Sports Betting in Canada

Last Updated on 10.04.2024

We're taking a break from our usual top casino content to bring our readers all the best information about sports betting in Canada. This market is poised to grow at a significant rate that could be worth $621 million in five years.

Of course, there are plenty of places to bet online in Canada and wager on your favourite sporting events. But which are the best betting sites in the country, and what are the key markets in play? Read on to discover all this and more in our comprehensive sport betting guide!

Casimoose's Recommended Sportsbooks to Bet Online

Casino		Bonus	User Rating	Play
	Betway Casino		€1000		Play Now
	888 Casino		€1500+ 88 Free Spins		Play Now
	Poker​Stars		–		Play Now
	Truen​orth​.​bet		–		Play Now
	Leo​Vegas		€400		Play Now
	Tony​Bet		€1100+ 170 Free Spins		Play Now
	Casumo Casino		€300+ 50 Free Spins		Play Now
	Royal Panda		–		Play Now
	Betiton		€150+ 150 Free Spins		Play Now
	Royalist​play		€1000		Play Now

🏆 Best Sports Betting Sites in Canada

We’re going to start by listing the best sports betting sites in Canada. There are plenty of licensed and regulated operators to choose from, each of which have their unique selling points and advantages in the marketplace.

So, here’s our take on the market-leading betting brands in Canada, and a quick glimpse at what sets them apart from their rivals!

1️⃣ Betway

Betway is arguably one of the betting brands and sportsbook providers in the world, thanks largely to its coverage of more than 30 sporting disciplines including basketball, ice hockey, tennis, soccer, and MMA.

At the same time, Betway lives streams a significant number of high-profile sporting events, with this opening up a diverse market of in-play markets and micro bets.

Similarly, it's possible to customise a unique bet slip at Betway and receive bespoke prices, while its ‘Cash Out’ feature is incredibly generous and allows you to bail out of individual wagers at a relatively late stage of proceedings.

This gambling site also offers new players access to a 100% deposit match up to the value of CA$200 as part of a generous welcome package. There’s also the Betway ‘Free Bet Club’ bonus, which rewards you with $10 in free wagers when you stake CA$25 or more on parlay or accumulator bets.

Learn more, read our Betway review to discover what else this brand has to offer.

2️⃣ 888Sport

Next up is 888Sport, which is also one of the best online betting sites in Canada and indeed across the globe.

Once again, this site offers access to a broad selection of sports and betting markets, including soccer, horse racing, tennis, golf, and the NFL. You can also wager on virtual sports with 888Sports, with this niche capable of unlocking hefty returns if you know precisely what you’re doing.

Other key features of the 888Sport sports betting website include the ‘Bet Builder’, which lets you create bespoke wagers that combine different markets within a single game or contest. This is available across both ante-post and in-play markets, while live wagering with 888Sport is highly evolved and offers access to multiple micro bets.

Through the 888Sport welcome bonus, you can earn a deposit bonus up to $250. This offer is based on a 100% matched deposit, with the minimum amount of as little as $10. Your free bets must be deployed on outcomes with minimum odds of 1.50, but this is a competitive offer that’s worthy of consideration.

Our 888 review offers more information on this special sportsbook in Canada.

3️⃣ PokerStars Sport

While PokerStars is synonymous with iGaming and a relatively new contender for the ‘best sportsbook in Canada’ prize, it has quickly evolved to offer a dazzling array of features to punters.

The sports bet brand offers competitive odds boosts across a broad range of sporting markets, for example, while you can also use the ‘RequestABet’ feature to construct customised and completely bespoke wagers.

This compensates for the relatively small number of sporting categories in play, with just 23 disciplines available including American football, tennis, basketball, and Canada’s national sport of ice hockey.

As for bonuses, there are plenty to choose from at PokerStars Sports. For example, you can access Sports Leader Boards that enable you to earn points and compete for monthly prize pools, while the ‘Sunday Freeroll’ lets you wager $5 on any sporting outcome with odds of 1.50 or over to enter a prize draw and potentially win a $109 tournament ticket.

This sportsbook has so much more to offer, go read our PokerStars review.

