Best Sports Betting Sites in Canada – Compare the Best Sportsbooks in 2023

Legal Status of Sports Betting in Canada

It is legal to take part in sports betting in Canada, provided the sportsbook has obtained a licence to operate in its jurisdiction. However, there remains a legal grey area for offshore sportsbooks, which can currently operate in Canada without issue.

Canada Sports Betting Laws Explained

Although sports betting is legal in Canada, there are obviously certain laws and restrictions in place. Here are some of the basic details. The federal ban on single-game sports betting in Canada was officially lifted on August 27, 2021.

• The minimum age for legal betting in Canada varies between 18 and 19 according to your province.
• Any online sportsbook operated within the country or province must hold a valid online gaming license issued by the federal government.
• Betting at offshore sites is a grey area in Canadian law, but it is worth noting that there have been no prosecutions, or even arrests, of Canadian residents taking part in offshore sport betting.

Latest Canada Sports Betting News

•  June 2023 – Bill tabled to discuss the regulation of gambling advertising across Canada
•  June 2023 – Fitzdares and BetVictor are fined for offering odds about junior hockey league matches
• April 2023 – It is revealed in Ontario that $1.4 billion has been made in taxable sports betting revenue in the state, since the passing of Bill C-218

Single-Game Betting in Canada: Bill C-218

The Single-Game Betting Bill C-218 officially came into play on August 27, 2021, with single-event wagering to be set up Province by Province.

Ontario, the largest and most populous province in Canada, got the ball rolling on April 4, 2022, with the country’s other provinces and territories following suit in permitting single-game online sports betting. With sports betting getting legalized in the United States, there was growing momentum for Canada to update their own betting laws.

Before the arrival of the C-218 Bill, Canadian bettors were restricted to betting parlays, or wagers with at least two or more legs involved, if they were to bet legally. The Bill is a game-changer, in making betting far more attractive for those Canadian bettors seeking real value.

Gambling & Betting Taxes in Canada

Canadian residents do not need to pay taxes for any profits from online sports gambling. The exception is if you’re a professional gambler, where sports betting is your primary source of income.

If, as with the vast majority of Canadian bettors, you’re just a recreational gambler, none of your winnings will be taxed, as gambling is not considered a business and most Canadians do not make a living on their winnings.

Quick Facts About Sports Betting in Canada

• Bill C-218 was passed in 2021: this enabled each province the opportunity to legalize single-game sports betting rather than just allowing parlays.
• Seven provinces legalized this straight away. This was led by Ontario, but also featured British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.
• Overall, 10 of Canada’s 13 provinces have now passed this bill and operate legal online sports betting accepting single-game bets.
• The only three states not to have passed this so far are Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon

Legal Status of Betting Across Canadian Provinces

Gambling laws in Canada fall under the jurisdiction of the provinces & territories. Here you can look up each province to view our info on them.

Our Criteria for Choosing a Top Sports Betting Site

Our experts have tested and reviewed all of the sites above via a number of criteria. The following factors are how they came to the conclusion that these are the best sites to play at.

Choice of Sports

A good choice of sports is a big factor when choosing a sportsbook in Canada. It’s obviously important to have the most popular sports, such as hockey, basketball and football available, but if you want to bet on a less popular or niche sport, perhaps for a major tournament or one involving a Canadian team or individual, you want to be able to easily find that sport too.

Betting Markets

It’s important to have a good selection of Canadian sports betting markets, as you can’t always pick an outright winner of a game on the moneyline, so might want to bet on the Point Spread, Total Points (Over/Under) or some other market.

Bonuses & Promotions

Bonuses & promotions are often what first attract a customer to a particular online sportsbook. A generous Welcome Bonus can often prove persuasive, but additional promos to existing customers shouldn’t be overlooked, particularly if you intend to be a regular bettor at any given sportsbook.

Safety & Security

The safety & security of your money and personal data are of paramount importance when betting online. Any reputable site should have one or more valid licenses issued by a reputable regulatory body; have secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates and ensure that their payment systems enable reliable deposit and withdrawal transactions.

Payment Methods

A good variety of payment methods ensures that you are never reliant on just one, should your circumstances change or the need arises to use a different payment method. A decent mix of traditional payment methods, along with options for using eWallets and crypto is increasingly available with many sportsbooks.

Customer Support

You never know when you might encounter a problem with your online betting account, so first-rate Customer Support is vital for the smooth running of an online sportsbook, preferably 24/7 and via different methods, such as Live Chat, toll-free phone, and email.

How to Sign Up to a Betting Site in Canada

You should be able to register with one of our Canadian sports betting websites and put your first wager in no more than a few minutes. If you are unsure how to get started we have provided some step-by-step instructions below.

We have used our top-rated Canadian sportsbook Bodog for this example but the procedure will be very similar for other sportsbooks.

Step 1 – Visit the Sportsbook

Visit Lucky Block, one of Canada’s top sportsbooks and best new casinos. To start the registration process, click the yellow “Sign Up” button in the top left hand corner when you reach the webpage.

Step 2 – Enter Your Registration Info

Now you’ll need to enter the requested information, there will be no verification and no KYC documents needed.

Step 3 – Deposit Funds

It’s now time to make your first deposit, you can either deposit crypto directly to your account or you can buy crypto via their site.

Step 4 – Start Betting

Once funds have cleared into your account you can start placing your first wagers.  Click on the odds to add the selection to your bet slip.

Step 5 – Set Your Stake and Confirm

Enter your desired stake in the “RISK” box, and the “WIN” box will show the potential payout. and finally click to confirm your bet. Your bet will be settled shortly after the result is known.

Popular Sports to Bet on in Canada

There are a good number of great sports to bet on in Canada, with each having different betting markets that appeal to bettors of that particular sport.

