Best Canadian Online Sportsbooks in 2023

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Canada?

The short answer is yes, online sports betting at top sportsbooks in Canada is legal. In fact, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry with hundreds of thousands of Canadians playing at licensed and regulated sites every year. There are many reputable online bookmakers that accept wagers from Canadian players across all provinces and territories. For an easy look into which provinces and territories let you gamble within Canada, take a look at our comparison table below.

As you can see, online gambling and sports betting is legal in all provinces and territories within Canada, as is playing at offshore sites. The caveat here is that for sports betting, there are certain restrictions that Canadian players must abide by, like wagering on a minimum of two games or two athletes.

How to Choose The Best Sportsbooks in Canada

When it comes to choosing between Canadian bookmakers, it is very important to take into account the following parameters: trustworthiness, desired payment deposit and withdrawal methods, excellent customer support, licensing, and a wide range of markets, live events, and games that you can bet on. Read on below to see how we rate and review Canadian gambling bookies, as this will give you an inside look into what to look for when you’re selecting your next sportsbook.

How We Rate and Review CA Online Sportsbooks

When rating and reviewing online betting sites, we only recommend the best Canadian sportsbooks, that we ourselves are willing to deposit and cashout at. Whether you’re looking for a new mobile betting website, or want to jump into the fantastic odds at some of the new sportsbooks popping up, we have you covered. We take into account licensing, markets, odds, bonuses and offers, payment methods, in-play betting, live streaming, customer service, and platform availability.

Licensing

Licensing is extremely important when choosing from top rated sportsbooks. Not only does it ensure that the best bookmakers in Canada have met the high standards of proper business practices that you expect, but it also ensures that you’re playing at a fair and reputable place. All of our top Canadian online betting sites hold licenses from trusted bodies like Kahnawake Gaming Commission, eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation & Assurance ) or the UK Gambling Commission.

Market Breadth

When it comes to top sportsbooks, the quantity of betting markets is crucial. No matter if you’re interested in basic bets, outright winners, handicaps, specials, or accumulators; the best gambling bookies provide a wide range of market options for Canadians. For instance, 50+ markets per match on hockey, and football is fantastic, while 15 markets on winter sports is excellent.

Competitive Odds

Naturally, you want to place bets at Canadian bookmakers that have high odds on a wide range of live sports and events. Some of them will just provide competitive odds on popular sports like NFL football and NHL hockey, while others tend to specialize in NBA basketball. Instead, we ensure that there are competitive odds across all of your favorite sports, including MLS, MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA.

Bonuses and Offers

Bonuses, offers, and sports betting are inextricably linked. The majority of online bookmakers’ reviews are focused on bonuses because generous offerings not only increase your balance, but improves your odds of winning. For example, if you receive a 100% sign up bonus on C$600.00, you’re going to get a lot more money to bet with.

Payment Methods Available

The best Canadian sportsbooks offer a wide range of payment methods that are convenient and trustworthy for Canadians. This includes secure payment options for debit cards, credit cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and more without extravagant fees.

In-Play Betting Options

The best betting sites have a great range of in-play markets, so you can place bets even after the match has started. This includes pre-match and live betting options for all major north american sports (e.g., hockey, football).

High Quality Live Streaming

live streaming options and in-play betting go hand in hand. Bettors love being able to watch the game they're betting on live and make informed decisions while the match is happening.

Excellent Customer Service

Top Canadian bookmakers provide excellent customer service, with 24/365 support available in multiple languages. This includes telephone support, email support, and live chat.

Available On Multiple Platforms

All the top sportsbooks have mobile betting platforms that are easy to use on smartphones and tablets. You should also be able to access their websites on your desktop or laptop without any problems. The website's design is important, as you'll want it to be user-friendly with quick navigation menus.

Top 10 List of Online Bookmakers in Canada

Based on our research, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best bookmakers in Canada. Check them out and select the one that best suits your play style.

