Top Sports Betting Sites in Canada 2024

Do you think you know your stuff when it comes to Canada sports betting? Keen to put a couple of bucks on your favourite teams? Well, you’ve come to the right place. DFO knows a thing or two about finding and selecting the best sports betting sites in Canada, for hockey betting and beyond. We only mess with sportsbooks that’ll take care of customers’ money with safe deposits and quick withdrawals, that give customers competitive odds, and ones that offer a large selection of sports betting markets to bet on. Right now, our top sportsbooks are Sports Interaction, Bet99, TonyBet, and bet365 Canada.

Top 10 Betting Sites Canada

In our Canadian sports betting experience and based on a wide variety of factors, these are the top sports betting sites in Canada today. We estimate most of our readers will feel at home with these sportsbooks, as every single betting site below offers stellar hockey betting options. Most even have special markets on hockey bets throughout the season. That said, these sportsbooks cover more than just the greatest game on ice. You can bet on all the big leagues, niche sports like horse racing, and even legally wager on entertainment and political futures. The books below will safeguard your information, get bonus bets in your wallet, and even let you livestream the game.

1. Sports Interaction Canada

Top Feature	Live Betting
App Store Rating	4.5/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	3.4/5 Stars
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	1-5 Business Days

Do you want to gamble at Canada’s sportsbook? Well, Sports Interaction Canada is the place to go. SIA prides itself on being one of the best sportsbooks Canada has to offer, and has held the title for some time. Creating an account is a painless process, so you can get betting at the drop of a hat.

Out of this entire list, we’d reckon that SIA has the best lines for the NHL. From bargain moneyline prices to exclusive special markets, Sports Interaction supplies a great product for hockey fans. Don’t worry though; SIA doesn’t hold back on other major sports. If you’re tired of the usual Game 7 choke jobs from the Toronto Maple Leafs, you can use Sports Interaction to bet on the NFL, NBA, and tons of other leagues. We can’t guarantee you won’t pull your hair out all the same, but at least you’ve got more options.

One of the things we love about Sports Interaction is its live betting markets. These markets are highly competitive and give Canadian sports bettors a better-than-solid chance of catching a good in-game price. No matter the sport, SIA’s live betting markets go above and beyond. It also helps that Sports Interaction was developed in Canada—that, of course, is before being sold to Entain in 2022. Nevertheless, SIA knows what Canadians want, and it delivers.

2. BET99 Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	Quality Betting Markets
App Store Rating	4.6/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	2.3/5 Stars
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	3-5 Business Days

Aye, Bet99 Canada has been doing a most wonderful job of endearing itself to the Canadian sports betting populous. Mixed martial arts legend George “Rush” St. Pierre and NHL superstar Auston freaking Matthews have endorsed the brand on your telly, billboards in your city, and throughout your social media timelines. Luckily, the A-list endorsements aren’t just for show. Bet99 packs a solid punch as a Canadian online sports betting site, and has dekes for days. The Canadian-focused betting site is surprisingly easy to use and offers several accessibility features.

As you read through our reviews, we’ll often say that most of these books offer a large betting variety. That said, quantity doesn’t always equal quality. In our opinion, Bet99 threads the needle beautifully for the Canadian sports betting market. Each sports league, including more niche ones like the CFL, has in-depth markets that offer bettors a ton of different looks outside of the traditional moneyline and totals bets. Not a lot of sports betting hotspots even attempt to offer that detail, so full points to Bet99 Canada on that front.

3. TonyBet Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	eSports Betting Selection
App Store Rating	No App
Google Play Rating	No App
Minimum Deposit	$20
Payout Speed	1-7 Business Days

If you’re a lover of soccer and you want to take to the pitch, no word of a lie, TonyBet is the place to be. Without a doubt, you’ll find the most comprehensive markets there are to be found at any online betting site. Of course, the reason why TonyBet is so strong regarding these sports betting options is that the operator originated from across the pond. The blokes there wanted to punt on futbol. From there, TonyBet’s rugby markets aren’t bad either, and it’s an area that TonyBet wants to keep the upper hand on outside of Europe.

To cater to the younger demographics, TonyBet has been (very well) exploiting another area: eSports. For whatever reason, people want to bet on the professional video game players who duke it on the joysticks. You can bet on pretty much everything from League of Legends tournaments (those are still a thing!?!?), Fornite matchups, Call of Duty matches, EA Sports Madden tourneys, and more. There are a ton of ways to back your nerds as they battle for virtual glory.

