Which bookmakers are trusted and where to place bets in Canada?
Which bookmakers offer the best conditions to Canadian players? Which betting websites are safe and reputable? The answers to these questions you can find in our chart below.
Leading Online Bookmakers in Canada
Canada’s leading online bookmakers mainly comprises the same trustworthy brands that have predominantly served many countries throughout the international community for many years. These include the likes of Williams Hill, Pinnacle, Bet365, 10bet, Stake, and 22Bet, all having established rock-solid reputations for delivering a vast range of sports types, betting markets, and options in fair, trustworthy environment.
Betano
It comes as a little surprise that Betano is the first brand in our mini chart. It’s undoubtedly one of the best bookmakers not only in Canada but in the whole world. For Canadian players, this operator offers the complete package of betting experience – an excellent variety of events, great odds, intriguing markets and fast payouts. Make sure not to miss the casino games, as they bring such joy and amusement to the punters’ life and here, at Betano the selection is impressive.
- Pros
- Superb betting features
- Excellent odds
- Well-optimised mobile apps
- Parlay boosts
- Live straming of events
- Cons
- Limited selection of payment methods
Sports Interaction
Speaking of the popular and trustworthy bookmakers in Canada, we have to mention the local leader, Sports Interaction, which is the home of the best practice in online gambling. Found in 1997, this brand has years of experience, and it uses them wisely. The platform provides a superb and complex betting experience, offering significant features and perks, such as PIÑATA PICKS. This feature boosts the odds of random events, making them very attractive to play on.
- Pros
- Excellent odds
- Additional odds boosts and betting features
- Great markets
- Various sports
- Cons
- A bit laggin in-play section
22bet
One of the more recent entries in the market established its roots in Russia during 2017, 22Bet features an impressively comprehensive range of sporting types and betting markets for such a young operator. Its website impresses with a modern design, and logical layout that also features live streamed video feeds allowing players to follow their Live in-play events they’ve wagered on. It sports a remarkably wide range of banking methods which combined with the company’s acceptance of a massive variety of currencies makes for an enticing betting partnering option.
- Advantages:
- Great odds
- Various etting features
- Cool ACCA Boosters
- Loyalty program
- Disadvantages:
- A bit slow support
Bet365
Bet365’s reputation as one of the world’s foremost online sportsbooks not only speaks for itself in terms of the range of available sporting types and betting markets, its 6 million membership total from across the world also speaks of an uncompromising drive to fulfil the needs of all its customers. Despite having established itself as one of the principal providers of online sportsbooks, Bet365, continues to wow its members via continual updates and refreshments to its promotions range features, and website.
- Advantages:
- Great betting options and markets
- Many useful betting features
- Odds & ACCA boosters
- Disadvantages:
- Possible limitation
- A bit slot in-play section
10bet
Having entered the online betting industry in 2003, 10bet continually strives to improve and modernise its products and features. The bookmaker features an extensive range of sports types and betting markets, which makes membership quite an attractive proposition when combined with its reasonable pricing and odds.
- Advantages:
- Reputable brand
- Good odds
- Great in-play section
- Superb cricket betting options
- Disadvantages:
- No cryptocurrency accepted
William Hill
Since its founding in 1934, the company established a brand with a strong reputation for the quality of its products, pricing, good odds, and excellent service, to the extent where during the early years of online bookmaking a William Hill membership carried a certain level of prestige. With its long history in bookmaking, the company has become synonymous with stability and security.
- Advantages:
- One of the world’s leaders
- Good odds
- Free bet bonus program
- Excellent horse racing section
- Disadvantages:
- Not that various payments
Pinnacle
The bookmaker represents the pinnacle of online sportsbetting to punters preferring to wager uncommonly large amounts of money, which makes Pinnacle the perfect alternative to Asian bookies. The company achieved this by focusing on providing excellent odds and numerous safe payment methods, which combined with a high payout rate of 98% and quick withdrawal times consistently sees Pinnacle ranked highly by comparison sites.
- Advantages:
- Excellent soccer betting section
- Various rugby and football markets
- Low margin on the odds
- Arbitrage tolerant
- Disadvantages:
- No bonuses
Stake
One of the newest and greatest brands is Stake. It’s a unique brand that has developed its own casino games. In addition, the sportsbook includes the most popular sports and a vast variety of betting markets. Another upside of this bookmaker is the fact that it works with cryptocurrency. If you own crypto money and prefer to bet with it, make sure you check out this platform.
