambling culture. As the poker craze lingered over the years, and as the government of different countries adopted less rigorous regulations as it concerned gambling, the country has gradually developed the culture. Fast forward a few years and Canada has massively outdone the US in terms of gambling legislation. Players who seek an online gambling experience can do so at traditional casinos online or at some of the sites you can find here, which offer players the chance to enjoy real money games like jackpot and more.

This is why we’ve put together a list of the top 5 online and offline gamblers that are based in Canada. This list comprises people that were born in the country and those that moved to the country, and their amazing gambling stories.

Guy Laliberté – Born in Quebec City in 1959

He was a professional poker player, and bloomed late in the world of professional poker because he was busy establishing the Cirque du Soleil in his prime. He later took home $696,220 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He had an iconic poker career because he donates most of his winnings to charity.

It was in 1984 that Guy and a few of his partners established the Cirque du Soleil, and this experienced so much success that the government of Canada was pushing for it to get to other provinces. Through this project, he made a huge amount of money, and that is also why many people may not understand easily why he surfaced in the poker world later. After winning huge money in 2007, many offers to play on the season 4 of the GSNs high stakes poker series started coming his way. He also took part in Poker after Dark Season 4.

It’s good to note that Laliberte later transformed into a huge philanthropist, establishing a charity outreach named Big One, through which he purchased up to $1 million dollars ticket for charity in the World Series of Poker of 2012. Some of the revenue from this went to the One Drop Foundation. The tournament saw up to 48 players compete, and a total of $5,333,328 donated to charity.

Evelyn NG – Born in Quebec City in 1959

She played professional poker live and online, and qualifies to be on this list for multiple reasons. A calculation of her total winnings in live poker reveals that it exceeds $375,000. She gained popularity in 2003 after defeating many poker players from America, including the popular Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman and Annie Duke. At some point, she was in a relationship with the famous poker player, Daniel Negreanu.

In Canada, she ranks among the top players of the game. She has an over aggressive playing style that made her famous. In principle, PokerStars sponsored her, but that stopped when she joined team Bodog. Her presence is felt both in the online and in person poker world. She had her best performance in the main event of the WSOP, where she took the 238th position out of the 6,844 people that took part.

Daniel Negreanu – Born In Toronto, Ontario In 1974

He is a professional player of the poker game, and does so both on and offline, in both cash games and tournaments.

Now, many people may ask why he deserves to be mentioned here, and the answer to that question is that no one deserves to be on this list more than him. Daniel is the most accomplished of all poker players in Canada, having won up to 6 WSOP bracelets. He also won the award of the player of the year for Card Player Magazine in 2004, and took home 2WPT titles too.

One thing Daniel is known for is his colorful way of playing. In fact, many people regard him as one of the most colorful players in the world of poker. When they are down to the big pots, he enjoys starring at and taking out his opponent. That is his strategy, and it has worked for him as he has earned a total of $32m from his poker career.

Apart from his exploits on the live casino games, he has also done great things on the online version of the game, and this has earned him a place that is well honored among the team poker stars representatives.

John Lefebvre – Born In Calgary In 1951

He focuses more on online gambling. He is another person that deserves a sort of administrative position on the list because he developed a presence in other businesses before delving into poker. It would also be noted that we are talking about the founder of Neteller – the premier web money transfer system for online gambling here. One more thing, he may be the only name on this list that has been nabbed by the police.

He was into many businesses before delving into poker, and his careers include e-wallet developer, retired lawyer, entrepreneur, composer, and singer, plus a convicted felon. Now, not minding his other ventures, he deserves to be here for co-founding Neteller in 2009. He was noticed by the federal authorities of the United States because of his online payment activities, and that saw him earn a jail term for illegal online gambling activities and money laundering.  The case was later closed when he paid a settlement amount.

David Baazov – Born In Israel in 1980, and Raised In Montreal

David Baazov earns a mention here because he is the current CEO of Amaya Gaming Group. This stands as the largest online gambling firm in the entire world. He made Canada a center of gambling when he bought over the two biggest online poker rooms, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. An article about him was published by Forbes in 2014, where he was referred to as an online gambling’s young king.

