Best Sports Betting Sites Canada – Compare The Best New Online Sportsbooks in 2023

Reviews of the Best Sports Betting Sites Canada

The top 10 online betting sites in Canada have unique different features and attributes. We have broken down each online sportsbook in more detail to help you find the best option for your needs.

FAQs about Sports Betting in Canada

Comparing the Best Sports Betting Sites Canada

This chart helps you quickly compare different online sports betting sites in Canada. It highlights the flagship bonuses they provide, the number of sports they cover and the key features they provide.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Canada?

Sports betting is legal in Canada. You just need to be 18 or 19 years old, depending on which province or territory you are in, to use any of the online sportsbooks featured on this page.

Prior to 2021, locally regulated sportsbooks such as Mise-o-jeu+, PROLINE+ and PlayNow could only accept parlays with three or more legs. Those bets are not particularly popular among sports fans, so most Canadians used offshore sportsbooks. There are no laws preventing you from using a sports betting site based overseas.

As mentioned in the section below, Quebec once tried to prevent residents from using offshore gambling sites, but the move was deemed unconstitutional in the courts. In 2021, the federal government legalized single game sports betting by amending the Criminal Code. Locally regulated lottery sites can now accept single game bets, but most Canadians still use the offshore sites they have played at for years, as they tend to offer better odds, more markets and larger bonuses.

Canada Sports Betting Laws Explained

Betting on the outcome of a single sporting event was outlawed in 1892 under Section 207(4)(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada. That prevented sportsbooks from setting up shop in Canada, but it was perfectly legal for anyone to use sites based abroad. The federal government amended the Criminal Code in 2021 by passing the Safe & Regulated Sports Betting Act:

Single-Game Betting in Canada: Bill C-218

Prior to 2021, lottery-controlled sportsbooks such as PROLINE+, Mis-o-jeu+ and PlayNow could only accept parlay betting with three or more legs. For example, you could bet on the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens, and the Canucks all to win on the same night, but you could not place a straight bet on the Maple Leafs to win.

It is difficult to compile a winning parlay, as the house edge increases each time you add a selection. For that reason, most Canadians preferred using reputable overseas online sports betting sites.

The government then decided to allow provinces to roll out single-game wagering. It passed Bill C-218 in 2021, and it swiftly gained Royal Assent, becoming the Safe & Regulated Sports Betting Act, so this made single-game betting legal.

It permits individual provinces to offer single-event sports betting via their lottery-controlled sportsbooks, such as PlayNow, PlayAlberta and Mise-o-jeu+. However, they are still limited in their scope, they often provide uncompetitive odds and they do not provide too many props, so most Canadians still prefer to use the offshore betting sites they know and trust.

Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal?

It is perfectly legal for you to use offshore betting sites from anywhere in Canada. In 2016, Quebec passed a bill that tried to effectively ban offshore sportsbooks and casinos by enforcing an IP block on them. However, the Superior Court of Quebec ruled that the bill was unconstitutional, ensuring that anyone in the province could continue using offshore gambling sites.

That set a precedent for the entire country. There are no laws to prevent you from signing up with offshore betting sites, sending them money, placing bets and getting paid out. These offshore betting sites offer several advantages, which we have laid out in the paragraphs below. However, seeing as they are not regulated by federal, provincial or territorial authorities, it is important to choose established, trustworthy sites that are licensed in their jurisdictions.

Advantages of Offshore Betting Sites

You can take advantage of a series of advantages by signing up with offshore sites:

• Offshore sportsbooks have low overheads, generally allowing them to offer far better odds and larger bonuses than lottery-run sites like PlayNow and Mise-o-jeu+.
• You can sign up with multiple offshore betting sites and compare the odds they are running on every bet you want to place. That ensures you will always get the best line.
• Players can use offshore sportsbooks like BetOnline, Bodog and PowBet from any province or territory, whereas sites like PlayAlberta and PROLINE+ are ring-fenced within their provinces.
• Leading offshore sportsbooks such as Bodog offer betting, racing, casino games, poker tournaments, poker cash games, esports, politics and entertainment all in one place.
• You will generally find more sports to bet online on and a wide selection of wagering options when you visit an offshore site.