4️⃣ LeoVegas Sport

LeoVegas Sport is another true contender for the crown of the best betting site in Canada, and one that has also built its reputation as an online casino.

In total, you can wager on 30 different sports at LeoVegas, including staples such as ice hockey, baseball, golf and soccer. These disciplines also unlock access to multiple betting markets, whether you like to wager in-play or take advantage of generous ante-post prizes.

Once again, you can use build your own bet slips and request completely unique wagers at LeoVegas Sports, affording you genuine flexibility when looking to stake your hard-earned cash.

As for the sports welcome bonus, you can claim a 100% deposit match up to the value of $300 as a new customer. Simply register and make a qualifying deposit of at least $10, while keeping your eyes peeled for weekly reload bonuses and promotions.

Our LeoVegas review goes into further detail about this brand and its offering for the Canadian market.

5️⃣ TonyBet Sports

The most eye-catching aspect of TonyBet Sports is its average return-to-player (RTP) rate, with an average payout of 97% comparing favourably with most other betting sites in Canada.

The sportsbook itself is highly engaging and offers you access to 26 different sports, which includes ice hockey, soccer, and tennis alongside intriguing eSports markets. The latter category isn’t widely available among even the best Canadian sportsbooks, creating a unique hook that’s sure to appeal to a growing range of players.

TonyBet Sports also offers access to a broad range of sports betting bonuses, including a welcome offer that comprises a first deposit match of 100% up to the value of $150. There’s also a ‘Forecast Bonus’ that gives you a chance of winning $1,500 simply by predicting 10 correct match results in a sport of your choice.

Lastly, you can join their ‘Sports VIP Program’. This comes with six distinct VIP levels which allows you to earn points and redeem these as free bets at the end of each month.

Read our TonyBet review for in-depth info on this relatively new sportsbook in Canada.

6️⃣ Casumo Sports

Casumo Sports can also lay claim to being the best Canadian sportsbook, with access to well over 30 sports and diverse betting markets spread across basketball, tennis, soccer, golf and American football.

The site also offers a particularly large selection of in-play wagers and micro bets, while you can customise your own betting slips and wagers to combine a unique array of markets within a single game.

Casumo also combines its in-play betting markets with extensive live streaming, enabling you to enjoy a truly immersive wagering experience and one that’s unlike any other in the Canadian marketplace.

The Casumo Sports welcome bonus consists of a 100% deposit match up to the value of $250, while any free bets derived from this must be placed on outcomes with odds of 1.60 or above.

We have more on this betting site in our Casumo review by our own Kayleigh Williams.

7️⃣ Royal Panda Sports

Like TonyBet, Royal Panda Sports offers an excellent average payout rate of 96%, while its sports lobby is packed full of more than 30 disciplines including international MMA events and markets about the NFL, MBL and NBA.

Another key and unique feature of this online betting website is that it provides you with access to up-to-the-second gaming stats. These can be used to inform both ante-post and in-play wagers while letting you leverage micro bets to their fullest potential.

Commentary and live streaming are also available across a broad range of sports and tournaments, and once again you can request bespoke bets and benefit from early cash-out offers.

Royal Panda Sports also extends a broad selection of sports bonuses to its customers. These include a $75 free sports bet to new players, a $100 NHL free sports bet and enhanced odds promotions vis Royal Panda’s social media accounts!

This exclusively online bookmaker is taking Canada by storm, learn more at our Royal Panda review.

8️⃣ Betiton

Now for another of Canada’s best betting sites that’s better known as a casino platform, with Betiton having forged an impressive reputation for excellence across Europe and North America.

Betiton offers access to 26 different sports and thousands of associated betting markets, while the site is also revered for offering incredibly competitive odds. Interestingly, Betiton also targets relatively niche sports like darts and Rugby Union, which aren’t universally popular in Canada and jurisdictions like Ontario.

You can also bet on extensive motorsport markets at Betiton, creative broad coverage across a vast array of sports and disciplines.