NFL

The NFL is the biggest North American sports league, with a huge following among sports fans in Canada. Bets to win the Super Bowl and Conferences are always popular, while betting on the Point Spread and Over/Under markets in individual games generate lots of interest too. Don’t miss our page on the best football betting sites.

NBA

The Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA title, so basketball is very big in Canada. Popular sports bets on games include moneylines, point spreads and over/under bets.

MLB

In MLB, bettors typically wager on the moneyline, looking to predict the winner of the game straight-up, whether that be Canada’s own Toronto Blue Jays, or others. You can also bet on Totals and Over/Under markets among others.

NHL

The NHL is obviously hugely popular in Canada, featuring as it does seven Canadian teams, including two of the wealthiest franchises in North American sport in the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The biggest NHL Futures are, of course, the Stanley Cup odds, but in individual games you can bet on moneylines, totals, and pucklines, as well as a variety of prop bets. Everygame is a great sportsbook for betting on ice hockey games.

Soccer

Soccer is absolutely dominant as the most popular sport for betting in much of the world. The most popular soccer league to bet on in Canada is the English Premier League, all sportsbooks on this page however also offer odds on MLS. That is good news for Canadians whose three teams, CF Montreal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps, represent a great portion of the league.

As well as tournament outright betting, you can also wager on the result of individual games, Total Goals (Over/Under), Correct Scores and much more besides.

UFC

UFC has grown enormously in popularity in recent years, with there being a range of bets to choose from, such as to win the fight, round bets, KO/TKO, the fight to go the whole way, and many more.

Esports

The most popular esports to bet on are CSGO, Rainbow Six, League of Legends, and Dota 2. Esports specials, also known as props, are popular betting markets.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is popular across the globe, with a number of marquee races generating huge interest. There are plenty of bets to choose from too, such as Win, Each-way and Exactas, Trifectas, and Superfectas.

Golf

The four Majors generate most betting interest in golf, but there are tournaments throughout the year to bet on. There are a variety of bets on offer within tournaments too, such as leader after 1st round, head-to-head or matchup bets and betting on individual holes. Corey Conners, the nation’s biggest player, went close in the 2023 PGA Championship.

DFS

If you are a sports fan, DraftKings is the major player in DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) and is already legal in Canada. Essentially, with DFS you find and join a contest, and set your lineup while staying within the salary cap.

Others

There are a wide range of other sports to bet on too, including the likes of tennis, boxing, WWE, F1, etc. All have their major tournaments or events, and all have a variety of specific betting markets to enjoy.

The Most Popular Bet Types in Canada

There are numerous different bets available to online bettors, so we’ll just run through the basics of a few of the most popular here.

Live Betting Online in Canada

Live betting is a great way to get extra enjoyment out of a sports event if you’re watching it or following the live action in some form, as it not only gives you extra interest in the game, but allows you to bet with the knowledge of how the game has developed up until that point.

Sportsbetting.ag is a particularly good sportsbook for live betting.

Quick Betting Tips

Bonuses Available at Sports Betting Sites in Canada

There are a variety of bonuses available at sports betting sites in Canada, and these can vary markedly in terms of value and restrictions from site to site.

Match Deposit Bonuses

A Match Deposit Bonus is most typically offered when opening a new account. If you open an account and place a bet. the sportsbook then matches the amount of your first bet, giving you double the stake of your original bet. So, for example, if you open your account with $5o and stake the same amount on your first bet, the sportsbook would give you an additional $50 to bet with.

No Deposit Bonuses

A No Deposit bonus offers new customers to a site the opportunity to place a bet without the need to make a deposit. However, they are not very common on sportsbooks and do come with many wagering requirements and higher rates of rollover.

Free Bets

Any Free Bet bonus allows you to place a wager without the risk of losing your own money. Free Bets can take various forms, but might be on a major televised sporting event, such as who will score the first touchdown at the Super Bowl.

Loyalty Programs

Some of the best sportsbooks in Canada also offer loyalty programs for customers who wish to take advantage of even more offers for exclusive players. Free bets and rebates on Canadian markets will be given out more regularly on such programs.

Payment Methods Available at Canada Betting Sites

There are a myriad of payment methods with which to fund your accounts at Canadian betting sites, and below we go through several of them in a little more detail.

Crypto Betting Options

The main benefits of using crypto is that it is highly secure and allows a degree of anonymity, deposits and withdrawals can often be almost instantaneous and you won’t be charged a fee when making withdrawals at many online sportsbooks when using crypto.

eWallet Betting Options

An eWallet (or electronic wallet) is a convenient way to combine multiple payment methods. There are lots of different types of eWallet providers, for example, ecoPayz, Skrill, and Neteller, and you can use the same eWallet to gamble with different online bookmakers.

Traditional Payment Methods

Most major debit and credit cards are accepted by almost all Canadian bookmakers. The vast majority of offshore betting sites in Canada will list Visa and MasterCard as a banking option and will allow you to make a deposit using your bank card.

Canada Sports Betting Apps & Mobile Sites

Although none of our recommended sportsbooks offer a mobile app, you can still bet at all these sites on your iPhone or Android smartphone. It’s become increasingly popular to use mobile betting, so you can bet as and when you want, rather than being restricted to a desktop device.

The service you get when using a sportsbook from a mobile device is now often identical to that from a desktop device, so the freedom and flexibility of single-game wagering has no real downside.

Our Top-Rated Sports Betting Site in Canada

There are some great sports betting sites available to Canadian residents, and selecting the best one will always come down to personal preference depending on the individual’s requirements. In our opinion, Bodog is the best sports site in Canada according to experts, as it covers a lot of bases with regards to what a good site should offer.