Online Betting in Canada

Legality of Online Betting in Canada

The most important question first: is it legal to bet online in Canada?

The short answer is “yes”. There is a longer, more complicated answer to this question, however, and we need to get to that as well.

Many betting sites online accept players from Canada. Those betting sites are usually licensed in Europe, such as Malta, Gibraltar or Sweden. Some are licensed in the UK as well and a few even in Curacao.

In Canada, each province makes its own gambling laws. By and large, however, gambling online is not illegal wherever in Canada you are.

Ideally, punters from Canada should opt to bet at an online betting site that is also licensed in Canada, but this is not a requirement to bet legally. It does add another layer of trustworthiness and security for players, though.

Note: Under the Canadian Criminal Code, bookmakers with a Canadian license are prohibited from offering single-event sport bets. 

This means that you can, in theory, only place parlay bets at Canadian betting sites. If you play at a betting site that is not licensed in Canada, it is possible to play single bets. And you won’t get in trouble for doing so either.

This is a bit of a grey area, but Canadian punters suffer no legal repercussions from placing single bets at offshore betting sites.

Whilst single bets are still prohibited (current as of February 2021), steps have been taken to legalise this type of bet. In November 2020, legislation has been introduced to end this prohibition, though it is still under review and has not been passed yet.

Best Betting Sites in Canada

We feature plenty of betting sites, which are also available in Canada. Here are some of the best we can recommend to players from Canada.

Bet365

Bet365 offers one of the biggest sportsbooks in the world. There is probably no place with more sports and markets to bet on than bet365. They’ve been around for over 20 years now and are easily one of the most experienced and most trustworthy bookmakers you can find.

At bet365, players from Canada can claim a 100% welcome bonus and $200 in bet credits to use. The site also offers regular bonuses and promotions for their players.

Additionally, bet365 offers live streaming on many events, sometimes even without funds in your account. Detailed stats are also available when you are placing live bets on a sport.

Click here to visit Bet365

Betway

Betway has also been around for many years and is popular in Europe and around the world. They offer one of the most user-friendly sportsbooks, which is easy to use and pleasant to look at. Their odds are competitive, and they offer Betway Boosts

They are especially rewarding for regular customers as they have a Free Bet Club and the Betway Plus program. New punters will be able to claim a 100% welcome bonus and up to $250.

One of their strengths is e-Sports betting, which gets its own section here and has proven particularly popular.

Click here to visit Betway

ComeOn!

ComeOn! originally started out as an online casino, but they have established themselves as a great sportsbook operator as well. They stand out for their “Super Odds” offers you can get for a number of sports. Players also appreciate the ability to build their own bets via the “Create Your Bet” feature.

They do have a good cash out option and offer new players a welcome bonus of 100% and up to $200. 

They homepage is easy to navigate and intuitive to use. Some may find it a little bland as ComeOn! doesn’t offer many gimmicks. But its functionality seems more important than random gimmicks.

Click here to visit ComeOn

Popular Sports in Canada

Whilst each bookmaker has their own strengths and weaknesses, they all agree on the most popular sports they should offer to punters from Canada. Finding a sportsbook that offers odds for your favourite Canadian sport is not difficult. Getting the best odds and promotional offers is a different matter.

Canadians particularly like to bet on the following sports:

• Ice Hockey
• American Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• MMA
• Horse Racing
• Soccer

Ice hockey is pretty much the national sport in Canada, so a bookmaker inviting players from Canada must offer plenty of ice hockey markets and competitive odds.

Choosing the best betting site online in Canada

Choosing the best betting site for you is a matter of personal preference. You might be particularly interested in regular bonus offers or a rewards program. Or you simply want to always get the best odds. Some might be looking for the widest variety of markets. Or look for a strong focus in live betting, including great live streaming options.

Whatever you are looking for, there are some general aspects to consider when choosing a great betting site in Canada.

• Odds and lines – For most punters it’s paramount to get the best odds possible on their preferred sport. That said, not every bookmaker offers great odds for each sport. Some might be very well suited to NHL betting but have horrible odds for soccer. Either way, it’s useful to compare odds and consider whether a bookmaker only offers good odds for one sport or competitive odds for several sports.
• Bonuses and promotions – One of the first things that will entice you to sign up somewhere is the welcome offer. Beyond that, it’s important to check whether ongoing promotional offers are available, if there is a VIP or rewards program and what the bonus requirements are. Sometimes particularly generous offers have very strict bonus conditions.
• Live betting and live streaming – Considering that live betting is one of the fastest growing areas in sports betting, good live betting options are important. In addition to that it’s also good to have great live streaming facilities. Some bookmakers offer no live streaming at all, but still good live stats.
• Safety and security – Make sure your bookmaker is properly licensed. A Canadian license will ensure the greatest security, though there are caveats such as no single event betting.
• Banking – You should ensure that your preferred deposit and withdrawal method is available at your chosen bookmaker. Additionally, it’s useful to check the KYC process of a bookmaker and how long withdrawals usually take.
• Customer service – Is the customer service available 24/7? Is there a live chat available, phone numbers to call? Is the customer service helpful?
• Overall user experience – Another aspect that is important is the user experience. Is the site well-organised, attractive, modern, loads quickly? Is there a mobile app or at least a great mobile site? Is navigation intuitive and the bet slip easily accessible? Are all the important betting functions easily found?

These are the things we check for when we review betting sites. And they’re the things you should check for as well.

How to deposit funds into your betting account

Once you have selected your Canada betting site and signed up for an account, you can make your first deposit and claim a welcome bonus as well if you like.

Depositing funds at a betting site is not difficult.

• Visit the cashier
• Enter the amount you want to deposit
• Select your preferred method
• Verify all details as required
• Wait for the money to arrive (with most deposit methods it’s instant)
• Place your first bet

Popular deposit methods for Canadian are:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Interac
• Paysafecard
• Citadel
• iDebit
• MuchBetter

How to withdraw funds from your betting account

Two things are important before requesting a withdrawal of your winnings or remaining funds.

1. Make sure you use the same method as you used when you deposited
2. Go through the KYC (Know your customer) process

If you’ve deposited via Paysafecard, for instance, you will automatically need to withdraw via bank transfer, otherwise you should ensure that your deposit method matches your withdrawal method.

Going through the KYC process before making your first withdrawal request usually saves you a lot of hassle down the line. You will eventually need to go through the process anyway. If you get it done right away, you save time later on and don’t need to gather all the required information whilst you are hoping to have a withdrawal request processed.

Assuming you have verified your identity already, withdrawing is just as easy as depositing.

• Visit the cashier
• Enter the amount you want to withdraw
• Select the banking method
• Confirm all relevant details
• Wait for the funds to arrive in your account

Keep in mind that all withdrawal requests are processed by the bookmaker. So, there’s someone in the financial department who looks at your request and confirms it or requests further details. If you’ve gone through the KYC process and aren’t making a massive withdrawal, things shouldn’t take more than a few hours.

After that it is a matter of what kind of banking method you chose as to how long you will have to wait for your money. E-Wallets are quickest and take a few minutes or a few hours at most. Bank transfers may take up to five days, however.