💡 TIP! If you’re new to sports betting in Canada, then we recommend sticking to moneyline bets until you get a little more experienced. These are the simplest and easiest to understand bets available.
Sports betting in Canada is hugely popular. It’s reached a point where online bookmakers from around the world compete for Canadian bettors’ attention. If you’re looking for a Canadian betting site to join, you’ve come to the right place.
This page has everything Canadian bettors need, from Canada’s 12 best betting sites to the most popular sports to bet on, and much more.
12 Best Sports Betting Sites in Canada
Quick Navigation
- The 12 best betting sites in Canada
- Most popular types of bets in Canada
- Betting in Canadian dollars
- Is online sports betting in Canada legal?
- The best betting apps available in Canada
- Sports betting in Canada FAQs
Canada’s Best Sports to Bet On
Knowing where you can bet is only half the battle. If you’re new to online sports betting, here are the events that are the most popular for online sports betting in Canada.
Sport | Most Popular Leagues |
🏈 American Football | NFL |
CFL | |
🏒 Ice Hockey | NHL |
🎮 Esports | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive |
League of Legends | |
⚽ Soccer | EPL |
FIFA World Cup | |
🏀 Basketball | NBA |
NCAA | |
⚾ Baseball | MLB |
🏈 American Football
While it might be our friends across the border in the US that get most of the attention when it comes to American Football, bettors in Canada love the NFL and CFL more than perhaps any other sport.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just casually curious, taking your football bets online is just easiest way to go. This is your one-stop shop to finding the best betting sites for NFL and CFL games, as well as expert betting advice.
🏒 Ice Hockey
It isn’t a surprise to anyone that Canadian sports betting lives and breathes hockey. The NHL, in particular, is one of the busiest times for betting sites in Canada.
Placing online hockey bets in Canada is surprisingly easy, with almost all of the betting sites listed above featuring great NHL odds, live hockey betting, and even live streaming of some NHL matches!
🎮 Esports
While this is still a new and growing addition to the online betting landscape, esports betting has definitely found a home in Canada! Luckily for us, some of the best esports betting sites in the world are available in Canada.
Whether it’s League of Legends, Counter-Strike, or even Fortnite betting that you’re looking for, there are tons of opportunities to bet on eSports while still using safe, reputable online bookmakers.
⚽ Soccer
The NHL and CFL may get plenty of attention here in Canada, but soccer isn’t to far behind. Soccer betting makes up around 80% of all live bets placed across the globe, so Canadians clearly aren’t alone in their love for great soccer betting opportunities.
When betting on soccer online, bettors can stake bets on some of the biggest tournaments in the world. Whether you’re placing a patriotic bet on the Canadian national team in the FIFA World Cup, or sending your stakes across the pond for some British Champions League action, the betting sites listed above have you covered.
🏀 Basketball
Canadian sports bettors have their pick when it comes to online basketball betting. Bettors can stake wagers on the biggest leagues, like the NBA and CFAA, or smaller ones like the EuroLeague and Euro Basket.
Our basketball betting guide has all the information you need to get started. Including the best sites for your basketball bets in Canada, and some expert advice to hone your betting strategy.
⚾ Baseball
The MLB World Series is one of North America’s biggest and most prestigious sporting events of the year, and bettors in Canada can get in on the action relatively easily.
Baseball betting sometimes works a little differently to other sports out there, so we highly recommend looking our experts’ tips and tricks, as well as the best online bookmakers for baseball. Canadian bettors have a leg up over Europeans, as they can usually watch the MLB live on TV!
Types of Online Sports Bets
For those who may be new to online betting, knowing what sports to bet on is just the beginning. If you’ve looked around the internet, you may have seen a bunch of terms that you don’t understand. This is normal.
Here are some of the most important sports betting terms to learn when betting in Canada:
Straight Bets
Straight bets, also known as “match bets”, are bets placed on a single outcome in a game or event. These are most common for betting on the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB.
Depending on the sport, bettors can either place a straight bet on a point spread or a moneyline. For a straight bet to win, it has to cover the point spread. A tie usually means getting your stake returned to you.
Winning straight bets usually pay out the amount staked multiplied by the decimal odds. For example, if you stake $10 on odds of 2.00 and win, your return will be $20. This means you get your original $10 stake back and make another $10 profit.