Not to worry, though; TonyBet still keeps it real for the “real sports,” such as hockey, good ol’ pigskin football, and basketball. However, unlike the other Canadian sports betting sites on our list, TonyBet focuses less on them.

4. bet365 Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	+EV Super Boosts
App Store Rating	4.7/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	4/7/5 Stars
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	24-48 Hours

Nothing is ever ordinary with bet365 Canada. The operator takes the bar and raises it higher with its sleek app design, one of many reason why they easily make our list of top sports betting sites in Canada. Customers of bet365 will find it more than easy to get through the sign up process, verify their ID, and start making deposits. Once you want to make a withdrawal, like a wise guy collecting their winnings, the payment comes through quickly. In fact, bet365 is probably the quickest regarding payouts. The customer support is no joke, either. We can’t say enough nice things about them. To be honest, that’s uncommon in an industry such as sports betting, where certain operators can be slower than molasses on a Sunday morning when resolving their customers’ issues.

In terms of the sportsbook as a product, bet365 brings it on home like Kyle Larson in the last laps of a NASCAR race. The operator offers a ton of super boosts for all the major sporting events. Most of the super boosts boast +EV bets, which the sports betting industry can be a bit shady on when setting those lines, so it’s refreshing to see some actual value. On top of all of that, bet365 offers early payouts, which come in handy when betting on teams who 💩 the bed every third period. For example, you’re eligible for an early payout on any pregame NHL moneyline bet. Your team goes up three goals; you get paid out, no matter the outcome of the event. Trust us; you don’t think the early payout means anything until it saves you from taking a heart wrenching L.

One last thing we love about bet365 Canada is that it offers great streaming options for leagues like the MLB. That can come in clutch when your cable provider isn’t listing the Yankees game you bet money on because you wanted to fade pitcher Marcus Stroman.

5. Pinnacle Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	Competitive odds & high limits
App Store Rating	No app
Google Play Rating	No app
Minimum Deposit	$10-$25
Payout Speed	3-5 Business Days

Don’t you hate getting good at something, and then once you’ve reached the pinnacle (pardon the pun) of whatever it is that you’re doing, someone tells you to stop? In fact, they tell you that you can’t do it all anymore. Isn’t that some country-fried BS? Well, good friends, if you’re good at sports betting, the bookies don’t want your action anymore. They’ll limit how much you can wager and eliminate the perks of playing at their books. Fear not; Pinnacle Canada doesn’t stoop down to this type of Tom-foolery. If you’re good at capping, Pinnacle’s there for the action (no cap). The only trade-off for that is you’ll be betting into “sharp odds.” That said, if you’re running a solid sports betting hustle and you need a plug for your action, the steeper odds for not getting limited after a hot run is quite a fair trade.

One thing that we’ll say about Pinnacle is that this Canadian betting site prefers quality over quantity. It’s not going to bombard you with 16,000 things to bet. Pinnacle is going to hit with all the major sports, and with deep betting options for all of them. You might even see some boosted bets mixed in there. As Pinnacle is a “sharp” sportsbook, it can be used as a compass to lead you in the right direction, especially with player props. If a line is juiced up on Pinnacle, meaning the odds are shorter compared to other online betting sites, you could gauge the market value and use that to your advantage. Of course, it’s not bulletproof, but most sharp players will have Pinnacle bookmarked for this exact reason.

Add in the fact that Pinnacle is very versatile with its deposit options (hello crypto), and you’ve got yourself a decent sportsbook to track back to when the other Canadian betting sites put hard times on your ability to succeed in the game.

As Robert T. Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad (and self-help course grifter #SorryNotSorry), once said, “Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” Ah, it hits us right in the feels. Game respects game. Sportsbooks that like to limit good players, please take note. 🙌

6. Betway Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	Rewards Program
App Store Rating	4.7/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	4.2/5 Stars
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	2-3 Business Days

Ahoy, mate, the lads from across the sea have come to grace the Canadian market with a rigid yet sophisticated offering of sports betting marvels. Betway has been operating in the Canada sports betting space for quite a few years. Now, its gone legit after the 2022 legal sports betting legislation change and has been even better for it. Users can expect to find one seriously premier experience. Since Betway has a huge background in Europe, bettors can expect the operator to dish out a plate of the most scrumptious soccer bet offerings. Heck, in certain parts of Canada, you can use Betway to make bets on some of the most niche horse racing wagers out there.

What really gets us singing Betway’s praises is the betting site’s rewards program. It’s actually one of the better ones out there. You can earn points, bonus credits, and so much more. Plus, we think it’s easier to get ahead with this program than others.