Is Sports Betting Taxable in Canada?

You do not have to pay tax on winnings earned from sports betting. Canada does not deem profits earned from gambling to be taxable income. That is in contrast to the United States, where the IRS demands a cut of all winnings.

The only exception is if you are a professional gambler. That will only apply to a small minority of Canadians. The vast majority of people enjoying casino online gaming or sports betting in Canada will not be required to pay any tax.

Canadian Provinces & Territories’ Sports Betting Info

Retail sports betting is now widely available across Canada at lottery-controlled venues such as Proline and Mise-o-jeu. Seven provinces – British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec – offered single-game online sports wagering immediately via their government-controlled sites.

Alberta was next out of the gate, and Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon then legalized betting on single-event at retail venues in November 2021. The last province to take the plunge was Nova Scotia, where the Atlantic Lottery Corp. started taking single-game bets in February 2022.

Province	Legal betting age	Online sports betting	Retail sports betting
Alberta	18
British Columbia	19
Manitoba	18
New Brunswick	19
Newfoundland and Labrador	19
Northwest Territories	19
Nova Scotia	19
Nunavut	19
Ontario	19
Quebec	18
Prince Edward Island	19
Saskatchewan	19
Yukon	19

How to Sign Up to the Best Sports Betting Sites Canada

It isn’t hard to sign up for a betting account with a top Canadian sportsbook and place your bet. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Visit Our Top-Rated Sportsbook

Click here to visit Bodog, the best site for betting in Canada and then hit the “Join” button to begin the sign-up process.

Step 2: Provide Personal Details and Contact Information

BetOnline Sign Up

Fill in the sign-up form and then click “Register.” Enter the code sent to your mobile phone to verify it, and the registration will then be complete.

Step 3: Make a Deposit

Head to the cashier section of the BetOnline site and make a deposit using one of the options listed. This will earn you the sign-up bonus.

Step 4: Place Your First Bet

Find a market you might like to bet on and click on it. The selection will pop up on the betslip.

Step 5: Place a Bet

Choose a bet amount and type it into the “RISK” box. The “WIN” box tells you the winnings you will earn if the bet succeeds. Click to confirm, and you will be paid your winnings after the game if you guess correctly.

Main Sports and Leagues to Bet on in Canada

The best sites offering betting in Canada cover more than 30 sports. That includes popular sports like football, hockey, basketball and baseball, along with reasonably rare sports such as squash, water polo, badminton and alpine skiing. These are the most popular sports and various leagues to bet on:

NHL

You will be able to bet at NHL online betting sites on every game featuring teams such as the Canadiens, Canucks, Flames, Jets, Maple Leafs, Oilers and Senators at new betting sites Canada. They offer a moneyline, a puck line and an over/under goals line, plus alternate lines, prop bets, correct scores, same game parlays, bets on individual periods and live bets.

Many offer live streaming of National Hockey League games too. Bodog is a superb all-round sportsbook for NHL fans, with some exciting pre-game and in-play wagering options.

NFL / CFL

You can bet on every CFL and NFL game at best online betting sites. Bodog stands out once again by offering some of the best betting odds and plenty of Canadian Football League and National Football League betting options on pro football.

NBA

Toronto Raptors fans will find a wealth of wagering options at the new betting sites Canada. You can stream live and choose from a huge variety of in-play markets. The best online bookmakers offer specific bonuses for Raptors fans and NBA bettors too.

MLB

You can place moneyline, run line, total runs bets, and props on Major League Baseball team at the leading betting sites in Canada. They make a big deal of Toronto Blue Jays games, but you should find a strong selection on all the action. BetOnline stands out by offering live streaming of MLB games and loads of great live betting options.

Soccer

You can bet on hundreds of soccer betting games each week at the top sites for sports betting in Canada. PowBet is a fantastic soccer online betting site, as it offers a huge volume of bet types on games happening around the world, but BetOnline, Bodog and Everygame are also very strong.

You will be able to place bets such as the moneyline, total goals, Asian handicaps, standard handicaps, both teams to score and draw no bet on MLS games featuring teams such as Toronto FC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps.