If you’re new to Betiton, you can opt into a welcome bonus that comprises a free $10 bet when you make a qualifying wager of $10 or more. Your free bet must be deployed on odds of 2.00 or more, but it’s widely available across your choice of sports and markets.

This brand grows from strength to the next, go read our Betiton review for more info.

9️⃣ RoyalistPlay

RoyalistPlay goes one step further than Betiton, by offering 27 sports for punters to wager on. These include Canadian staples like ice hockey, basketball, and American football, while soccer markets are also well-represented here and have been ever since the formation of the Canadian Premier League.

Additionally, RoyalistPlay provides unique digital tracking to users, enabling them to closely monitor sporting action as it unfolds and make incredibly informed in-play wagers and micro bets as a result.

This platform also offers access to eSports through an interactive hub, making it one of the best online sports betting sites in Canada. Through its hub, you can access multiple betting markets about the most popular eSports titles, including Counter-Strike, League of Legends – Kings of Glory, Rainbow 6, NBA 2k, and FIFA.

There are also multiple bonuses and promotions in play at RoyalistPlay, including a 100% deposit match welcome offer up to $150. Then there’s a 50% reload bonus up to the value of $75, and a dedicated free bet offer that’s worth up to $40.

This brand new sportsbook in Canada has more on offer as featured in our full RoyalistPlay review.

🔟 LegendPlay

LegendPlay offers access to 30 different sporting categories, including all of the usual suspects like ice hockey, baseball, American football, and golf.

There’s also a particularly large number of MMA and horse racing markets, so this is the ideal choice among our best sportsbooks if you have a penchant for either of these sports.

Both ante-post and in-play betting is well-represented at LegendPlay too, affording you far greater freedom in terms of how you invest your bankroll.

But what about the sports welcome offer? Well, this takes the form of a 100% first deposit match up to the value of $375, while existing players can also opt into a weekly sports reload promotion of 25% up to $375. There’s an ‘Acca Boost Bonus’ in play here too, with this adding 10% to three or more accumulators up to the value of $150,000.

Will this be a legendary sportsbook? Get reading our LegendPlay review form more info.

🆕 iBet

We’ll bring this section to a close with iBet, which has quickly evolved into one of the best sites for online sports betting in Canada.

This is one of the most stacked and diverse sites of its type in Canada, with an impressive 36 sports categories available including basketball, ice hockey and soccer. Darts betting markets are also available here, while this is one of the best online betting sites if you’re a fan of this particular sport.

This site also offers access to in-depth statistical data and analysis, which can make it much easier to formulate and place informed bets. There are also ample ‘Price Boost’ options available to punters, while the site’s ‘Bet Builder’ features further helps you to create bespoke betting slips.

When you register for a new account at the iBet Sportsbook, you can qualify for a 100% first deposit match up to the value of $400. However, the minimum qualifying deposit here is $20, while your free wagers must be placed on outcomes with odds of 2.00 or higher.

Our updated ibet review delves deeper into this multi-faceted bookmaker.

📱 Sport Betting Apps

A growing number of sports wagers in Canada are now placed via betting apps, which are typically native to individual operating systems such as iOS and Android.

But what are the key criteria when evaluating and comparing one sporting bet app with another? Here are some of the most important considerations:

💠 A Well-Designed UI

Typically, mobile apps have a high churn rate, and this is particularly true when dealing with even the best sports betting apps in Canada.

Because of this, any branded betting app must deliver an excellent first impression, with this often relying on the deployment of an intuitive, responsive, and engaging UI (user interface).

This applies to both the look and feel of your chosen bet app, and it’s important not to compromise on ease of use or functionality in the pursuit of a premium design. However, obsessing over performance at the expense of appearance and branding may also cause users to overlook particular apps, so the very best betting apps in Canada deliver on both of these metrics.

Ideally, the best sports betting apps should also be optimised for use on a small touchscreen, which usually means that operators will remove all non-essential and clunky features from their finished products.

⚡ Fast Loading Times

Fast and responsive loading times are also central to any product that aspires to be the best betting app in Canada, as you’re unlikely to use or retain an app that’s slow or fails to load fully on your chosen mobile device.

