Privacy Policy

Version: 1.0  |  Last Updated: October 29, 2026

1. Introduction

Best Online Casinos Canada ("we", "us", or "our"), operated through essentialelementswellness.ca, is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of every visitor and registered user of our platform. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, the purposes for which we process it, how we share it, how we keep it secure, and the rights available to you under applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and relevant provincial privacy statutes.

By accessing or using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this document, please discontinue use of the site immediately. This policy forms part of our broader legal framework, which also includes our Terms & Conditions and Responsible Gaming policy. Where those documents address matters touching on personal data, this Privacy Policy governs.

2. Data We Collect

We collect personal information in several ways: directly from you when you interact with our site, automatically through your device and browser, and occasionally from trusted third parties. The categories below describe what we may hold about you.

2.1. Information You Provide Directly

• Contact and account details: full name, email address, username, and any profile information you voluntarily submit through registration or contact forms.
• Communication content: messages, queries, or feedback you send to our support team, including any attachments you choose to include.
• Survey and competition data: responses to optional surveys, polls, or promotional competitions hosted on our platform.
• Preference settings: language preferences, notification choices, and responsible gaming self-assessment answers you save to your profile.

2.2. Information Collected Automatically

• Technical identifiers: IP address, device type and model, operating system, browser type and version, and unique device identifiers.
• Usage data: pages visited, links clicked, time spent on each page, referral URLs, search queries entered on the site, and navigation paths.
• Cookie and tracking data: identifiers stored in cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage objects as further described in Section 6.
• Log files: server logs that record access times, error events, and request metadata generated automatically whenever your browser connects to our servers.

2.3. Information from Third Parties

• Analytics providers: aggregated and pseudonymised behaviour data supplied by analytics platforms we use to understand audience trends.
• Advertising networks: attribution data indicating which marketing channel directed you to our site, used to measure campaign effectiveness.
• Linked casino operators: when you click through to a partner casino using a tracked affiliate link, that operator may share limited confirmation data with us to credit the referral, subject to their own privacy policies.
• Publicly available sources: information accessible in public directories or social media profiles, where relevant to the services we provide.

2.4. Sensitive Categories of Data

We do not intentionally seek to collect sensitive categories of personal information such as health records, racial or ethnic origin, or biometric data. If you voluntarily disclose such information — for example, when using responsible gaming self-assessment tools — it is handled with heightened care and is not used for marketing purposes.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process personal data only for specific, identified purposes. The principal uses are set out below.

3.1. Delivering and Improving Our Services

• Operating, maintaining, and personalising the features of our website so that content is relevant to your interests and location.
• Analysing aggregate usage patterns to identify technical problems, improve site performance, and develop new editorial content about online casino reviews and responsible gaming guidance.
• Facilitating affiliate referral tracking so that partner casinos can correctly attribute new registrations originating from our platform.

3.2. Communications

• Responding to enquiries or support requests you submit via email or on-site contact forms.
• Sending you service-related notifications, such as updates to this Privacy Policy or our Terms & Conditions, where we are required or permitted to do so.
• Delivering marketing emails or newsletters about casino promotions, bonus offers, and editorial recommendations, but only where you have provided valid consent or where a legitimate interest applies and you have not opted out.

3.3. Legal Compliance and Security

• Detecting, investigating, and preventing fraudulent activity, abuse of our platform, or violations of our Terms & Conditions.
• Complying with applicable legal obligations, including obligations to retain certain records and to respond to lawful requests from regulatory authorities or courts.
• Enforcing age-verification processes to ensure users are at least 18 years of age, consistent with the minimum age requirements applicable across Canadian provinces and territories.

3.4. Responsible Gaming Purposes

Where you voluntarily engage with the responsible gaming tools described in our Responsible Gaming policy, the data you provide — including self-exclusion requests or risk self-assessments — is used solely to deliver those safeguards and is not repurposed for commercial profiling.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

Under PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy laws, we process personal information only where a valid legal basis exists. The table below maps each processing activity to its corresponding legal basis.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we conduct a balancing assessment to ensure our interests do not override your fundamental rights. You may request information about any such assessment by contacting us at the address in Section 13. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information to any third party. We may, however, share data with carefully selected partners in the circumstances described below.

5.1. Affiliate and Partner Casino Operators

Our site operates as an affiliate review platform. When you follow a referral link to a partner casino, technical identifiers such as click IDs or session tokens may be passed to that operator for attribution purposes. Once you land on a partner casino's site, their own privacy policy governs the collection and use of your personal information. We recommend reviewing those policies before registering.