Betway

Betway is a respected, reliable, and law-abiding international betting firm with a stellar reputation. They have a solid top rated sportsbook with good odds across several sports, including hockey, baseball, soccer, and horse racing. Betway Canada also provides a top-tier casino with numerous slot machines, table games, and casino games to choose from.

Sports Interaction

Sports Interaction is one of the few gambling sites in Canada that has been licensed and controlled since 1997, providing a safe gambling environment for consumers. The company combines both sports betting and high-quality casino games on one platform, making it an ideal destination for many Canadian bettors who want to wager on a variety of events.

Bodog

Bodog was formed in 1994 and is now one of the biggest gambling sites for Canadian players. Whether you prefer sports betting, poker, casino tables, slots, or horse racing, Bodog is an excellent choice; they've been offering a safe, world-class gaming service to Canadians for decades.

Bet99

While Bet99 is a fairly new sportsbook, established in 2019, it’s known for offering great odds and fantastic betting options on over 30+ sports, and 1000+ casino games. While it does not offer live-streaming, it does offer in-play betting.

Pinnacle

Pinnacle.com is a cutting-edge online gambling site that provides outstanding service. This web sportsbook and casino allows players from over 100 different countries to participate. There's something for everyone at Pinnacle, with hundreds of sports events and over 2,000 casino games to choose from. The Pinnacle offers high odds and low margins. Furthermore, seasoned bettors can place high bets with little restrictions, making it one of the best Canadian sportsbooks around. The site has worked diligently since its inception in 2004 to remain relevant by offering a variety of esports, virtual sports, and live dealer casino games.

William Hill

This is one of the oldest, and top sportsbooks and casinos available, having been founded way back in 1934. This means that it is a giant company, with a massive player base, and often has numerous sponsorship deals for newcomers. They sponsor leagues, events, and teams, and provide you with over 28 sports to place bets on.

PowerPlay

PowerPlay is a new Canadian online gambling bookie that provides both a competitive casino and sportsbook games (2018). Canadians will discover a large range of games (100+), 30+ sports, and many betting options.

Betsafe

Betsafe is a well-trusted top rated sportsbook and casino games website, with 40+ sports to choose from for betting, 1,000s of betting markets to play in, and well over 2,000 casino games. If you’re looking for variety, Betsafe is the way to go. Pair this with numerous welcome bonuses, promotions, and tips on how to win on their blog, and you can see why Canadians love it.

Unibet

While not available in Quebec, this is a top rated sportsbook, with free live streaming, and a wide variety of casino games. It is legal to use, safe, and trusted, and has been in operation since 1997. It is now considered one of the leading betting brands in Europe, and has a dedicated Canadian site with local payment methods.

1xbet

With 10+ years of experience underneath its belt, 1xBet is one of the best bookmakers in Canada, offering access to more than 40 sports to wager on, and more than 60,000 events per month to have fun with. This top rated sportsbook comes with a live betting section, 500 markets to bet in, and comes with a generous amount of deposit and withdrawal methods.

How These Top Rated Sportsbooks Compare by Welcome Bonuses & Odds Types

The Most Common Deposit Options in Canada

When you’re ready to make a deposit and start betting on your favorite sports, there are a few different payment methods you can use to deposit funds into your sports betting account.

• Bank Wire Transfer: a bank wire transfer is the best option for high rollers. It's fast, safe, and reliable. You can use websites like iDebit and Instadebit to make online bank transfers to the top sportsbook of your choice permitting that they accept these methods.
  
• e-Wallet: the most commonly used e-wallets are Skrill (Moneybrookers) or Neteller, as they offer quick deposits and withdrawals with minimal fees. However, with the legalization of single-game wagering on sports betting, PayPal is likely to allow deposits and withdrawals.
  