Certainly, fast and efficient load times (usually within two seconds or less) translates into a superior betting experience and higher user retention, while it may prove particularly important when placing in-play bets on live sporting events.

It’s arguably even more critical when placing micro bets, which can pertain to seemingly insignificant and real-time match events such as the speed of the next pitch in baseball to the side that will win the next corner in a game of soccer.

So, the very best online bookmaker apps operate unburdened servers and regularly update their software, while negating the use of bulky source code.

🔐 Strong Encryption and Data Protection

As a general rule, the best Canada sports gambling apps should deploy 128-bit encryption as a minimum standard. This will help to safeguard your financial information and individual transactions at all times, affording you genuine peace of mind when wagering on the move.

But what about data protection? Well, in addition to encrypting all data and using only authorised APIs, the best Canadian sports betting apps are designed using secured code that’s easy to update and patch.

Similarly, they’re likely to deploy code hardening and code signing to help plug any software vulnerabilities that could be targeted by hackers.

Some betting apps may even require multi-factor authentication, requiring you to sign into your account using a unique code that has been sent to an alternative device. These measures are indicative of apps that take your privacy and security seriously, minimising the risk of your data being stolen or hacked.

📁 Best Betting Apps

Now that you know what to look for in a Canada sports betting app, the next step is to review the very best options in the current marketplace. Below, we’ll take a closer look at the best sports betting apps, while appraising a few of their key features and the operating systems there are available on.

💡 How Online Betting in Canada Works?

Now that you know the best online and mobile platforms for betting online in Canada, the next step is to gain a feel for the most popular markets.

More specifically, you’ll need to understand the most common wager types and how Canada’s leading betting websites present these to punters.

1️⃣ Moneyline or Win Bets

We’ll start with the single most simple wager type, with moneyline or ‘win’ bets requiring you to wager on one team or player to win a particular match.

In most sports, this isn’t categorised as an even money wager, as contests in American football and soccer can end in draws. Of course, you can access a variation in the form of the ‘Draw No Bet’ option through some Canada betting sites, which removes the tie as a viable wagering option and enables you to receive your stake back if this is the final outcome.

In sports such as tennis, the draw is eliminated, making moneyline wagers even money bets that are considerably more binary and afford you a higher chance of winning.

2️⃣ Totals or Over / Under Betting

In the Canadian and North American markets, this type of wager is commonly referred to as ‘totals’ betting. However, in Europe it may be called ‘over/under betting’, but regardless, these terms describe simplistic wagers that can be placed on specific matches across a broad range of markets.

But how exactly does this type of betting work? Well, your chosen sportsbook in Canada will set a theoretical total about a particular match outcome or event (most commonly the total number of points scored). You’ll then have to decide whether the actual total will come in over or under the sportsbook’s threshold, before wagering accordingly.

For example, let’s say that Miami Heat are taking on the Chicago Bulls in an NBA game, and your choice of sportsbook sets a totals line at 199 points. If you think that this is conservative and both sides will score more than this total combined, then you’ll bet over. Conversely, you may feel that the times will score less than this in a relatively low-scoring game, in which case you’ll bet under.

This is ideal for punters with knowledge of a particular sport or two competing sides, while it can unlock some generous and extended odds if you’re able to pick correctly.

3️⃣ The Points Spread Wager

The best betting sites in Canada will also offer points spread wagers across a broad range of sports. This may be referred to as handicap wagering in Europe, while it’s usually best deployed in markets where a clear and short-priced favourite exists.

For example, if the Chicago Bulls were heavy favourites to beat Miami Heat in our aforementioned NBA game, a sportsbook may assign a total number of points that they believe they’ll win by. This could be represented by a points spread of five points, and once again, you’ll have to bet on whether you think this margin to too high or too low.

If you think it’s low and that Chicago will win the game by at least five points, you’ll commit to the point spread bet. However, if you think that Miami will either win the game or lose narrowly by four points or less, you’ll back them to prevail at the published odds.

Points spread betting typically creates value by enabling you to back sportsbook favourites at an extended price. However, you’ll need to deploy this type of bet selectively, while tailoring your stake to suit the increased risk and higher potential returns.