System Bets
System bets have only been around for a short while, but all of the best betting sites in Canada run these types of bets. This is where bettors place bets on multiple games or events. While in parlay bets you need all of the bets to win in order to profit, with system bets you don’t.
Of course, the odds aren’t quite as lucrative for system bets as they are for parlays, but this is because there’s much less risk involved for the bettor.
Most system bets are either of the 2 out of 3 or 2 out of 4 formats. With the former, 2 out of 3 bets need to succeed in order for the bookie to pay out, and with the latter 2 out of 4 bets need to succeed. This is a great way to get better value odds while still not taking as big of a risk as a parlay bet.
Parlay Bets
Some may know parlay bets as “accumulators” or “accas”. These are similar to the system bets above in that bettors wager on multiple bets at once. The main difference here is that none of your selections can lose or you don’t get a payout.
The risk involved is a lot higher here than for most other bets, and this is why the odds given on parlay bets tend to be of a much higher value than those of straight bets or system bets.
There are only two instances where a parlay bet can become a winning bet. Either all the bets in the parlay are winning bets, or if all bets in the parlay are winners except for any cancelled games or events. If a game is cancelled, then the payout is calculated on the odds of the remaining, winnings legs of the parlay.
Moneyline Bets
Also called “win bets”, moneyline bets are the simplest form of bets out there. These are just wagers on which team or person will win a game or contest.
If you’ve ever placed a bet before, it’s likely that it was a moneyline bet. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for your side to win, or by how many points. The only thing that matters in a moneyline bet is victory.
Point Spread Betting
Point spread betting, also known as spread betting, is a type of betting where bookmakers try to even out a matchup between two teams or competitors of very different skill levels.
They do this by applying a point spread. The game favorite would need to beat the underdog by a certain number of points in order for bets on them to win. Inversely, a bet on the underdog is still considered a winning bet if they lose by too small a margin.
For example, if the Toronto Maple Leafs were set to play a game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Red Wings would most likely be the underdogs of the game. In that case, bookmakers might even things out by applying a point spread. If bookmakers applied a 3.5 point spread, it would mean that the Maple Leafs would need to beat the Red Wings by more than 3.5 points for a Maple Leafs bet to be considered a winning bet.
When it comes to payouts, all spread bets are considered to have odds of -110 after the point spread adjustment, so payouts are easy to calculate. This means that for every $10 payout, bettors need to stake $11.
Totals
These are called “Over/Under” bets across the pond, but you’re likely to see them listed as Totals when betting in Canada. Unlike some of the other bets listed above, total bets have nothing to do with who wins or loses a game.
Just like the name suggests, total bets are wagers on the total number of something that happens during the course of the game. For example, if you’re betting on a soccer match, then the oddsmakers might have predicted a total of 2.5 goals scored in the match. You can bet on the number of goals being either under or over that prediction. Or for one team to get over or under a specific number of goals.
Totals bets require a lot more from bettors than most other types of bets. You need to know a lot about the teams, the athletes, the stadium, and even the weather conditions to be able to consistently place winning totals bets.
Betting in Canadian Dollars
One thing that’s essential for sports betting in Canada is picking a betting site that accepts Canadian dollars. Bettors who bet in US dollars or other currencies end up being charged currency conversion fees by both the payment method (e.g. your bank) and the online betting site.
These fees might not look too expensive, but they add up to significant losses. Whereas when using a betting site that accepts Canadian dollars, there’s no currency conversion fees to worry about.
How Much Money Can I Lose on Currency Conversion?
At the time of writing, the exchange rate from Canadian dollars (CAD) to US dollars (USD) is 1 CAD = 0.76233 USD. The inverse is 1 USD = 1.3119 CAD, according to international currency exchange site Xe.com.
If you have $100 American on betting site A, and $100 Canadian on betting site B, that’s actually two very different numbers. And the difference grows even bigger when withdrawing that money to your Canadian bank account.
If you withdraw your $100 Canadian from betting site B to your Canadian bank account, you’ll get the full $100 Canadian. If you withdraw your $100 American to your Canadian bank account, though, things are very different.
With the exchange rate listed above, your $100 American should be worth $131.17 Canadian. However, most Canadian credit and debit cards charge a 2.5-3.5% foreign transaction fee. If your bank charges a 3% fee, then you’ll only get $127.23 Canadian for your $100 American instead of the full $131.17. That’s a loss of almost $4 Canadian on just that single withdrawal!