Betway also seems to be putting out some really good baseball lines as of late; generally speaking, the odds have been super competitive. The same goes for hockey as this online betting site was putting out some solid moneyline prices. As Canadian sports bettors looking for value, we love to see this.

7. Parimatch Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	Promotions (Not available in Ontario)
App Store Rating	4.8/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	N/A
Minimum Deposit	$20
Payout Speed	0-2 Business Days

In 1994, Ukraine had the bright idea to embrace one of the West’s favourite taboo vices: gambling. Boy, oh boy, did Parimatch ever become a success in the industry. Known as one of the best sports betting sites in Canada (and the world), this operator has made a killing by offering a website with stats and decent odds. Sports betting is Parimatch’s bread and butter, but its casino games aren’t bad either. Although Parimatch might not be a household name in the Canada sports betting space, the operator is building on an already budding empire. We predict that as the Canadian sports betting market grows, Parimatch will become one of the best betting sites in the country.

Trust us when we say that we’re not just talking out of our arses. We’re speaking with the cold, hard facts, Jack! One thing we absolutely love is how Parimatch goes about its promotions. Although the promotions vary from place to place, Parimatch lets you use your promotion money however you want. We’ve been seeing a trend of Canadian sports betting sites offering their promotions as free bets. That’s cool and all, but what if you want to bet a smaller amount, then let’s say, $200 at one time? You can’t do that on most sportsbooks, but you can do it on Parimatch. All with no questions asked.

The sports betting site also offers insanely quick withdrawals, so if you’re planning on betting one game and dipping, Parimatch won’t keep you waiting to get your winnings back. That’s some OG stuff in our books.

8. PowerPlay Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	Customer Service
App Store Rating	1.6/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	N/A
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	0-3 Business Days

PowerPlay has been around since 2018, and has quickly scaled the ranks of best betting sites in Canada. The operator has established itself in the market and has since invaded the regulated Ontario iGaming scene, trying (and succeeding) to steal market share from the top dogs, player by player. In the operator’s bid to win over the masses, it has gone the extra mile to create one of the better customer experiences on the market.

What you’ll probably notice with most Canadian sportsbooks, especially newer online betting sites, is that they have some quirks. Things misfire, but when you need help, it takes forever to get ahold of someone. Once you do, it’s almost like a circus act. You have to jump through hoops to get help with a problem you didn’t even cause. PowerPlay doesn’t roll that way. You can talk to an agent pretty quickly, and most report having their issues solved quickly.

Another thing we love about PowerPlay is its online casino. It feels like one you’d see in Vegas with tons of game options. Whether that be slots, table games, or video poker, all casino games play well and integrate into the gaming experience better than a lot of the other best Canadian betting sites’ services. That’s saying something.

We’re also digging the live betting options on PowerPlay. We’re seeing some in-game spreads on basketball that offer at least a half-point of value compared to other books on this list. You might not always get that type of value, but that said, PowerPlay is where you’re most likely to find it.

9. NorthStar Bets Sportsbook

Top Feature	Daily Bet Boosts
App Store Rating	3.3/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	Not Rated
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	1-5 Business Days

The Canadian-owned NorthStar Bets doesn’t mess around. The operator is creating a gaming experience made by Canadians for Canadian sports bettors, easily making the ranks of best online betting sites. This operator does a good job of partnering with some decent media companies to make a super informative “Sports Insights” section. Although some might mistake the writers who work with NorthStar Bets as “@BookItWithTrent” types, these folks actually provide bettors with useful information. Yes, the writer’s bet choices may suck (probably by design), but at least they’re giving you useful trends you can use to fade the market or find an angle you didn’t think was there. Even the most useless of writers can give you some of the best tips. You just need to know how to read between the lines.

On top of having a decent “Sports Insights” section, NorthStar Bets offers some killer daily bet boosts. The boosts will usually be 10%, with $50 being your max bet. If you like to bet on football or basketball, where the vig is usually 10 cents on the spread (-110), getting that 10% odds boost makes your bet odds +100. If you’re betting one $50 bet per day, the savings/winnings add up over time, especially if you’re able to turn a profit. That said, as long as the boosts are there, this would be our main reason for wagering with NorthStar Bets.

Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they give out bet boosters.

10. 888sport Canada Sportsbook

Top Feature	User-friendly
App Store Rating	4.5/5 Stars
Google Play Rating	4.4/5 Stars
Minimum Deposit	$10
Payout Speed	1-4 Business Days

Okay, we know what you’re thinking: 888poker is where it’s at, Chief. Don’t bother us with the sportsbook. Well, here’s the thing, Young Buckeroo, 888sport isn’t half bad. It’s actually good enough to make our list of best online sportsbooks in Canada.

