Canada Sports Betting

By  Eric Uribe, 

Reviewed by Dan Favale, 

Fact checked by Frank Monkhouse

Updated on: Mar 13, 2024 12:00 AM

Canadian sports betting has made huge improvements over the past few decades and continues to grow – currently worth over approximately $14 billion. While many legal forms of Canadian sports betting are run through provincial lotteries, many Canadian residents have online sportsbook accounts at offshore sportsbooks. The popularity of offshore bookmakers has soared in the last decade, as bettors are looking for alternative ways to access sports betting markets.

Online sportsbooks provide greater opportunities for sports bettors in terms of value and the opportunity bet on more sports markets. Canadian-run sports betting products have restrictions and limitations, meaning it can be challenging to bet on sports at local lotteries. For the best sports betting experience in Canada, those who want to gamble on sports should be researching online sportsbooks and which ones are best for them.

Until it’s legal to have a country or province-run sportsbooks in Canada, offshore online sportsbooks will be the superior product to the lottery-run options that are currently available. The United States legalizing and regulating sports betting and allowing states to open and run their own sportsbooks has proven to be successful and brought in millions in revenue for each state with legalized betting.

While sports betting isn’t illegal in Canada, it isn’t technically legal outside of the lottery-run operations. Canadian sports betting is a gray area that doesn’t ban online sportsbooks from operating in Canada like they do in the United States.

The Kahnawake First Nation Gaming Commission is able to issue sports betting licenses to online sports betting sites and has been offering these since 1996, only a few years after the United States introduced PASPA and banned sports betting.

In the Western and Northern provinces, the Western Lottery Corporation, Sask Lotteries, Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, Lotteries Yukon, and NWT and Nunavut Lotteries all are affiliated with SportSelect sportsbook.

In the East, Atlantic Lottery Corporation uses Pro-Line, as does the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, and then Loto Quebec uses Mise-o-jeu.

In British Columbia, The BCLC offers multiple different products through PlayNow.

Sports Betting in Canada

When it comes to betting on sports in Canada and signing up at an online sportsbook, there are certain criteria to look for. Betting in Canada has some differences and restrictions and many sports bettors try to sign up for sportsbooks that are more suited to United States residents or even European sites.

Finding an online sportsbook in Canada is different than the United States, and Canadian players should take into account certain criteria that is often overlooked. Not all sportsbooks available to other countries are available to Canadians, but also, some great sportsbooks that aren’t available to U.S. residents are accessible in Canada.

Canadian Deposit Options

Some sportsbooks only offer a select few deposit options available, so it’s important to research that they accept your preferred payment method. In Canada, you will likely be looking for options like MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, or Bitcoin. Ensuring that your sportsbook has one of these options should be an important part of your research before hitting the sign up button.

Canadian Payout Options

When it comes to getting your winnings back, the sportsbooks don’t tend to have all of the same options as they do for deposits. You want to ensure they have Canadian options that you will be able to use to receive your money back, whether it’s a bank transfer, check, or PayPal.

Mobile Compatibility

Many Canadians are busy and need the capabilities to bet on the go. Ensuring that your sportsbook has a mobile site that’s compatible with smartphones or has a designated app is highly important if you plan to bet from your phone.

Safety and Security

Online sportsbooks are not subject to any laws or regulations that you’d find by betting on Canadian lottery sports, meaning if you had a discrepancy with an unsavory sportsbook, you could be looking at a loss as Canadian authorities will not help you. Ensure you find an online sportsbook that has SSL Security and is safe and secure.

We would never recommend a sportsbook that isn’t safe and secure, so any sportsbooks we recommend will be a great option for any Canadian bettor.

Canadian Bonuses and Promotions

The most exciting part about using an online sportsbook over a local lottery is the bonuses and promotions that are available offshore. Offshore sportsbooks tend to offer huge sign-up and deposit bonuses which can pad your bankroll. Usually, sportsbooks offer 100% sign up bonuses up to $200, which means you will double your bankroll. If you deposited $100, you would receive another $100.

From time to time they will offer promotions and free bets to keep customers happy.

Odds and Betting Options

Keep in mind that all sportsbooks have different odds and options available, and the best sportsbooks offer a huge variety of sports betting odds. Ensuring that the sportsbook has the odds you want to bet on is important so you don’t waste time signing up at a sportsbook who doesn’t offer the odds you need.

While the Canadian lotteries offer common betting options like moneyline, point spreads, and totals, the online sports betting sites offer all of those and more. You can find thousands of prop bets, futures, and specials on offshore books for any given game.

Popular Sports to bet on in Canada

While Canada isn’t that different from the United States in terms of which sports are followed, there is always hockey, which is definitely followed more heavily in Canada than the U.S.

Canadians enjoy watching and betting on the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and college football and basketball. They also can be found betting on curling and combat sports as well. Now, those sports aren’t the only ones available for Canadian sports betting, you can bet on any sport, whether it’s North American or European – betting odds are available for sports from all over the world.

Ontario Sports Betting

Sports betting enthusiasts in the Province of Ontario can wager on pro and college sports through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. With the ProLine online sports betting website, bettors can log in to view the daily betting lines, along with helpful sports wagering tips, 24 hours a day.

Pro Line Sports Betting

As the most popular method available, Pro Line is the provincial lottery sports betting option in Ontario. Sports bettors can wager from $2.00 to $100 per betting slip on football, at the pro and college level, college basketball, as well as hockey, pro baseball, and international soccer events.

Sport Select

Adults in the Province of Ontario, aged 18 and over, can wager on sporting events with the OLG version of Sports Select. Betting options include ProLine, Point Spread, and Pro Picks sports wagering. Each of these sports wagering methods requires a minimum of three selections per betting slip.

Online Sports Betting in Quebec

When it comes to online sports betting, the people of Quebec have a slight advantage over some of the other jurisdictions in Canada. Organized through Loto-Québec, residents of La belle province can wager on a variety of sports with the Mis O Jeu betting option. They also have access to online Casino action at the lotoquébec.com gaming website.

Online Betting at MiseOJeu

Online betting through the Mise O Jeu website offers sports wagering on pro and college football, great puck betting action, as well hoop play from the hardcourts. Soccer wagering, from over 25 international leagues, is a huge part of the Québec online betting experience. Pro Fighting events, along with Golf and Tennis, are also offered as online betting options with Mise O Jeu.

Online Sports Betting in British Columbia

Betting fans in British Columbia have access to some the best online sports betting options in the Country. The PlayNow.com website offers a sportsbook that covers major North American and International sporting events. Operated by the British Columbia Lottery Commission (BCLC) Sports Action is the umbrella for the sports wagering options in BC.

Online Betting at BCLC

Launched by the BCLC in August 2010, PlayNow.com was the first full service online betting website of it’s kind in Canada. In addition to traditional bingo and lottery play, PlayNow offers live online Sports, Casino, and Poker betting action around the clock, 365 days a year.

Online Betting at Sports Action

Online betting is available to the residents of British Columbia with the Sports Action wagering option. Sports fans can bet on a wide variety of pro and college sports with three online betting methods. Oddset, Point Spread, and Over/Under, are available through Sports Action in British Columbia.

Top Online Sportsbooks for Betting on Sports in Canada

Now that we’ve addressed some important criteria when choosing a sportsbook as a Canadian resident, we will outline the top online sportsbooks available to Canadians, which we’ve reviewed in-depth, and ensure a seamless sports betting experience. All you need to do is read a few sportsbook reviews and decide which is best for you, utilizing the criteria we outlined above.

Betting on sports in Canada is a great pastime and we hope that you have fun betting on sports from all over the country.