He came from an orthodox Jewish home in Israel, but moved to Canada at the age of one. He was very good in mathematics while in school, lost interest in Judaism at 16, and was thrown out of the family house when he told his parents.  He broke even when he was given a huge project to work on with computer sets in the public library of Montreal at the price of $20,000,000. 

This made him decide to become a software developer, leading him to create the electronic poker table where he can play poker with no human dealer. This gave birth to Amaya, and the firm grew to become so profitable that he staked his claim in the online gambling business with the profits.

 

 

Top Tips for Keeping Yourself Healthy Inside and Out

More and more of us are keeping a closer eye on our health than we might have done previously. Here are some of the best things you can do to ensure that you are keeping yourself as healthy as possible both inside and out.

Find Exercise That Suits You

One of the most important things that you need to do first is find the brand of exercise that suits you. Exercise helps to raise our heart rates and keep us feeling healthy and strong. However, this does not mean that you have to head to the gym to start lifting heavy weights, or start training for a marathon.

There are so many types of exercise out there that it should be easy for you to find one that suits you and your lifestyle. Some people like hiking, others like dancing, others might want to look into a team sport. There is no end to the things that you could try, and all of it means that you are going to be getting a little bit healthier.

Regular Check-ups

Whether it is with your local doctor or with the best dentist Port Credit has to offer, you should think about engaging in regular check-ups to ensure that your health is the best it can be. There are some things that you might not notice about yourself that a healthcare professional could pick up on. This means that it can quickly be rectified before it becomes more of a health issue for you.

Even visits to your chiropractor or massage therapist could be here. They will be able to soothe some of the aches and pains your body might be feeling. If you engage with a lot of sports, this might be just the thing you need to make you feel a lot better.

Choose the Right Diet

Most of the time, the food we eat can have a massive effect on our overall health. You need to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need in the right way. This can look very different for two people, so it is important that you find what works best for you.

For example, some people might have allergies that restrict what they can eat. Others might find that six small meals a day work better for them as opposed to the classic three. You need to experiment a little with your eating habits to be able to truly find what is going to work for you. Fuelling your body correctly is always going to be a necessary part of keeping yourself healthy.

Being healthy inside and out requires a lot of dedication. You need to be prepared to get in tune with your body so you can make changes to your diet or exercise regimes as needed. If you are able to do so, you should be able to ensure that you are the healthiest you have ever felt, both inside and out.

 

 

How the Leading Casinos Evoke Luxury Online

For Canadian gamers, and many global ones, casinos and luxury go hand in hand. They are synonymous. Men stroll around the floor in tuxedos. Women dressed in elegant ballgowns survey their cards. Players are referred to as sir or madam. Well-lit rooms cause chandeliers to sparkle. Marble pillars support the lower parts of domed, chiselled ceilings. It is grand. It is luxurious. It is part of the drama of the casino experience. Land-based casinos cultivated this, and online casinos have sought to replicate it. The experience is the experience and customers don’t want to compromise because they are playing online. Therefore, online casinos have utilized techniques to develop luxury for their customers.

Website Design

Opening up an online casino’s websites should feel like rolling up to the Caesars Windsor, Ontario in a Mercedes Benz S Class. Those first impressions are everything. The website’s home page must signal luxury straight away.

Often, designers keep the website simple. It is modern, but not excessive. Button and hover animations are kept to a necessary functions, rather than a performance. Tabs are clearly described to enable customers to ease themselves to where they want to be. While explaining this simplicity, there is the suggestion that websites favour function over aesthetics. This is simply not the case. As mentioned, first impressions are key.

Aesthetics are an essential factor in determining whether a customer will trust or distrust a website. This might seem like a flippant thing to do, but it isn’t. This is normal practice and an effective way customers dismiss websites in favour of others. To instil that feeling of luxury which the customer desires, colour is key. Black – the sleek black of tuxedos and luxury cars – is often chosen for a website’s design the goal of luxury. It is a colour with a long association to luxury. There is a strength to the colour, despite its neutrality. Within designs, it is eye-catching. However, it can, also, be the base on which to use reds or greens to accent logos and call-to-action buttons (‘Join Now’, for instance), not to mention gold which another luxury colour.