5.2. Service Providers and Sub-processors

We engage third-party vendors to support our technical infrastructure and business operations, including hosting providers, cloud storage services, email delivery platforms, analytics tools, and customer support software. These vendors act as data processors and may only use personal information in accordance with our documented instructions. All such vendors are bound by data processing agreements that mandate appropriate technical and organisational safeguards.

5.3. Advertising and Analytics Partners

We work with advertising networks and web analytics providers. These parties may receive cookie identifiers, hashed email addresses, or aggregated demographic data to measure ad performance and audience composition. We do not share your full name, financial details, or directly identifying contact information with advertising networks.

5.4. Legal and Regulatory Disclosure

We may disclose personal information when required to do so by a valid court order, subpoena, or lawful request from a government authority, or where disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users, ourselves, or the public. We will, where legally permissible, notify affected users of such requests before disclosure.

5.5. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our business assets, personal information held by us may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will provide notice through our website prior to any such transfer and, where required, seek fresh consent.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

6.1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a web server. They enable the site to recognise your browser across multiple visits, remember your preferences, and gather statistical information about how you interact with our content. We also use related technologies such as pixel tags, web beacons, and local storage objects.

6.2. Types of Cookies We Use

• Strictly necessary cookies: essential for site navigation, page load, and security functions. These cannot be disabled without breaking core features.
• Performance and analytics cookies: collect anonymous data about page visits, traffic sources, and user paths to help us improve the site's structure and speed.
• Functional cookies: store your preferences such as language selection, responsible gaming reminder settings, and display options.
• Targeting and advertising cookies: placed by our advertising partners to deliver relevant casino promotions and to measure the effectiveness of campaigns. These cookies may track your activity across multiple websites.
• Affiliate tracking cookies: record click events on partner links to attribute referrals correctly and ensure our commercial relationships function accurately.

6.3. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You may adjust your cookie preferences at any time through our on-site Cookie Consent Manager. You can also control cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling strictly necessary cookies may impair your ability to use certain features. Please note that opting out of targeting cookies does not mean you will see fewer advertisements — only that they may be less relevant to your interests.

7. Data Security

We implement a range of technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: all data transmitted between your browser and our servers is protected using TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption. Stored personal data is encrypted at rest where technically feasible.
• Access controls: personal information is accessible only to staff and contractors who have a legitimate operational need. Role-based permissions are reviewed regularly and revoked promptly upon role changes or termination.
• Intrusion detection and monitoring: our infrastructure is monitored continuously for anomalous activity. Security patches are applied promptly as part of a structured vulnerability management programme.
• Vendor due diligence: all third-party service providers undergo security assessment before being granted access to personal data, and their security posture is reviewed periodically.
• Incident response: we maintain a documented data breach response plan. In the event of a breach that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities within the timeframes prescribed by applicable law.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are encouraged to use strong, unique passwords and to notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised use of any account credentials associated with our site.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law. Our general retention principles are as follows:

• Account and contact data: retained for the duration of your active engagement with our platform and for a period of up to three (3) years thereafter, to address any latent claims or enquiries.
• Analytics and usage data: pseudonymised usage logs are retained for up to 26 months and then aggregated or deleted.
• Support communications: correspondence records are kept for up to two (2) years following resolution of the relevant enquiry.
• Marketing consent records: documented consent (or opt-out) records are retained for as long as necessary to demonstrate compliance with the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), which may extend beyond the end of the marketing relationship.
• Legal hold data: where data is subject to a legal hold, litigation, or regulatory investigation, retention is extended until the matter is fully resolved, irrespective of the standard schedule above.

When personal information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or de-identified in accordance with our internal data destruction procedures.

9. Your Rights

As an individual whose personal information we process, you have a number of rights under Canadian privacy law. We are committed to honouring these rights in a timely and transparent manner. In most cases, we will respond to a verified request within 30 days; if additional time is required, we will notify you of the extension and the reason for it.

9.1. Right of Access

You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and, if so, a copy of that information together with details of the purposes for which it is processed, the categories of data held, and the recipients to whom it has been disclosed.

9.2. Right to Correction

If personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, you have the right to request that we correct or update it without undue delay. We may ask you to provide supporting documentation to verify the requested correction.

9.3. Right to Withdrawal of Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal. To opt out of marketing emails, use the unsubscribe link included in every commercial message or contact us directly. Withdrawal of consent to strictly necessary processing may limit your ability to use certain features.

9.4. Right to Object

You may object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests, including direct marketing. When you object to direct marketing, we will stop processing your data for that purpose without requiring you to provide justification. For other legitimate-interest processing, we will assess your objection and cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms.