There’s a ton of betting variety at 888. The odds are relatively competitive, and it merges with all the other 888 products seamlessly. Instead of having to have 15 accounts to play half-baked casino games, bet on sports, and play cards with some punk chip leader named BillyBobWilly69 who goes all-in every single freaking hand, you can use a trusted brand that doesn’t draw in that type of Tom-foolery

One of the things we like most about 888sport is its user interface. It’s easily one of the best available in Canada. That might be because 888sport is trying to get casual poker and casino players to try sports betting when they’re not using the other flagship products. If you’re not a seasoned sports bettor who’s used to jumping between betting menus and doing XYZ, you’re going to be intimidated. Overwhelmed players don’t bet and therein, the house doesn’t make money. The easy fix is to make everything flow like a starship in hypersonic mode (or whatever the nerds call it). As the old saying goes, if it flows, it goes. Cha-ching, cha-ching; check out da bling, bling.

All jokes aside, 888sport is a very serviceable betting site, and definitely worth your time.

Top Sports Betting Options in Canada

Alright, so you know about the best sports betting sites in Canada. You understand their ins and outs and why we like them. The next thing you’re probably wondering is what sports are there to bet on? Is there a specific book that works best for each sport? The answer there is definitely yes–there are books that work better than others for certain sports. Let’s talk about it.

NHL Betting in Canada

If you’re reading DFO, you probably don’t need us to explain to you what the NHL is. You might be wondering if it’s rigged like some people wonder if John Dunsworth was actually that drunk during the filming of the Trailer Park Boys series. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Canadian teams to bet on, especially if you can see the oncoming choke job from the Toronto Maple Leafs. If you want to capitalize on such events, we recommend taking your action to bet365. There’s a high probability that you’ll be betting on the moneyline, and bet365 offers excellent early payouts. Plus, the online betting site offers solid super boosts on NHL events as well.

NBA Betting in Canada

Maybe hockey isn’t you’re thing. You like watching the hoopers duke it out in the world’s greatest basketball league: the NBA. Of course, the Toronto Raptors could use some help, but there are some interesting Canadian players to watch in the USA, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you like to bet on player props, especially OVER on the points, you know Shai is the GOAT of cashing prop bets. If you want in on the action, we’d recommend hitting up NorthStar Bets. The operator offers solid daily odds boosts that can give you some seriously attractive bets. When there’s value, you know that we’re all for it.

NFL Betting in Canada

So, you want to bet on the NFL, eh? Whelp, this adds you to the list that includes almost everyone who bets on sports in Canada. Jump in on the bandwagon so we can begin fading Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins today! Where can you do such a noble deed? Good question, Young Padawan. We recommend Bet99 Canada. This Canadian sportsbook has been putting out great lines and offering some special markets ever since we can remember. They kill it in the live betting department too, just in case you want to cash in on some in-play action.

MLB Betting in Canada

Look, we know the Toronto Blue Jays front office basically destroyed the team, but there’s more to the MLB than just the Jays. During the dog days of the summer, what beats the joy of sweating a No Run in the First Inning (NRFI) bet? We’ll tell you what: Nothing. Not. A. Darn. Thing. Where can you cash in on the craze? We recommend using Sports Interaction for all your baseball betting needs. Great lines, good times, and cool special markets. We also recommend bet365 if you’re looking to get early payouts on your moneyline bets.

Soccer Betting in Canada

Thanks to Ted Lasso, the masses have embraced soccer with open arms in Canada. Of course, soccer has been long popular in the place that “Maritime Messi” built, but we don’t mind some revisionist history to amp up national pride. Call it “patriotism” or sensationalism, but we’ve become fans of the pitch. As such, we need to get our weekly Man City bets in on the English Premier League. To do such a thing, we take our action straight to Betway and Pinnacle. The amount of soccer betting selection the operators offer have blown our minds more than a David Gilmour guitar solo.

NCAA Betting in Canada

Do you want to feel apart of the action? Do you want to party like you’re still 20 years old? Well, Mr. or Mrs. Midlife Crisis, college football has you covered. If that isn’t enough, you can wager on Men’s and Women’s college basketball too. The atmosphere is more electrifying than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson himself. Each game is of insurmountable importance, and everybody knows it. When we want to bet on the freshmen QB to take our favourite college team to the promised land, we wager on TonyBet and bet365. Both books don’t mess around. They come to play each and every day, giving the bettors the best value for their dollar. On that note, let’s freaking go, Nittany Lions! You’re not just winning the Natty on EA Sports College Football 25 this year!

