
There’s good news for sports fans in the Great White North, as our experts are on hand to help you find the best betting sites in Canada. Moreover, you can also find some top tips for using them.
On top of that, we have also addressed the legal question and provided you with some pointers for choosing your ideal site. At the end of the day, we want to help each and every one of our readers to have the best and safest experience when betting online.
Yes, online sportsbooks are now legal in most of Canada, with provinces now able to license sites offering single-game sports wagering. Previously, Canadians had legal access to overseas online sportsbooks, as there was nothing in the law to prevent gamblers from doing so. However, this wasn’t clear-cut legalization and was commonly referred to as the “gray market”.
However, that all changed in 2021, when each province was given the freedom to decide upon its own rules and regulations for single-game sports betting. This is a similar model to the one implemented in the neighboring United States following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
Ontario was the first province to legalize online sports betting and start regulating a homegrown market. The licensing in the province is done through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Since then, most other provincial governments have followed suit with some form of legalization. And while the gray market is still there, there are now plenty of fully legal and regulated online betting sites in Canada.
In order to be online in Canada, you have to be aged 19 or older and physically located inside a Canadian province with legal sports wagering. This age limit also covers in-person sports wagering and playing at land-based casinos.
Since 2021, there are plenty of reputable online sportsbook brands that have made their way onto the Canadian market. Some of the biggest American sportsbook brands now accept players in certain Canadian provinces. Therefore, if you want to bet on the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL, then we recommend checking out the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel.
If, on the other hand, you want to take a more global approach to your online sports betting, then you might want to turn to some of the licensed European-based sportsbooks. Unibet, Bet365, 888sport and plenty more can be accessed across Canada. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding the right sportsbook for your betting needs.
As we said above, the most important thing to do regarding sports betting online is to find the right sportsbook for you. Whether you are an experienced bettor who is looking for something new, or you are just starting out, you want to find an operator that ticks all the boxes. With that in mind, we have put together a few expert tips to help you find your ideal sports betting site.
It almost goes without saying that you want to look at online betting sites in Canada that specialize in the sports that matter to you the most. For instance, if you’re a hockey fan, then you will want to find a site with a good range of markets and promotions related to the NHL.
Welcome bonuses at online sportsbooks come in a variety of different forms, with different promotions being suited to different people. For example, if you are a more casual bettor, then a small bonus bet will work for you. However, high rollers might instead prefer a larger deposit match.
As well as thinking about the sports and leagues that you want to bet on, it’s also worth considering what types of bets you want to place. If you are a new bettor, then easy bets like moneylines, point spreads and totals are easier to work with. On the other hand, the more experienced bettors might instead be looking for handicaps, props markets or in-play bets.
If you prefer to bet on the move, then you are going to need an app or a mobile-optimized betting site at the very least. On the other hand, those of you who work unsociable hours and tend to bet at night will need 24/7 customer service that actually responds.
Last but not least, you want to think about the additional, but non-essential features, that you might benefit from. For instance, if you don’t have a good sports package, then a betting site with a good live-streaming service will benefit you. If you like to think up quirky combo bets, then a flexible bet builder will be a tool that can help to enhance your overall experience when using online betting sites in Canada.
On this page, we have provided you with a complete list of the best betting sites in Canada. We update this list regularly, and it is based on our detailed operator reviews. To create these, our online gambling experts have tested out the sites and rated them based on a number of different categories.
Each time that a new operator hits the market, we will review it, rate it and add it to the list. Similarly, we also re-test established operators on a regular basis, in order to ensure that they have maintained their original standards. If not, our rating will be updated to reflect this.
Showing you our expats’ list of the top online sportsbooks in Canada is all very well and good. However, on top of that, we also want to show you how we have tested each site and arrived at our final ratings. Below, you can check out all of the main criteria that we consider when reviewing and rating a sportsbook:
Bonuses: All promotions promise you the world in the advert, but the terms and conditions tell us an offer’s true value. Moreover, we also test out each bonus ourselves so that we can give you a fair and accurate report of how it works in reality.