4️⃣ Parlay and Accumulator Bets

The terms ‘parlay’ and ‘accumulator’ are often used interchangeably, while they refer to wagers to include anywhere between four and 20 different selections in a single bet.

For example, you could choose to back multiple winners from a horse racing card or single English Premier League matchday, creating a bet slip where individual prices are multiplied together to create extended odds that reflect your increased risk.

For a parlay or accumulator bet to be successful, all of your individual selections, unless you’re able to leverage so-called “acca insurance”. This is made available by a number of the best Canadian sports betting sites, while it works by returning at least some of your stake in the form of free bets or bonuses in instances where all but one of your acca selections wins.

Accas bring high risk and high reward, so it’s important to strike a delicate balance by ideally aiming for between six and eight-fold wagers. It’s also important to focus on backing short-priced favourites where possible, as this will increase your chances of winning without overly compromising your potential returns.

5️⃣ What About the Odds?

Sportsbooks factor in several considerations when conceiving and publishing odds, including statistical analysis for competitors’ form (including home and away variations) and historic performance. Similarly, bookmakers factor in real-time datasets such as injury and suspension news, while also accounting for the influx of bets that they receive on individual outcomes.

Of course, published sportsbook odds at the leading Canadian sports betting sites also include the ‘vigorish’ (or ‘vig’). This describes the cut charged by a sportsbook for placing your bet, which typically ranges between 5% and 10% depending on your choice of market.

This creates a de facto house edge in favour of sportsbooks, as it’s applied directly to the published odds and initial pricing.

When determining whether not published odds offer value, it’s important to note that these prices can be used to calculate the implied probability of a particular outcome occurring. This calculation varies slightly when dealing with negative or positive odds, while it may also change depending on whether you’re viewing American, decimal or fractional prices. Here’s a glimpse at the calculation for American odds.

Negative odds: Odds / (Odds +100) * 100 = Implied Probability

Positive odds: 100 / (Odds +100) * 100 = Implied Probability

Now, let’s apply this to our aforementioned example of the Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat, using fictional odds and an imagined scenario where the former are heavy favourites. Here’s what the prices would tell us.

Chicago Bulls -310: 310/(310+100) * 100 = 75.6%

Miami Heat +245: 100/(245+100) * 100 = 28.9 %

It’s important to calculate the implied probability of every outcome you wager on, as this enables you to estimate your potential returns and determine your stake accordingly.

Ultimately, this process is crucial if you’re to quickly identify value in ante-post or in-play prices, while it also makes it much easier to manage your bankroll and set the ideal stake amount per individual wager.

6️⃣ Understanding Bet Slips and Live Betting

When you build your bet slips, you’ll see the relevant odds listed alongside each selection. Your precise stake amount should also be included here, along with a description of each wager and your predicted returns.

If you’re building accumulators, you’ll also notice that the final odds change with every additional selection. It’s particularly important that you track this in real-time as a best betting practice so that you can review the wager’s unique value proposition, its risk/reward ratio and tailor your stake accordingly.

With in-play wagering and micro bets at game betting sites in Canada, you should note that markets are constantly updating while prices continue to fluctuate from minute to minute.

This is why it’s recommended that you only place in-play bets when you’re streaming or watching the match as it unfolds, as it allows for more informed decision-making and lets you use in-game knowledge or insight to your advantage.

In terms of how odds change, they’re influenced directly by in-game events and what has previously happened in similar situations during previous matches. However, it’s important to try to wager on micro events and leverage these to your advantage where possible, using your existing sporting knowledge and any insight you have into the competing sides.

🏅 Popular Sports Betting Categories Available at Sportsbooks

Next up, we’re going to look at the most popular sports betting categories in Canada, which are likely to vary slightly when compared to other nations and jurisdictions.

This is a key, albeit often overlooked, element of successful sports betting, as it’s important to target categories and betting markets that you have knowledge of. This can afford you a competitive edge, and potentially help you to partially negate any house edge that may be against you.

🏒 NHL Betting

Ice hockey is firmly established as the national winter sport of Canada, with the National Hockey League (NHL) considered to be the pinnacle of the discipline.