Games

A casino’s luxury can also be determined by its games. Certain games have different experiences associated with them. Slots, for instance, are less formal and less ‘exclusive.’ In general, the slot machines are set up in rows, in land-based casinos, and the designs of the games are often associated with cartoon symbols. The luxury games are poker and roulette. The casino games online from the secure provider in Canada – mansion.com – offers one of the best examples of the ways in which the allure and glamour of these games translates to the digital world. Ensuring that luxury remains even when gameplay goes remote is a fine art – and one that only the best online casinos are able to manage successfully.

‘Live’ games avoid the traditional online gaming format of web-based animation games and, instead, utilise video-chat software to livestream dealing and spins. The customer are in their own homes, playing as they would in such a surrounding, but are part of a chatroom to talk to other players, and have direct interactions with the dealer, who is a living, breathing human dressed in clothes fit for the more elegant and traditionally glamorous pieces of Toronto Fashion Week. This human touch provides the luxury. They see it. Also, they are treated and interacted with in the way they would be at land-based casinos.

VIP Schemes

There is a scheme which will take this attention and exclusivity to a higher degree. Online casinos have VIP schemes. These allow loyal customers to have access to VIP-only events, have promotions and reloads tailored to them, and have higher deposit and bet limits, all while a specific account manager is assigned to them so their experience is seamless, and their experience is maximized.

The allure of casinos does not disappear through a web browser. People have experienced glamour via screens for years: the Oscars feel no less glamourous. It is just translated into a new format. The difference, now, is that this luxury can be participated in through a screen. The feelings are still the same, as long as online casinos make the effort and do a good job of it.

 

 

How technology is helping online bookmakers

  • December 16, 2020
  • technology
  • Comments Off on How technology is helping online bookmakers

The age of having to trek to the high street to place your sports bets for the week is well and truly over. These days, placing a bet with 1xbet and other bookmakers could not be easier thanks to a host of recent technological advancements. This new tech has helped take sports betting to the next level and things are only going to get better over the next decade. Don’t believe us? Here are five examples of how technology is helping sportsbooks improve.

Mobile Technology

The invention of the smartphone has been the biggest thing to happen to the sports betting industry, perhaps ever. These days, growing number of players are placing all their bets on their phone. Companies have invested significantly in created the best sports betting apps possible with accumulators, live markets and even streaming services available.

What is more, this technology means that sports betting can now be done on the go. Regardless of whether punters are travelling on the bus, sat in a waiting area or lounging in their living room, provided they possess a reliable internet connection, access to all the best sports betting markets is always a few swipes away.

Cryptocurrency

Another technological advancement that has been seized upon by sports betting providers is cryptocurrency. The idea behind these cutting-edge currencies is simple but effective. Instead of money being issued and controlled by a centralized bank, they are instead governed by decentralized bodies. Crypto does not exist in paper form, it is entirely digital, making it perfect for online sportsbook customers.

Their advantages are numerous. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies offer players unrivalled security in their transactions, as well as the ability to track how transactions are spent using blockchain technology. While others have been slow to accept cryptocurrency, sportsbooks are among the few industries to encourage its use – which has proved popular with their customers.

VR

Virtual reality is a scary thought to some people, but that has not stopped its expansion over the past few years. The sports betting industry have been sure to capitalize on its emergence as well.

A select few bookmakers are harnessing the technology to allow punters to bet on a string of virtual, fantasy sports. These are short games of around five or six minutes which the player can experience as if they are at the stadium watching them.

Included in the package are lifelike players and fans, a half time show and live statistics. It feels very much like the real thing and it will be interested to see how the technology develops in the future.

Social Media

Although it may not seem like it, social media has also been an important technological tool for online sportsbooks. As soon as a social media platform took off, sports betting companies were quick to create an account and use it for marketing purposes.

Whether it be coordinated campaigns or simply reacting live to the biggest sporting events, companies soon attracted millions of followers, which created a captive audience for their advertisements.

 

 

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