Golf Betting in Canada

Okay boomer, you want to bet on some golf? Did Hayes, Noodles, and O’Dog/Al’sBrother give you some betting tips on Overdrive yesterday? Good news for ya, bud: Everybody is betting on golf these days, not just the older folks! So, if you think Scottie is 2 Hawty to pass up, take a trip down to our favourite golf sportsbooks, bet365 and PowerPlay. These books have top-notch odds and allow you to follow the action when you’re out of the golf course trying to crush the ball on the nine iron!

UFC/MMA Betting in Canada

So, you want to be an MMA bettor? There are tons of new MMA fans joining the action every day. The sport has taken off in popularity in Canada and throughout the world. Betting sites in Canada are embracing the frenzy. When we’re looking for an online betting site, we rock with Parimatch and, of course, Bet99. Online sports betting has never been better on those sites, especially when it comes to MMA. You can bet on literally anything from all around the world. I don’t think you can bet who would win a wrestling match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and a bear, but you can wager on literally anything else in the realm of MMA.

eSports Betting in Canada

We’d wager that a vast majority of Canadian bettors have played a video game or two in their lives. Whether that be Super Mario, Chel, Dark Souls, or World of Warcraft, we’ve all experienced the joy of triumphing over a final boss. Video games have become so big these days that the best joystick warriors will join forces and compete in tournaments that can be watched by the masses online. Online sportsbooks in Canada have begun to take notice and now offer betting markets on some of the world’s biggest showdowns. Leading the way in that regard has been Pinnacle and Tonybet. If there’s a big tournament, these operator will have odds up on it. If there’s a small 1v1 match, there should be odds up on that too.

Politics & Awards Shows

Ah, politics. Green Day predicted the 21st Century Breakdown, but while people are watching the whole thing burn down and drift into “The Static Age,” bettors can wager on who will be in power when it all boils over. Whether that be in Canada, the United States, or overseas, you can bet on election odds at a number of books. Do you think you know who will die next in the House of The Dragon? Who will take home the Oscar for best actress? You can also bet on that, too! The best book to meet your betting needs will be none other than bet365. The old chaps know how to throw up a good line on such polarizing events.

What Makes the Best Canadian Sportsbook

Choosing a good sportsbook is like buying a guitar; everyone has different preferences. Some players like single-coil pickups, and others like active humbuckers paired with an unnecessarily loud Marshall stack. Preferences are everything, but there are still some standards that must be met.

The same goes for sportsbooks. At the very least, we want safe deposit and withdrawal methods, competitive odds, and a half-decent customer support team. In the section below, we’re going to walk you through what we look for specifically in a sportsbook. You can use this as a list of what to look out for when you’re trying to pick the best sport betting site in Canada.

Sports League Variety

Look, you want some variety in your sports leagues. Either that’s from an online betting site that has 16,000 options to choose from, or a sportsbook that does a few sports REALLY well. For example, Betway and Pinnacle seem to have an endless amount of soccer markets to bet on. These sports betting sites have all the major stuff, like the EPL and Champions League, all the way to the smaller leagues that only a few chaps have heard of and would willingly bet on.

If you like a specific sport and a specific sportsbook caters to it well, that’s a check you can put on your list. After all, you want to use a book that has options that you’ll actually want to bet on. And, to be honest, every sportsbook says they do all sports well, but the truth is that most don’t. They specialize in two or three sports, and the rest is filler.

Competitive Odds

Getting good odds and decent prices on those odds are what’s important in order to have a shot at making money while sports betting. If a sportsbook is constantly fielding competitive odds, that’s when you know you’re in the right place. For example, if you like to bet on hockey, if a sportsbook offers odds that are five cents better than the other books on the market, that’s a great sign. If the odds suck more than Le’Von Bell trying to rap, you gotta run away from that book. You’ll be buying into -EV more times than not. In case you’re wondering, that’s not good, Chief.

Security and Licensing

Although this may seem obvious to some, it still has to be mentioned. You want to be playing with a Canadian sportsbook that’s licensed by some sort of regulatory body. In Canada, that should either be the AGCO (or your provincial regulatory body), or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Those regulators will have rules in place that ensure these sportsbooks are safe and secure. That doesn’t happen when you’re playing with offshore betting sites. If those offshore books want to screw you over, you have very little to no recourse actions.