UFC

There are lots of passionate UFC fans in Canada. You can place bets on the moneyline, the method of victory, total rounds and the round in which the fight will finish at the best betting sites. BetOnline is an excellent UFC betting site.

Esports

Esports betting is permitted in Canada, allowing bettors to wager on games such as CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant and Overwatch. Betting options include the result, maps betting, handicaps and player props. PowBet has built a terrific esports betting section.

Horse Racing

You can bet on international horse racing at grey market Canadian sports betting sites. They take bets on horse racing in countries such as the United States, the UK, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa. Locally regulated betting sites in Ontario cannot currently accept bets on horse racing.

Golf

Golf betting is very popular in Canada. The best betting sites in Canada take bets on the winner of a tournament, 2-ball matchups, 3-balls, a top-5 finish, a top-10 finish, a top-20 finish, to make or miss the cut and various props. You can continue betting in-play when the tournament is in progress. We like BetOnline for golf betting in Canada.

DFS

The federal government has never made it illegal for Canadians to use offshore daily fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel. They are reasonably popular, allowing wagers to enter contests on sports such as hockey and football.

However, those sites have stopped running DFS contests in Ontario. The new regulations require all betting activity to be totally ring-fenced inside the province, and there is not enough liquidity right now to host contests. DFS enthusiasts in other parts of Canada can still enter contests at DraftKings and FanDuel.

Other Sports

You will often find more than 20 additional other popular sports at the best online sports betting sites Canada. The most popular sports include winter sports like curling and skiing, lacrosse, cricket, rugby league, rugby union and boxing. You will find a strong choice of bet types on those sports at operators like Bodog, 1Bet and BetOnline.

Popular Markets at the Best Sports Betting Sites Canada

The best Canadian sports betting sites regularly offer many markets for a single hockey game, soccer game or football game. The betting options fall into six broad types:

Moneyline

This is a bet on the outcome of a sporting event. For example, you might bet on the Maple Leafs to beat the Red Wings, Toronto FC to draw with CF Montreal or Felix Auger-Aliassime to beat Carlos Alcaraz. Moneyline bets are available on every game.

Point Spread / Puck Line

The best sportsbooks will give the stronger team a 1.5-goal handicap on a hockey game. That creates a puck line, and you can bet on either team to cover it – such as Calgary Flames -1.5 vs. Seattle Kraken or Seattle +1.5 vs. Calgary. The offer point spreads on football games and run lines on baseball games, which is the same concept.

Totals

Sportsbooks in Canada set a total goals, runs or points line on each game, and you can bet on over or under. For example, you might find betting odds of -105 on under 5.5 goals in an NHL game and -115 on over 5.5 goals. There will be alternate totals too.

Props

The best betting sites offer dozens of prop bets on NHL, NFL, MLS, MLB and NBA games. You can bet on player props, such as Auston Matthews to score a goal, or game props, such as the highest scoring period.

Parlays

You can place parlay bets on any of the sports covered at Canadian sports betting sites. Just add two or more picks to your bet slip, and you will see the combined betting odds available. Alternative options include teasers on football and basketball, and round robins on any sport.

Futures

Futures bets run throughout the season, so they are not dictated by the result of a single game. Examples include a team to win the Stanley Cup, the Grey Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA Championship or the World Series. You can also bet on whether teams will make the playoffs and the number of wins they will earn, along with player awards like the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Live Betting at the Best Sports Betting Sites Canada

New betting sites take live bets on great range of markets like the moneyline, puck line, point spread, totals and props. You can watch the start of a game, determine how you think it will end and place in-play bets. The odds will change according to the score and how well each team is playing.

Bonuses Available at Canada Betting Sites

The best Canadian bookmakers will offer prospective customers a generous welcome bonus as an incentive. It is a competitive market, so sign-up bonuses help betting sites stand out. They then provide additional bonuses for all customers, which are designed to keep you coming back.

Match Deposit Bonuses

This is a common welcome bonus. The sportsbook will match a percentage of your first deposit – such as 50% or 100% with sportsbook bonus funds. There will always be a limit on the amount you can receive in free money bet credits. It could be $200 or perhaps $500, for instance. You then need to play the bonus money through a certain number of times before withdrawing any profits you earn.