Usability: The best betting sites in Canada should be easy to use and navigate for gamblers of all experience levels. From registering your account to locating the markets and placing your first bet - we want the whole process to be seamless.
Mobile app: Mobile sports betting has become the default practice for the majority of bettors in Canada. As a result, we have reached the point where mobile usability is now a standalone category, that must be assessed separately from general usability.
Payments: From credit/debit cards, to PayPal, Interac and prepaid cards, we always check to ensure that a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods are available. More importantly, there should be no hidden fees or lengthy processing times.
Customer service: At the very least, a good online betting site should have 24/7 customer service available through a live chat. Ideally, this should then be complemented by a responsive support email address and a strong social media presence.
Licensing and security: First of all, it is important that the site has a valid license to operate in your location. Once we are happy that the site is legal, we then look for security technology and safety measures, such as SSL, KYC and AML.
Rewards and loyalty: The best way that an online betting site can keep you happy is by rewarding you for your custom. That shouldn’t mean that you should have to spend big in order to receive rewards - a good sportsbook should reward every loyal customer justly.
Esports betting, the practice of betting on professional gaming contests, is growing in popularity the world over, including in Canada. It already has a sizable chunk of the overall sports betting market share, and that’s something that looks only set to increase.
In the not-too-distant past, it was the case that you had to use specialist esports betting platforms. However, esports betting quickly became mainstream, and you can now bet on gaming tournaments on many of the best betting sites in Canada.
CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends and Overwatch are just some of the most popular games for betting. The abundance of global leagues and tournaments, such as BLAST, ESL and “The International”, means that you are never short of betting options at any time of the day.
Even non-gaming enthusiasts have now gotten in on the esports betting action. And if you want to join them, but are coming from a more traditional sports betting background, there is an easy way in. For example, there are virtual competitions for sports-based games such as FIFA and NBA2K.
As well as helping you find your ideal betting site here at The Game Haus, we also want you to have the best possible experience while using it. With that in mind, our experts have put together our top five tips to enhance your online sports betting.
It may seem obvious, but betting on sports, leagues, and teams that you know well will give you a slightly better chance of winning. At the end of the day, all sports bets come down to chance, but it isn’t a complete lottery. You can use your own knowledge to get ahead of the game.
Following on from the above, if you are going to be betting on sports, then it is important to keep up to date. By following the news to keep up with injuries, dressing room unrest and other things that can affect results, you can give yourself a better chance of picking out a winner.
The most important thing in sports betting is finding bets that actually offer you some decent value. You can do this by comparing the odds at various different online betting sites in Canada for each bet you place. Additionally, you can also consider what bonuses can be applied to help boost the value of your wager.
If you find it difficult to remove the emotion when watching your team, then it’s best not to bet on them. Sports betting is all about assessing each game pragmatically, and passion for a certain player or team can cloud your budget. If you can’t remove the fan hat, then don’t wager on teams that you actively support.
Before you even start, we recommend that you make a bankroll plan for how you are going to use your budget to bet on games each week. It is then vital that you stick to this plan and don’t get caught up in chasing losses. Similarly, don’t get carried away if you get a few wins in a row - enjoy your winnings and move on as planned initially.
Earlier on in this article, we spoke about the criteria that we consider when rating and reviewing gambling sites in general. However, there are also some finer details that we consider when looking at sports betting sites more specifically.
Before we wrap things up, we would like to quickly cover some of the most popular types of sports bets that you can place. If you are completely new to the world of single-game sports wagering, then this guide should be of particular use.
So, there you have it, a complete and comprehensive introduction to the best sports betting sites in Canada today. Now all that’s left to do for you is to check out some of our sportsbook reviews to find your ideal sports betting site. And remember that you can always refer back to our top tips when betting if you are just getting started.
Our team of experts here at TheGameHaus.com has rated and reviewed the best operators in Canada right now. Follow the link to our site and check them out today.
The legal situation of online sports betting in Canada is changing fast and changing for the better. Discover more today by consulting this guide on our website.
You can check out exactly what possibilities are legally available with regard to online gambling in this guide here at TheGameHaus.com. All of our information is provided by experts and updated on a regular basis.
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