Easy Betting Experience

We don’t like jumping through hoops. For the love of all things good, we have to do that too much in real life. We don’t wanna do it when we’re trying to be entertained by sweating some bets. That’s why we want to use a sportsbook that’s easy to sign up for, find a bet, and put it in the slip. Sportsbooks like bet365, Sports Interaction, and BET99, create a 1-2-3 betting experience that makes it easy for the novices to find bets, put them in, and sweat them out.

Betting Market Variety

Having a million sports to bet on is cool, but you want to have some betting market variety for each sport too. Not just one or two options to choose from. For example, let’s say you want to bet on NASCAR; you want to have some variety on what you can bet for that race. We don’t just want a winner market. We want race matchups, stage winners, Top 3, Top 5, and winning manufacturer markets. We don’t want to be tied down to a couple of bets. What happens when we want to get creative? Don’t suppress us!

Payment and Withdrawal Options

Another big thing is what the sportsbook offers for deposit and withdrawal methods. You want a book that’s quick about getting you your money back if you win something. It sucks to have to wait around for a week to get your winnings, especially considering the sportsbook takes your money in mere seconds when you deposit the money onto the site. The best sports betting sites Canada has to offer always includes fast cash outs.

Loyalty Programs

As the old saying goes, “One owes loyalty only to those who demonstrate in kind.” For real, fam, you want to be with a sportsbook that treats you well for choosing its services over that of another. Whether that be with free bet credits or real-life perks, as long as the book is giving something back, that’s good. If a sportsbook’s loyalty/rewards program is good, the other parts of its services will match.

Responsible Gambling Tools

As much as sports betting is meant to be a fun vice, it can be more than just that to some people. Betting is very easy to get hooked on and addicted to. Sportsbooks need to have tools that allow you to set daily, weekly, and monthly limits. They should also have tools in there that can allow players to self-exclude themselves if there’s a serious problem. Otherwise, those sportsbooks don’t have your best interest in mind and only want your money. They don’t care about the damage it can cause an addicted player in the process.

Customer Service Options

One last thing we want to see our best betting sites doing well is offering good customer service. To us, good customer service means getting to our tickets right away and RESOLVING the problem. Not just passing it on to the next unlucky customer service rep. As we’ve said before, errors happen. When they do, it’s important they get resolved promptly so bettors can get back to enjoying the sportsbook experience, not resenting it. The better a sportsbook’s customer service is, the better the sportsbook will be in the other areas we’ve discussed.

Popular Sports Teams in Canada

Based on our research, these are the most popular sports teams to bet on in Canada. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying they’re the best teams, but hey, people follow them. So, in this section, we’ll give you some of the betting trends around these teams and maybe poke some fun at a few along the way.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have easily been one of the best teams Canadian teams in the NHL over the past few years. They made it all the way to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final to play the Florida Panthers. The Cats took a 3-1 series lead, but like Hulk Hogan in the ’80s, the Oilers didn’t quit when the odds were stacked against them. Edmonton forced a Game 7, one the team would unfortunately lose. Nevertheless, if you like playing the Over on total goals, Edmonton seems to be a cashing machine, especially in the regular season. We don’t expect that to change in the years to come. That top-six forward group is just too good not to score goals.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied hockey franchises in Canada. A part of the “Original Six,” idolized in songs like The Tragically Hip’s “Fifty-Mission Cap,” loved by the masses, “The Buds” have what it takes to break Canada’s Stanley Cup drought. That said, as bettors and fans who have the passion for these guys are so astutely aware, the Leafs choke when it matters the most. If you want to fade a team when the lights shine the brightest, just throw your money on their opponent. You’ll be better off for it. That’s unless the Leafs actually make a deep playoff run in the future. We’re not holding our breaths there.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have a nice blend of youth and veteran leadership. The team’s depth chart won’t blow bettors away, but the Canucks seem to play about their paygrades in specific spots. It seems like they’re the opposite of the Leafs. You used to be able to get friendly puckline prices on Vancouver (that’s the spread in hockey), but those times have run out. The oddsmakers are finally respecting the Canucks. That said, whenever they’re a slight underdog to a team that’s better than them “on paper,” we’ll give them a solid look as we feel they can provide value.

Toronto Raptors

Since the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship in 2019, the team has been on a slow decline. Recently, the front office has decided to start the rebuild. As such, the team is dog water. Realistically speaking, we don’t anticipate the Raptors to be great against the spread. There’ll be a lot of opportunities where you can bet against them and make a nice profit. That said, if you want something to cheer for when watching the Raptors play, Scottie Barnes’ Over in points, rebounds, and assists might be a good look for years to come.