- Advantages:
- Beautiful design
- Refreshing casino games
- Top-notch providers
- Cryptocurrency accepted
- Disadvantages:
- No conventional payment methods
Why Canadians Love Online Betting
Over the past decade, the figures indicating the popularity of gambling online amongst Canadian residents have seen a steep rise from an ever-increasing influx of local players at online gambling venues. Research data estimates over 70% of adult Canadians engage in gambling-related activities each year. The recent positive shift in attitude toward gambling has seen some provinces in Canada establish their own online casino websites, with some adding untruths to the online rumour mill by falsely suggesting offshore gambling venues that present and operate their services in Canada do so illegally.
This statement or suggestion is unfounded and completely untrue, it is perfectly legal for international casinos to accept players from Canada! Several of the industry’s foremost internationally acclaimed online gambling brands provided an answer to the massive demand by Canadian residents, which created one of the best environments for gamblers to partake in their heart’s content. However, local players must remain vigilant and ensure they only entrust their financial commitments to validly licenced international sportsbooks and casinos.
Is Online Betting Legal in Canada?
At present, it is not advisable to play at a Canada based online bookmaker since Canadian law strictly prohibits any form of single-game sportsbetting. The Canadian Criminal Code bans anyone from operating any such venue, both land-based and online, within its borders. The only legal way of betting in Ontario is the provincial lottery’s Pro-Line product that allows parlay-style bets on three-game minimum selections.
Most confusing are the many articles by obfuscators who claim the Canadian legal system sees or treats gambling online as a grey area that is simply not true! The laws governing all aspects of gambling in Canada is quite clear, and its many words state being seen in and/or operating any form of unlicensed land-based or online gambling establishment from within Canada’s borders is illegal.
However, the absence of any law banning specific activities makes all such activities legal, and the Criminal Code of Canada contains no provision explicitly forbidding its citizens from gambling at offshore sportsbetting and casino venues that accept and specifically cater to the tastes of Canadian players online. Essentially this means it is entirely legal for a Canadian citizen to play at any of the leading international online sportsbook and casino brands.
Are there restrictions on Canadian players by some bookmakers?
Few international casinos place membership acceptance restrictions on Canadian players, international banking and other jurisdictional limitations are the main reasons for casinos applying a blanket refusal on granting Canadian memberships. NetEnt also made a welcome announcement of their return to Canadian shores with casinos featuring the provider’s games once again making NetEnt’s top-tier products available to the country’s players.
Gambling Facts at a Glance
Canada’s local currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD or C$), rated as the world’s 11th most valuable currency. It also is the commonly used currency for funding accounts with online gambling venues. However, the countries proximity to the U.S border and regular travelling of residents between the two occasionally sees the US$ used for such purposes.
Canada’s population of 37.2 million ranks it in 38th position on the world list of most populous countries. Bordered to the south by the smaller USA with Alaska and the Pacific Ocean being its two western neighbours while the Atlantic Ocean lies to the east, Canada occupies the second largest surface area in the world.
An estimated 18.6 million Canadians gamble actively, which sees the country receive a world 8th position ranking in online gambling. Gambling demographics show males constitute 80% of all gamblers in the country, yet it also distinguishes itself as the only country in the world where the number of female players using a mobile device when gambling outnumber their male counterparts gambling via mobile.
Individual provinces are responsible for the regulation of all forms of gambling within the borders of each respective territory. Canada’s current crop of governmental regulatory bodies are Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, British Columbia Gaming Policy/Enforcement Branch, Loto Quebec, Manitoba Gaming Control Commission, Quebec Gambling Commission, and the Saskatchewan Liquor & Gaming Authority to name just a few.
The Canadian legal system provides for the issuing of licences legalising the following products for gambling venues operating inside its borders, Poker, Betting, Sportsbetting, Casino Games, Slot & other types of machine gaming, Terminal Gaming, Bingo, and Lottery.
The Canadian legal system responsible for regulating gambling venues throughout the country only allows for the issuing of licenses to operators of the following types land-based venues Lotteries, Sportsbetting, and Casinos.
How to Choose the Right Online Betting Site
Canadians new to the online sportsbetting scene would most likely require some guidelines to consider during their decision-making process while looking for prospective first or new additional sportsbetting partners. The following factors carry a considerable amount of weight when selecting the most appropriate new online venue:
- Does the operator hold a valid international licence issued by a credible authority such as the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Licencing Authority, and eCOGRA certification?
- Do they have a verifiable reputation for conducting their business in a fair, safe, and secure environment?
- What level of customer service to they offer from their customer support team, does the site feature a Live Chat function with agents available 24/7/365?
- What kind of reputation do they have for dispute resolution?
- Do they offer banking options that suit your requirements?
- How does their bet pricing compare to the prices offered by their competitors?
- Do they feature a vast range of sporting types, betting markets and options?