To provide some context, the 2021 Stanley Cup, which is the championship trophy awarded to the NHL playoff winner, drew a record 15.6 million viewers. Ice hockey is easily the most watched sport in Canada across the board, creating an engaged audience of punters who want to wager frequently.

There’s ample opportunity to bet here too, with the regular season seeing 32 sides play 82 matches across the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Match betting on these NHL games is incredibly popular, while outright wagering on conference league winners and the victors of the Stanley Cup is also commonplace.

CFL and NFL Betting

Both the Canadian and American National Football Leagues offer access to a huge range of betting markets at the market-leading betting agencies, with the latter’s NFL being one of the most widely backed sports in the world.

Like the NHL, the NFL comprises 32 teams split into two conferences; namely the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The 16 sides in each conference are also split further into East, North, South and West divisions, with each one containing four teams.

At the end of the regular season, two teams qualify to compete in the Super Bowl, which remains the single biggest sporting event in the world and one that was watched by 99.18 million viewers in the US alone in 2022.

Outright betting on the winner of the Super Bowl is particularly popular, while you can also engage in points totals betting during individual matches throughout the season.

💪 UFC Betting

The best online sports betting Canada sites offer a raft of Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) markets, across all weight classes and specific events.

These markets are particularly popular in Canada and the US, with fighters such as the legendary welterweight Georges St-Pierre having represented the ‘Great White North’ with tremendous distinction in the past.

But how should you wager on UFC bets? Well, aside from straight moneyline wagering on who will win individual fights, totals betting on the number of rounds to be contested is also popular (especially in fights where one or more competitors has explosive knockout powers).

You can also bet on the winning method and how a particular fighter will prevail to unlock extended odds, while accumulators that include several fight night outcomes can also prove lucrative if you know the participants.

⚾ MLB Betting

Major League Baseball (MLB) has the distinction of being the oldest professional sports league in the world, having initially been founded 146 years ago in 1876.

Each year, 30 sides compete for the MLB’s coveted Commissioner’s Trophy, with 29 based in North America and one in Canada (the Toronto Blue Jays).

Since 1930, the MLB regular season has concluded with the World Series, which is an annual championship event that pits the AL and NL winners against one another in a best-of-seven playoff clash.

Once again, moneyline and match totals are popular and widely leveraged betting markets here, while ‘5-Inning Lines’ wagers lets you speculate on the score after the fifth inning rather than the end of the game.

⚽ Soccer Betting

Since the formation of the Canadian Premier League (which was founded in 2017 and formally launched two years later), soccer betting has become increasingly popular in the Great White North.

Prior to this, Canadian punters would place soccer bets on the most popular and renowned global tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League, the English Premier League and the FIFA World Cup.

Interestingly, soccer betting in Canada received another boost ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the national side qualified for the finals for only the second time. They’re also scheduled to jointly host the 2026 iteration of the tournament with Mexico and the USA, so soccer betting markets are likely to become increasingly popular over time.

Moneyline and outright wagering on the outcome of tournaments are particularly popular soccer betting markets, while points spread betting on individual matches with a clear bookmaker favourite is also widely used.

🥇 Niche Sports Betting

As we’ve already touched on, the best sports betting sites in Canada also offer a broad range of relatively niche betting markets. We’ve briefly outlined a few of these below, so you can get an idea of what to expect when betting online.

#1. MMA

The UFC betting markets represent a subset of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which actually underpins several similar championships and tournaments across the globe. The ONE Championship is a Singaporean combat sports promotion that rivals the UFC, while Canadians can also wager freely on the Bellator MMA (which is another US promotion founded in 2008).

#2. Darts

Darts is an incredibly niche sport in Canada, despite the famous John Part helping to popularise it when he won the BDO World Championship way back in 1994. Current players Jeff Smith and Matt Campbell are currently in the PDC top 100, while match and totals betting remains incredibly popular among darts punters.