Matched First Bet

Some bookmakers will match your first bet as opposed to your first deposit. For example, you might deposit $500 and wager $200 on a hockey game. You would then receive $200 in free bet credits.

No Deposit Bonuses

Some betting sites may occasionally give out no deposit sportsbook bonuses. That means they will give you free bet credits without requiring you to hand over any of your own money. You then need to complete a playthrough requirement – which is typically high – before cashing out any profits left over.

Risk-Free Bets

The sportsbook will refund you if your first bet loses. Some sportsbooks pay the refund in cash, so you can withdraw it and walk away. However, most refund you with bonus credits, and you need to complete a 1x rollover requirement before withdrawing. If that is the case, you would need to play the funds through at +100 (2.00) or longer to win back the money you lost.

Promotions for Existing Customers

Free bets, risk-free wagers, parlay profit boosts, parlay bet insurance, odds boosts, profit boosts and contests are among the additional bonuses and promotions available at the best online betting sites Canada. Some also offer loyalty programs, allowing you to earn points whenever you place a bet. The points can eventually be traded in for free bets.

Payment Methods available at Canada Betting Sites

The top sites and apps for online sports betting in Canada offer a long list of convenient withdrawal and deposit methods. These are the main options you might find.

eWallet Betting Options

This is a popular way to fund an online sportsbook. You can use PayPal, ecoPayz or MuchBetter at some of the leading sites for betting in Canada, which means you do not need to enter your card financial details on a web form. Some sites may accept Skrill and Neteller too.

Traditional Payment Methods

The most popular traditional accepted payment methods at Canadian bookmakers are Interac, Instadebit, iDebit, Visa and MasterCard. Those options have always been available at grey market betting sites, and they are also available at the locally regulated new betting sites that have launched in Ontario over the past year. You should be able to use them for instant deposits and quick withdrawals, with no fees charged.

Crypto Betting Options

Crypto is one of the best options for fast banking at offshore betting sites. It saves you from having to pay foreign exchange fees and handling charges, as it facilitates direct wallet-to-wallet transactions across borders. This is a very secure option, and crypto is also the quickest withdrawal payment method. Some sportsbooks will also offer larger bonuses if you use crypto rather than a fiat-based method, as they like receiving it. More about crypto sportsbooks can be found in our guide.

Bitcoin is normally the first cryptocurrency listed. However, you will often find lower network fees and quicker payment times if you use a coin that runs on an alternative blockchain to Bitcoin or Ethereum. For example, Dash, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum Classic often have very low fees, making them cost-effective options.

The crypto will normally be converted to CAD when you send it, so you do not need to worry about it depreciating against the Canadian dollar. You then get paid out at the current exchange rate on a later date.

Canada Sports Betting Apps & Mobile Sites

You can download iPhone betting apps through the App Store or Android betting apps through Google Play. The best Canadian apps are optimized for mobile use, so you can login quickly and bet on sports like hockey, football, basketball and baseball from anywhere in Canada. It makes the betting process very convenient, and it ensures you never miss the chance to place a wager.

However, offshore betting sites rarely offer a native mobile app. Yet they do offer mobile website versions. These best mobile-optimized sites are similar to native apps, but they do not need to be downloaded or updated, and they do not take up any storage space on your device, so you get the best of both worlds.

The Best Betting Site in Canada

We rate BetOnline as the best site for online sports betting in Canada right now. It offers an outstanding user experience, including polished software and competitive odds on a huge array of different betting options. The bonuses are large, its customer support is helpful, payouts are secure and it has a trustworthy reputation. It also has an elite online casino, a thorough racebook and a busy online poker room.

If you sign up with BetOnline today, you will receive a welcome bonus worth up to $1,000. BetOnline is available in every province and territory, and it is perfectly legitimate, safe and trustworthy. You will benefit from features such as reduced juice NHL lines, live streaming and various ongoing bonuses, so we recommend BetOnline to any Canadian sports bettors. Just click the button below to claim the best welcome bonus.