Also, don’t forget that you’ll be charged currency conversion fees for both deposits and withdrawals. That means depositing $100 Canadian dollars into a US dollar betting site account will end up with only $73.88 American in your betting site account after conversion and a 3% conversion fee.
Withdrawing that same $73.88 American to your Canadian bank would mean that you’d receive $94.14 Canadian. A loss of almost $6 Canadian from your original $100! Currency conversion fees alone can add up to losses of 5-7% every year!
Best Betting Sites that Accept Canadian Dollars
Depositing & Withdrawing at Canadian Betting Sites
Now that you know some of the basics, like what types of bets can be made, it’s time to talk about how you get money into and out of betting sites in Canada. There are tons of options to choose from, but the following are the most popular:
Credit & Debit Cards
If you’re new to online transactions in general, then using the credit & debit cards already in your wallet is the easiest way to get started. Almost every single betting site in Canada accepts credit & debit cards, and you don’t need to sign up for any new services.
There are three downsides to using your cards as your primary payment methods on betting sites, though. Firstly, it isn’t always safe to hand over your financial information. While all the betting sites listed on this page have been vetted and tested by our reviewers, we can’t say the same for any other betting sites you might come across.
Secondly, most credit card companies file betting site deposits as “cash advances” and will charge you a cash advance fee on top of your deposit. The charges are usually pretty low, but if you plan on betting regularly, these charges add up over the course of months or a whole year and can end up costing you more than you bargained for.
Lastly, while credit & debit card deposits are extremely fast, they are notoriously slow when it comes to withdrawals from betting sites. Customers can end up waiting anywhere from 5 to 15 days, depending on the betting site.
PayPal
If you’re the kind of person who regularly buys things online, then it’s likely that you already have a PayPal account. Luckily for you, plenty of betting sites in Canada accept PayPal as a deposit and withdrawal method.
The main benefits of using the world-famous e-wallet are that PayPal is extremely safe. Each PayPal transaction is protected from fraud, and it’s extremely difficult for your PayPal account to become compromised.
In addition to that, PayPal transactions are extremely fast. Betting site deposits are instantaneous, and withdrawals are usually processed same-day. This means that there’s no waiting around for your winnings to get to your account.
The downside to all this safety and convenience, though, is that PayPal charges fees. Even when using the top online bookmakers that take PayPal, you’re going to be charged whenever you move funds from your PayPal account to your bank account.
Interac
Interac is one of the safest ways to pay for goods and services in Canada, and works with all major Canadian banks. This is basically a non-profit service with very low fees that acts as a secure bridge between banks in Canada and also serves as the Canadian debit card system.
Speed, security, and convenience are the biggest draws of using Interac as your primary betting deposit method at online bookmakers in Canada. While betting site deposits may not be quite instant, transactions take just a handful of minutes, and all of your financial information is kept completely safe.
The biggest downside to using Interac is availability. Not every betting site in Canada accepts Interac deposits. What’s even worse is that Interac used to only be able to process deposits, and not every online bookmaker in Canada who accepts Interac deposits has updated their services to now also accept Interac withdrawals. This means that on some betting sites, you’ll have to use a different withdrawal method after depositing with Interac.
InstaDebit
InstaDebit is a popular Canadian e-wallet that’s pretty similar to PayPal. Like PayPal, this adds an extra layer of security between your debit card and betting sites, keeping all of your sensitive data completely safe.
Deposits are instant, and it keeps betting site transactions off your bank statements. This might not be an issue for some people, but those looking to get a mortgage in the near future know exactly how important it is to keep your bank statement as shiny and clean as possible.
Also like PayPal, withdrawals aren’t free when using InstaDebit. We explain these fees in more detail on our InstaDebit page, but we’re not the biggest fans of having to give anyone a cut of our winnings.
ecoPayz
Another e-wallet service like PayPal and InstaDebit, ecoPayz is actually one of the oldest e-wallets out there, having been around since the year 2000.
Much like other e-wallets, ecoPayz allows users to process betting site deposits and withdrawals without having to expose their banking details to the online bookmaker. If you already use ecoPayz for your online shopping needs, then we recommend picking one of the top ecoPayz online bookmakers to get started on your betting journey.