#3. Horse Racing

While horse racing is far less popular in Canada than it is in the UK or US, the country is home to several stellar events including the Canadian Triple Crown. This is a series of three thoroughbred horse races run annually in the country, each of which is known to drive significant demand for each-way bets, accumulators, and outright winner wagers.

🎁 Free Bet Offers and Sign-up Bonus Promos

We’ve already revealed the market-leading sportsbooks in Canada, but what are the current welcome offers being promoted by these brands? If you’re relatively new to online betting in Canada and don’t know where to start, here’s a breakdown of the latest bonuses!

💳 Funding Your Sportsbook Account

Before you’re able to opt into and qualify for any of the bonuses listed above, you’ll need to determine an eligible payment method. The range of such payment methods varies from one sportsbook to another, as do internal processing times for transactions and payout times. Here’s a list of the main options when funding sports gambling in Canada.

💲 Credit and Debit Cards

The most popular option in Canada, this includes cards from Visa, Visa Electron and MasterCard. Some Canadian sportsbooks also accept the latter’s ‘Maestro’ debit card service, which processes more than 23 billion transactions each year across the globe.

💲 eCheck

Short for ‘electronic cheque’, this payment option functions in a similar way to paper cheques and allows for instant casino deposits. However, you’ll initially need to request authorisation which can be verified via an online payment, and this may increase the time required to deposit funds.

💲 Boku

Boku is an online payment platform that enables you to make instant casino deposits through your smartphone. This has become increasingly popular in Canada, with more than 50% of all sports wagers now being placed using a mobile device. Boku is secure, convenient, and incredibly easy to use.

💲 Skrill

This convenient e-wallet provider allows for instant deposits and quick withdrawals from your online casino accounts. However, deposits made through Skrill are often ineligible to receive welcome bonuses due to the charges imposed by the platform, so it’s important to keep this in mind if you’re targeting a sportsbook promotion.

💲 Neteller

This e-wallet is similar to Skrill, while it’s also excluded from the majority of welcome bonuses due to internal fees and charges. However, it’s an e-wallet that has blazed a trail for similar payment providers to follow in the iGaming space, with online gambling and sports betting accounting for more than 95% of its global revenues.

💲 PayPal

PayPal is the biggest and most widely used e-wallets in the world, and one that enables you to link your account to various bank accounts, debit, and credit cards. This affords you access to multiple funding sources through a single, secure interface, allowing you to wager with much greater freedom.

💲 Zimpler

Founded in Sweden back in 2012, Zimpler is another mobile payment solution that has become increasingly popular in the global iGaming space. Now widely accepted at Canadian sportsbooks, it has evolved into an instant payment provider that’s also highly secure and efficient.

💲 Paysafecard

If safety and responsible gambling are key watchwords for you, you may want to consider depositing using the Paysafecard. This is a prepaid card that enables you to manage your bankroll and individual deposits responsibly, although you won’t be able to withdraw casino funds through this method.

📊 How Casimoose Reviews and Rates Sportsbooks in Canada?

The range of available payment options is just one metric that we use to review and rate our sportsbooks here at Casimoose.

Our comprehensive rankings are built on a five-star system, which incorporates the following factors and uses these as key metrics when comparing operators in Canada:

#1. License and Reputation

Every casino that we feature must be fully licensed and regulated, by an independent authority in the relevant province. For example, the newly formed Ontario market and its operators must have received an iGO license that has been issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). These licensing credentials must be displayed on each sportsbook’s website, while we also rank operators based on their reputation in the market and objective customer reviews.

#2. Betting Markets and Key Features

As we’ve already seen, each sportsbook offers access to a variable number of sporting categories and associated betting markets, which are key metrics when determining an operator’s broader appeal. Similarly, we’ll appraise the key features and unique selling points that define sportsbooks, from the structure and value of their welcome bonuses to benefits such as acca insurance, profit boosts and enhanced odds promotions.

#3. Payment Options with Fast Transactions

When we appraise the payment options provided by a particular betting site, we look at the speed and efficiency with which deposits and withdrawals are completed. This will be impacted by each operator’s internal processing times, and if any delays are incurred during the weekend. We’ll also ensure that each sportsbook secures its financial transactions effectively, using 128-bit SSL encryption as a minimum standard.