Toronto Blue Jays

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many baseball experts thought the Toronto Blue Jays were going to be Major League Baseball’s next big juggernaut. Over the last few years, the team has shown signs of living up to the hype. Too bad the front office has systematically destroyed the team worse than Ontario Premier Doug Ford plagued the province’s health care system, and killed any goodwill the fanbase had for the Jays. Over the last couple of seasons, the Jays offence has sucked, making the Under on their team totals an easy play. Even when the books try to adjust the lines, the Bluebirds find another way to 💩 the bed. The Under feels like easy money most of the time.

Popular Betting Markets in Canada

Alright, you’ve heard us mention certain betting markets in passing, but we haven’t fully explained them. In this section, that’s what we’ll do.

Moneyline Betting

The moneyline (ML) is one of the most popular bets in all of Canadian sports betting. Essentially, when you bet a team on the ML, you’re betting a team to win outright. That team can win by one or 10 points. If the team wins, your bet will be successful. Let’s say, Heaven forbid, you bet the Toronto Blue Jays to beat the New York Yankees on the ML. If the Jays prevail by one run in extra innings, you win your bet.

Spread Betting

If you bet on basketball and football, nine times out of 10, you’ll be betting what’s called the “point spread.” If a team is heavily favoured over its foe, playing the ML is not a viable option. Instead, you can bet on how many points a team will win by. Let’s say you want to fade the Toronto Raptors when they play the Boston Celtics; you can play the Celtics “by the points.” If the Celtics are favoured by 12.5 points (-12.5), Boston would need to win by 13 points to “cover the spread.” If they only win by 12, your bet on the Celtics will lose.

Sports like baseball and hockey also have point spreads. In hockey, the point spread is called the “puckline” (PL). In baseball, the point spread is called the “run line” (RL). Those will usually be -1.5 for the favourite unless specified otherwise.

Totals Betting

Totals betting is also another big time wager. The total is usually how many goals, runs, or points both teams combine to score in a game. Depending on the sport, totals will be big and/or small. The highest totals you’ll see are for the NBA since some games can be upwards of 224 total points per contest. In hockey, you’ll see the totals hover around 5.5 to 6.5 goals. In baseball, the usual run total is 8.5.

As such, the totals are bet as Over and Unders. For example, let’s say we liked the Over on the 6.5 goal total between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, we’d need to see seven or more goals scored in the game in order to win our bet.

Futures Betting

Futures betting is pretty simple: You’re betting on an outcome to happen in the future. For example, let’s say we want the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 season–so we’d make our bet. If the Oilers finish the season hoisting Lord Stanley over their heads, we’d win our bet. If they don’t, we lose.

Live Wagers

Instead of betting the game before it starts, you’re betting on the game as it’s happening. You’ll see professional gamblers do that all the time when they’re betting on football. Let’s say they like the Buffalo Bills to win the game but don’t like the closing line of -3.5 points; the professional bettors will see if they can get a better line on Buffalo if they go down early but are playing well enough to be competitive.

Prop Betting

Prop betting is very popular in sports leagues like the NBA. Many people like to bet on player props. Like a totals bet, you either take the Over or the Under. For example, let’s say Toronto Raptors’ young gun Scottie Barnes has a favourable offensive matchup against his opponent; you can take the Over on his points line, which usually gets set around 21.5. If Barnes scores 22 points or more, your bet cashes. If he doesn’t, your bet loses.

Parlays

Although parlays are usually great ways to donate to the books, people love to play them. How a parlay works is you take multiple bets and combine them for better odds. If all the bets of your parlay win, your ticket will cash. If two out of three win, your ticket loses. For example, you took Toronto Maple Leafs ML, Toronto Blue Jays ML, and the Toronto Raptors ML on your parlay. All three bets would have to win. If the Raptors lose the game in the last second, your parlay loses. No questions asked.

Sports Betting Options by Province

It’s important to remember that every province or territory has its own set of betting rules. This can affect things as basic as the legal gambling age, and which sportsbooks are available in an area.

Below, we’ve listed the governing gambling organizations in each province and territory.

• Alberta: Western Canada Lottery Corp. (Play Alberta)
• British Columbia: British Columbia Lottery Corp. (PlayNow BC)
• Manitoba: Western Canada Lottery Corp. (PlayNow)
• New Brunswick: Atlantic Lottery Corp. (Proline+)
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Atlantic Lottery Corp. (Proline+)
• Nova Scotia: Atlantic Lottery Corp. (Proline+)
• Ontario: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (Proline+) and several commercial sportsbooks
• Prince Edward Island: Atlantic Lottery Corp. (Proline+)
• Quebec: Loto-Québec (Mise-o-Jeu)
• Saskatchewan/Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories: Western Canada Lottery Corp.