Also like the other e-wallets, though, ecoPayz is not a free service. Bettors are charged high fees for topping up and withdrawing from their ecoPayz account.
If you’re a committed ecoPayz user already, then you’ll be glad to know that it’s pretty widely accepted at Canadian betting sites.
Neteller
Neteller is possibly the most widely supported e-wallet for online betting sites. This globally used e-wallet was actually invented in Canada, and is available at almost every betting site in Canada.
We go into plenty of detail about how to use Neteller on our Neteller betting sites page, but the most important things to know about Neteller are that it’s fast, it’s safe, and it has extremely high transaction limits.
Much like the other e-wallets we mentioned above, Neteller charge customers to top-up their account. These can range from anywhere between 1.5% to 7% depending on how you top up.
💡 TIP! Before committing to a deposit method, make sure to check whether you’re still eligible for a betting site welcome bonus. Some e-wallets, in particular, can lead to you missing out on a great deal!
How to Choose the Best Betting Site for You
Now that you’ve got all the basics of online betting in Canada covered, like what sports to bet on and the different types of bets, that only really leaves one thing:
Choosing a betting site.
When talking about the legality of online betting in Canada, it’s important to remember that there isn’t a ton of regulation about who can and can’t offer betting services to Canadians. This means that bettors need to be careful when choosing a bookie.
Luckily for you, all of the betting sites on this page have been thoroughly vetted and reviewed by our experts. We definitely recommend taking a look at the best sports betting sites in Canada.
Every bettor is different, though. Each person reading this will have their own set of needs and requirements, which is why we give you the top 9 betting sites for Canadians. If you need help choosing between them, we recommend reading our expert reviews.
How did we Choose the Best Canadian Betting Sites?
The list of online bookmakers above aren’t just great betting sites, but were specifically chosen as the best options for betting in Canada.
In addition to our regular, detailed review testing, we looked at a number of things that are particularly important for Canadian bettors:
Sports Coverage
We showed you the most popular betting sports in Canada above, but you might now know that this differs around the world. For example, in the UK and Ireland sports like football and hockey aren’t all that popular, but cricket betting and horse racing betting are huge.
For a bookmaker to make it onto our list of the best betting sites in Canada, they have to provide a great betting experience for the kinds of sports that most people in Canada love.
Payments
Which payment methods are available to bettors is another thing that tends to differ from region to region. Many of our recommended payment methods for betting in Canada above, for instance, aren’t available in countries across Europe and Asia.
All of the betting sites featured on this page support at least 3 of those payment methods. If a bettor residing in Canada doesn’t have decent options to choose from, then that betting site isn’t one we can recommend.
Security
As you’ll see in the next section, the Canadian online sports betting market isn’t one that’s regulated very closely. This means that shady betting companies can take advantage of that.
Here at Sportsbetting24 we’re huge advocates for safe and responsible betting. This is a hobby that millions of people across the globe share, and we believe that people should be able to place bets without having to worry about their personal data or banking details.
Because of this, we only endorse betting sites who meet our strict criteria for security, user safety and licensing. This means that you can choose any betting site listed on this page without having to worry about your money or security.
Is Online Betting Legal in Canada?
Sports betting laws in Canada are mostly outdated, and don’t really cater for the new reality of online betting. The Canadian Criminal Code prohibits companies from offering bookmaking services on the grounds of Canada without a license, as you can see here on Canada’s official Justice Laws website.
However, the law doesn’t state that it is illegal for Canadian residents to use offshore sports betting services. This means that online sports betting in Canada is legal as long as the betting site isn’t based in Canada.
Do I Need to Pay Taxes on my Winnings in Canada?
No, you generally don’t need to pay taxes on betting winnings in Canada.
However, there are two exceptions to this rule.
Firstly, you need to pay taxes on winnings you collect interest on. As long as you aren’t using your betting winnings as investments that collect interest, then you won’t need to declare those winnings on a T5 form.
Secondly, if a large amount of your annual income comes from your betting winnings, then they may be labelled as income. This means that if a significant portion of your earnings are betting winnings, they could be taxed as income. This doesn’t necessarily always happen, but if you’re aiming for betting to be the biggest portion of your income, this is something you need to be aware of.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Most betting sites out there are licensed by organizations like the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Government of Curacao. However, there is another licensing authority that’s specific to Canada: the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory of Quebec.