Bonuses for Canadian Players
Leading international bookmaking brands see the Canadian market as a highly desirable target due to its local annual spend exceeding C$4 million in the online industry, resultantly, online sportsbooks compete and invest heavily into providing the best quality online promotional products. The bonus range available from online sportsbooks comprises of widely varying promotional bonuses and special offers including deposit matching offers, cash back in the form of a free bet and the first wager returned as a free bet if it loses. It poses similarly attractive offers to existing players these include Your Money Back as a Free Bet to refund some of your week’s losses and Free Bets on specific days of the week with the value of the Free Bet determined by the amount wagered or lost.
Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Canada
Despite Canadians generally wagering on a widely varying range of sports the outstanding popularity enjoyed some remain entirely unique to the local industry. The countries most wagered on games are as follows in order of their respective popularity:
- Ice Hockey (NHL)
- Basketball (NBA)
- Baseball (NBL)
- Football (NFL)
- Golf
- Tennis
- UFC MMA
- Soccer
Are Online Casinos Popular in Canada?
Canada’s residents spend over $16 billion at local land-based casinos, with another $4 billion going towards gambling at online casinos, which combined contributes towards its 8th position in the global rankings amongst the countries with the largest spend on the gambling worldwide. The most significant contributors being young adults in college or just having started their careers.
Trivia/Did you know that…
- From 1892 until 1969 Canadian law forbade all casinos, betting, in fact, all forms of gambling except betting on horse racing, raffles, charitable lotteries.
- In 1985 the Canadian federal government delegated full control over gambling regulation to each individual province but confusingly failed to change the federal law accordingly.
- In 2012, British Columbia became the first to launch a completely legal online casino.
- Canada is the only country in the world where more female than male gamblers use a mobile to gamble, that is despite males making up 80% of the nation’s gamblers.
- The largest online jackpot ever won by a Canadian amounted to a whopping $7.5 million.
Available Mobile Apps
In a local online market served by the industry’s foremost sportsbetting brands, Canadian players have access to several of the world’s best and most fully featured mobile sportsbetting and casino solutions. Each of the brands discussed above offers an outstanding array of dedicated apps and mobile portals or virtual versions. The might of their combined apps aims and succeeds in meeting and satisfying the needs and wants of Canada’s players, the apps all offer feature-rich functionality enhanced by excellent graphics and a logical site layout that ensures navigation remains easy and uncomplicated. These branded apps all provide the full range of sports types, betting markets, and banking methods available via their full-sized website.
Supported Payment Methods
Due to the international nature of Canada’s most prominent online sportsbook brands who all serve a membership base hailing from all corners of the globe they also feature a wide variety of globally popular banking methods and brands leaving local residents with access to an extensive range of locally convenient ways to transact deposits and withdrawals. Available financing options include debit/credit cards such as Mastercard, Visa, Maestro, and Visa Electron for instant processing of deposits and withdrawals, while others may prefer e-Wallets like NETeller and Skrill, or e-Payment systems and indirect payments systems such as PayPal and POLi.
Commonly no, the state does not recognise winnings from gambling as an income. However, in a few particular instances, the state may determine a professional punter to have generated a profit and may reconsider him as taxable.
FAQs
What are the hours of operation for online sportsbooks?
Online sportsbooks remain open for business 24/7/365, and many of the leading brands offer around the clock fully operational customer services.
Which online casino sites are best for a new player to learn and start exploring the wide and potentially confusing world of online betting?
Any of the sportsbooks specifically featured in this article would make an excellent choice for beginner punters as they find their way around.
How long must I wait for my account approval before I can start playing?
Once you have completed the registration procedure, you can begin playing immediately.
Besides the obvious, what are the differences between downloadable and non-downloadable games?
Downloaded games provide instant access directly to your most favourite games and feature slightly improved graphics and sound but take up valuable storage space, whereas non-download games may prove slightly more stable and take up no additional storage space.
How do I determine which online games give me the best chance of winning?
The best chances of winning come via games featuring the highest RTP%. The software provider generally determines the Return to Player by considering the results of a huge number of spins.
What are the costs involved when making a deposit at an online venue in Canada?
Very few online sportsbooks actually impose a fee for processing deposit payments.
How much must I deposit into my sportsbook account after signing up?
Not a cent, you can continue playing any of the free to play games in demo mode.
Final Comments
Canadian residents have the benefit of accessing some of the world’s finest venues in online gambling, as such locals also seem to enjoy doing so more than those in most other countries. The future of online sportsbetting in Canada continues to improve with new talks promising to legalise sportsbetting due to an outflow of billions of dollars each year into casinos legally operating in the US. As such, combined with the changing attitude towards gambling will see the sportsbetting market grow exponentially, a surely welcoming move for all invested in the industry with online gambling expected to remain at the forefront of the development curve.