• Prepaid Credit Card/Debit Card: Credit or debit cards are the fastest and most convenient option for Canadians. The most commonly used options here are Mastercard and VISA.
• Cheques: cheques allow you to make a deposit with minimal fees, but they take longer than eWallets or credit cards.

There are other miscellaneous deposit methods like cryptocurrencies, but these digital currencies can be volatile in value over short periods of time - which is why most Canadians prefer cash options instead. However, don’t necessarily pass this up, as a lot of sports betting websites will provide incentive to deposit with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other cryptocurrencies.

Available Bookies Offers For New Canadian Players

When looking to sign up with gambling bookies, take a look at what the bonuses are for new players. Almost all of the best Canadian sportsbooks offer a wide array of sign-up bonuses or welcome bonuses to take advantage of. Some of these you can get even before making an initial deposit. The most common bookie offers for new players include:

1. A welcome bonus, which is one of the biggest bonuses you can get. It is typically a matching percentage of your initial deposit.
2. The first bet match bonus is where your initial wager is doubled.
3. A bonus may be given if you create a personalized link or code to refer them to the site.
4. Free bets or bets with no-win, no-loss conditions. This allows you to bet with the sportsbook’s own money.
5. Reload offers. Refill your account when it's running low and get a bonus.
6. Promotional discounts & big bonuses that rotate around bigger betting events, like March Madness.

What Sports Do Canadians Bet On?

Canadians are huge sports fans, and they're constantly on the lookout for the most rewarding sports to bet on. Needless to say, the top sportsbooks in Canada are focused primarily on hockey, Canadian football, basketball, and baseball. However, below you'll discover which sports are recommended by Canadian bookmakers.

• Ice Hockey: the most popular sport in Canada by a mile, ice hockey is unsurprisingly well represented on the Canadian betting sites. Punters can bet on the outright winner of tournaments and leagues (NHL, IIHF World Championships), as well as individual matches. There are also plenty of prop bets available such as who will score first, what team will win the first period/game etc.
• Canadian Football: Canadian football (CFL) betting odds are available at all gambling bookies in Canada, with the majority of them offering pre-match and live options as well as futures bets such as who will win the Grey Cup.
• Baseball: while not as popular as football or hockey, north of the border, baseball still has a healthy following which is reflected in the number of markets offered by top sportsbooks. Most books offer odds on all three outcomes (winners, losers, draw) for both pre-match and in-play betting options. Wagering on totals (over/under) and moneylines is also available.
• Basketball: the NBA has a loyal following in Canada, with many new sportsbooks providing odds on the league's games as well as those of individual teams. In addition to pre-match and live betting markets, there are also plenty of prop bets available such as best player match-ups or highest scoring quarters.
• Soccer: while the beautiful game is not as popular in Canada as it is in other countries, it is nevertheless well represented on the best Canadian sportsbooks. All of the major leagues (MLS, EPL, La Liga etc.) and international competitions are covered by odds. When it comes to soccer matches, in-play betting is especially popular.
• UFC: there is no question that Canadians like to bet on mixed martial arts (MMA) just as much as any other live sport. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in particular, has a huge following north of the border and it's reflected in their betting odds at top Canadian bookmakers. You can wager on who will win the fight, how many rounds the match will last and a variety of prop bets.
• Lacrosse: this is yet another very popular pastime in Canada. In fact, lacrosse began in Canada, as French Jesuit missionaries were the first to observe Native American Indians playing the game in present-day Ontario in the mid-1630s. This is considered to be the national sport of Canada and as such, there are top rated sportsbooks that allow bettors to place their wagers on big competitions, such as the Canadian Lacrosse League and the NLL.
• Rugby Union: rugby is another sport that has been growing in popularity in Canada in recent years. The top domestic league is the Canadian Rugby Championship, which was founded in 2014. The national team has competed in every World Cup to date, and it competes in the Americas Rugby Championship regularly. Local Canadian bettors that are interested in rugby union may choose a sportsbook that offers odds on matches from the aforementioned competitions as an alternative.