#4. Site Security and App Safety

Online sportsbooks can also utilise 256-bit encryption, affording them a competitive advantage from the perspective of transaction security. Betting apps should be similarly secure, while both online and mobile sites must have clearly defined privacy and data protection policies that are visible and compliant with national laws. The best online sportsbooks in Canada are also heavily invested in responsible gambling and provide direct links to support groups and advice for those experiencing problem behaviour.

#5. Support Channels and Reaction Times

Last, but not least, our five-star rating system looks at the various customer support channels provided by operators. These often include a combination of live chat, email and telephone support, and while some offer 24/7 access to agents, others will restrict these services to working hours. We also give weight to reaction and response times, while the market-leading sportsbooks also tend to offer comprehensive FAQs that help to resolve generic queries.

✅ How to Choose the Best Betting Site for You?

The above metrics are used to help rate our sportsbooks and determine how they compare with their competitors, while they can also help you to determine which betting site is before you.

However, other key considerations may influence your decision, including the following:

1️⃣ The Range of Sports Categories and Markets in Play

While our reviews focus on the number of sports categories and betting markets covered, you’ll favour sportsbooks that offer broad coverage of specific events. If you’re a soccer fan, for example, you’ll most likely prioritise sportsbooks that offer markets across a diverse range of tournaments, such as the Canadian and English Premier Leagues and UEFA Champions Leagues.

2️⃣ Bonus Fairness and Wagering

While welcome bonuses look to reward you with deposit matches and free bets up to a specified value, many also come with wagering requirements. These stipulate much you’ll have to play through before completing a withdrawal, while they’re usually expressed as a multiple of the bonus funds added. It’s important to calculate the impact of wagering requirements to determine the precise value of each bonus, especially as you’ll usually have to fulfil the playthrough amount within a relatively short timeframe.

3️⃣ Odds Comparisons and Features

As a punter, you’ll also be interested in accessing the best and most competitive odds online. Even small price fluctuations can increase your potential returns, while you should also look for enhanced odds promotions and price boosts that create additional value. Similarly, acca boosts and insurance can increase the value of accumulator bets, while providing cash back and free bets if all but one of your selections wins.

4️⃣ Loyalty Programs and Rewards

Acca insurance may be included as a part of a wider loyalty scheme or program, which is often tiered in nature and available to players to wager with relative frequency. These programs often deliver weekly rewards based on your spending and the total amount staked, usually in the form of free bets or cash back. So, you may want to identify sportsbooks that offer rewards programs that are relevant to you, based on your bankroll and how regularly you bet online.

🗺️ Provincial Sports Betting in Canada

The federal ban on single-game sports betting in Canada was officially reversed on August 27th, 2021, barely two months after the landmark Bill C-218 (the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act) earned royal assent.

Novia Scotia became the first to legalise single event wagering on February 11th last year, through its provincial Pro-Line website. This site offers access to casino, lottery, and sports betting, while it’s centrally owned and operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

Saskatchewan also launched its own BCLC-powered PlayNow provincial sportsbook on November 3rd, 2022. This also offers access to sports and casino markets under the guise of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and is directly controlled by the provincial regulator.

Ontario launched its iGaming and sports betting markets on April 4th, 2022. However, this represented the first time that a provincial government had welcomed third-party online operators into their jurisdiction, with the aforementioned AGCO offering iGO licenses to 28 commercial sportsbooks and more than 60 gaming sites in total.

📝 Lewis Humphries – Sports Betting Expert and Tipster

He wrote articles and landing page material for several international sports betting firms while reviewing some of the top casino and sportsbook platforms in Europe, the US, and Canada.

His writing has also appeared on a number of other websites, such as Life Hack, the American website Investopedia, Yahoo Finance, and Business Insider. On websites like 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas, and Sportsblog, he also often writes sports pieces.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Betting in Canada

So, there you have it; our complete guide to sports betting in Canada, including the market-leading sportsbooks, most popular markets and how we rank our sites.

Before we go, we wanted to answer some of your most frequently asked questions.