Unlike some of the other organizations we mentioned, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is only in charge of regulating land-based casino and betting sites located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.
As you can see on the official Kahnawake Gaming Commission website, there are around 250 online gaming sites in Canada that have been issued a license to operate. However, this being only a small part of the nation, this specific licensing authority doesn’t influence national, or even provincial laws in Canada.
Responsible Gambling Resources in Canada
While the vast majority of bettors enjoy betting harmlessly, a small minority of bettors find that their betting habits can become problematic. The lack of a national licensing authority or up-to-date gambling laws can mean that resources to help these people can be limited in some countries, however not in Canada.
Residents of Canada are lucky to have access to three excellent responsible gambling organizations if they think that they need help managing their gambling. These are:
- The Canadian Partnership for Responsible Gambling (official site)
- British Columbia Responsible (official site)
- The Responsible Gambling Council (official site)
Canadian Betting Sites with Live Streaming
For some bettors, live betting is the ultimate form of sports betting. They thrive on the pressure that comes with needing to think on your feet and adapt to events as they unfold. However, the only way to stay on top of your game while live betting is to be able to follow the game or the race as you bet.
Because of this, a number of betting sites offer live streaming services in their live betting suites. Like with any sort of media broadcasting, what’s available is different in every region. This is why we wanted to narrow down the best live streaming betting sites in Canada, so our readers have access to the best catalogue of live streams possible.
These live streams are offered free of charge, as long as users meet certain criteria. This feature alone can save hundreds of dollars every year for bettors who would have otherwise used pay-per-view services or expensive sports packages with a cable TV provider.
Best Live Streaming Betting Sites in Canada
Canadian Sports Betting Apps
Smartphones have been in the pockets of over 80% of Canadians for years now and, according to Statista’s data, is predicted to grow even further. Sports bettors are no exception, and the vast majority of betting fans in Canada are more likely to place bets on their phone than a computer.
If you think you’re more likely to place bets on your phone, then we definitely recommend finding out more about choosing the best betting app for you.
Canada’s top 9 online sportsbooks all provide great mobile experiences to their users, we wanted to give our readers our honest choices for the best betting apps available in Canada.
Best Online Sports Betting Apps in Canada
Bookmaker | Android | iOS |
bet365 App | ✅ | ✅ |
Unibet App | ✅ | ✅ |
William Hill App | ✅ | ✅ |
Pinnacle App | ✅ | ✅ |
Royal Panda App | ❌ | ✅ |
Online Sports Betting in Canada FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Canada?
Yes, online betting is legal in Canada. As we mention on our section on the legality of online betting in Canada, though, bettors are free to bet online. If a betting site’s servers are located in Canada, or a bookmaker has a brick-and-mortar betting shop in Canada, however, then they need to be licensed in order to be legal.
What’s the best online betting site in Canada?
We’re huge fans of Betsafe for their excellent selection of payment methods and the fact that they accept Canadian dollars. However, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all bookmaker, which is why we put together our list of Canada’s 9 best betting sites. We recommend picking from our experts’ favorites to ensure that you sign up to a high-quality, safe bookmaker.
Which betting sites in Canada accept PayPal?
There are plenty of betting sites that accept PayPal, like bet365 and Unibet. We recommend checking out our section on the best payment methods for betting in Canada to learn more about what your options are.
What Canadian sports can I bet on?
All of them! The betting sites featured on this page are all great options for NHL betting, CFL betting, and more. Take a look at our list of the most popular sports to bet on in Canada for a better idea of where to place bets on hockey, football, and more!
Do I need to pay taxes on online betting profits in Canada?
No, you don’t need to pay taxes on betting winnings in Canada unless you meet one of two specific criteria. As we mentioned in our section on the taxation of betting profits in Canada, you only need to pay taxes if either:
- You generate interest from your winnings
- Online betting profits make up a significant portion of your annual income.
Can I bet in Canadian dollars?
Yes, and we recommend you do! Our section on betting in Canadian dollars highlights exactly how much money bettors can stand to lose just on currency conversion fees. With so many betting sites accepting Canadian dollars, it’s hard to think of a reason to bet in any other currency!