Canadian Sports Betting Payment Options

You can’t gamble on your account if you don’t fund it. Let’s talk about how that works and what you can expect the experience to be like.

Deposit Experience

Depositing is super easy with most sportsbooks in Canada. The vast majority will accept:

Debit and Credit Cards

Interac e-Transfer

e-Wallets

Select Prepaid Cards

Bank Wire Transfer

Depending on the method you choose, your deposit should come through almost instantaneously. After all, those sportsbooks want your money.

Withdrawal Experience

What happens once you win some cash? You can withdraw your money and keep the lute for yourself. You can use almost all the same methods that we listed above for deposits, except for prepaid cards. Once you know what withdrawal method you want to use, go through the process, and you should get your money quickly. Most of the books are quick about paying you out. As always, make sure to check your specific book’s withdrawal processing times for the most accurate information.

Responsible Gambling Tips at Canadian Sportsbooks

One of the things that both the Canadian provincial and federal governments emphasized when working towards legalizing sports betting is how the industry as a whole could ensure safe gambling habits. As such, sportsbooks throughout the country have been asked to teach their customers about how to remain safe while enjoying the vice. We’re going to quickly run you through some tips that we have to share.

Responsible Gambling Strategies

At the end of the day, sports betting is supposed to be fun. That said, you have to leave your emotions at the door. If you’re betting while pissed off, you’re not going to make smart choices. If you’re betting with delusions of grandeur, thinking that you know everything and you can magically make enough money back to cover your rent, don’t. Emotions will cloud your judgements.

Another important thing to do is make a bankroll of disposable income that you can afford to gamble that won’t affect your quality of living. Once you’ve gambled through that bankroll, call it a day and don’t bet again until you have the money.

Safety Tools

To hold you to your bankroll, most books will make you set up daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits. Once you’ve reached those, the sportsbook will cut you off. No questions asked. Every sportsbook will also give you the option to self-exclude yourself. That means the sportsbook will no longer take your action. Many people who are struggling with gambling problems will, and should, use this tool.

History of Legal Sports Betting in Canada

For the longest time in Canada, single game sports betting was illegal. In your province, you might’ve had a service like Proline+ where you could bet on parlay games. That said, you couldn’t drop a couple of brown bills on the Toronto Blue Jays to beat the Tampa Bay Rays–i.e. an example of single game betting. Well, at least not legally.

Then, in the early 2020s, gambling industry lobbyists pushed lawmakers in Canada to legalize single-game sports betting. In 2021, single-event wagering was made legal throughout Canada (at the federal level). In Ontario, a regulatory body was created as well, and boom: The sportsbooks began applying for licenses. The market opened in earnest in April of 2022, and as they say, the rest was history.

• 1960s: The Canadian government said it wanted to take away a portion of the mob’s business, so it amended the Criminal Code to allow some forms of gambling.
• 1975: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation entered the chat.
• 1985: Provinces got to dictate their gambling laws.
• 1992: The Gaming Control Act of 1992 is passed through the historic Canadian lawmaking bureaucratic system. Land-based casinos are regulated, and your grandparents (who hated the new grunge music scene) jumped for joy.
• 1994: Casino Windsor (now Caesars Windsor) becomes the first land-based casino in Ontario.
• 1998: There’s a new sheriff in town. ACGO gets to regulate Ontario casinos.
• 2015: Ontario kickstarts the online casino market with provincial-run Playolg.ca.
• 2015: Horse Racing License Act is put through the ringer.
• 2018: Bill C-218—the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act—was introduced, which aimed to decriminalize single-game betting across Canada.
• 2021: The sports betting lobbyists won out, and C-218 makes it through, becoming law.
• 2021: The government gets a jump on the market, opening up its revamped sportsbook PROLINE+.
• 2021: iGaming Ontario was created to license the online gaming market in the province.
• 2022: The first Ontario-regulated online sportsbooks go live!

Final Thoughts on the Best Canadian Sportsbooks

We’ve made it to the end. Thanks for sticking with it. If you’ve made it this far, you’ll have learned about the top 10 sports betting sites Canada has to offer, their pros and cons, what sports teams Canadians like to bet on, the popular bet types, and the TL;DR summary of the legislative history behind sports betting in Canada. We hope that you’ll leave this article feeling 💯 more confident to embark on your sports betting journey. Luckily for you, this is over. Go in peace and show those sportsbooks what you’re made of!