9.5. Right to Deletion (Erasure)

You may request the deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, where you have withdrawn consent, or where processing is unlawful. This right is subject to exceptions, including where retention is required to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

9.6. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have processed your personal information in a manner that violates applicable privacy law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at www.priv.gc.ca. We encourage you to contact us first so that we may attempt to resolve your concern directly.

9.7. How to Exercise Your Rights

To submit any of the requests described above, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details in Section 13. To protect your information, we may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. We will not charge a fee for processing a straightforward request; however, where requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable administrative fee or to decline the request.

10. International Data Transfers

Our primary operations are based in Canada; however, some of the third-party service providers and technology platforms we use — including cloud hosting infrastructure, analytics tools, and email delivery services — may store or process personal data in jurisdictions outside Canada, including the United States and member states of the European Economic Area.

When personal information is transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure that an adequate level of protection is maintained. These steps may include:

• Relying on the receiving country's designation as having substantially similar privacy protections to those in Canada, as assessed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
• Incorporating contractual privacy commitments into our agreements with sub-processors, requiring them to handle data in a manner consistent with PIPEDA and this Privacy Policy.
• Implementing additional technical safeguards, such as end-to-end encryption, where the recipient jurisdiction offers a lower standard of legal protection.

You may request further information about our international data transfer arrangements by contacting our Privacy Officer at the address provided in Section 13.

11. Minors

Our website and the online casino services to which it links are strictly intended for individuals who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that a minor has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at [email protected] so that we can investigate and delete the relevant information promptly.

For further information about the tools and safeguards we use to prevent underage access, including responsible gaming self-exclusion resources, please refer to our Responsible Gaming policy. Additional support for families affected by youth gambling concerns is available from the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) at responsiblegambling.org.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices, operational requirements, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will revise the Last Updated date at the top of this page and, where the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice — such as a banner on our homepage or, where we hold your email address and have a lawful basis for communicating with you, a direct notification.

Your continued use of our website after the updated policy has been published constitutes your acknowledgement of the revised terms. If you disagree with the updated policy, you should discontinue using our site and may contact us to request deletion of your personal data in accordance with Section 9.5. We recommend that you review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Archived versions of this policy are available on request.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please use the contact details below. We aim to acknowledge all written enquiries within 5 business days and to resolve them within 30 calendar days.

13.1. Responsible Gaming Support Contacts

While not a privacy matter, we are committed to player wellbeing. If you or someone you know needs help with problem gambling, the following organisations provide free and confidential support to Canadians:

• Responsible Gambling Council (RGC): 1-416-499-9800 | responsiblegambling.org
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): 1-800-463-2338 | camh.ca
• Gamblers Anonymous Canada: 1-909-931-9056 | gamblersanonymous.org
• ConnexOntario (24/7 helpline): 1-866-531-2600 | connexontario.ca
• GamTalk (online peer support): gamtalk.org
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA): ccsa.ca

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Does Best Online Casinos Canada sell my personal information to third parties?

No. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for their own marketing or commercial purposes. We share data only in the limited circumstances described in Section 5 of this Privacy Policy, such as with service providers who act under our instruction or when legally required to do so.

Q2: What payment methods do your partner casinos support for Canadian players?

Our partner casinos typically support a wide range of payment options popular with Canadian players, including: Interac e-Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Neteller, MuchBetter, Paysafecard, InstaDebit, iDebit, Apple Pay, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and bank wire transfers. Accepted methods vary by operator; please check each casino's banking page before depositing. All financial data entered on partner casino sites is governed by those operators' own privacy and security policies.

Q3: How can I request access to or deletion of my personal data?

You may submit an access or deletion request by emailing our Privacy Officer at [email protected]. Please include your full name and the email address associated with your use of our site so that we can verify your identity and locate the relevant records. We will acknowledge your request within five business days and aim to fulfil it within 30 calendar days.

Q4: How do I opt out of marketing emails?

Every marketing or newsletter email we send includes a clear and functional unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message. Clicking that link will remove you from the relevant mailing list promptly, in compliance with the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Alternatively, you may send an opt-out request to [email protected] and we will process it within 10 business days.

Q5: Are cookies required to use the site?

Strictly necessary cookies are required for core site functions such as page rendering and security. Performance, functional, and advertising cookies are optional. You can manage your cookie preferences through our on-site Cookie Consent Manager or through your browser settings at any time. Disabling non-essential cookies will not prevent you from reading our content, but may reduce personalisation features.