Best Sports Betting Sites in Canada
Sports gambling is an activity where huge numbers of people want to participate nowadays. That’s why hundreds of different websites of this kind have popped out during recent years. These websites are as diverse and as varied as the clients themselves. Therefore, many people, especially those who are new into this kind of activity often are not sure which kind of site to pick for start employing.
This rating will serve as a guide for people who would like to get started in this fascinating world. Thanks to sports online sports betting, there are countless winning opportunities. Many people so far have earned prizes worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. The only thing that people need for winning a prize of this kind is to have some knowledge about a certain sport. Of course, luck can be a punter’s best friend in a situation like this.
What are the best online sports betting websites in Canada
In general, there is no single answer to this question. This is because, as said in the beginning, these platforms are very diverse. This is because all these websites cater to a different audience. For example, some websites might be targeted mostly towards football fans. While others might be more focused in disciplines like eSports.
But, the available catalogue of sports is not the only criteria that people should look at when determining what is their most suitable bookmaker. There are several other factors that must be taken into account. Some reviews about them will be discussed here.
One of them is the availability of bonuses, promo codes and other interesting incentives to begin participating and to continue to make online betting on a specific website. Virtually all bookmakers offer certain kinds of bonuses nowadays. However, they tend to vary in terms of the actual amount that the user receives.
Criteria for choosing the top sports betting sites in Canada
Here we will summarize the points that we stated in the previous section. Some things that people might want to take a look at before choosing a bookmaker include:
- the diversity of the sports catalogue;
- the availability of mobile platforms;
- how friendly the desktop and mobile user interfaces are;
- and also the bonuses and their terms and conditions!
Of course there might be additional aspects that people might want to find out about a specific platform, such as its security, payment methods, availability of live streamings, and more. At the end of the day, it is up to the different users to decide what are the most crucial factors for them, and how impactful they are when choosing to use a specific sportsbook.
Safety and security of the bookmaker industry
There are hundreds of platforms where people can enjoy, play and win in a completely safe manner. Their personal and financial information is protected by various layers of security, meaning that it is extremely unlikely that their data will be compromised in any way. This is a key factor that differentiates the best sports betting sites Canada from others.
Another reason to convince people that there is nothing to fear about the sportsbook industry itself, is that its security standards have not been established by the bookmakers themselves. Instead, they are constantly adjusted and later monitored by national governments and third parties, which usually are independent organizations that support and defend causes of user privacy and data security.
Deposit and withdrawal options
Nowadays bookmakers tend to offer a wide range of options for users in order to withdraw their winnings and deposit money to their balance. Most of them allow users to make use of their credit cards and debit cards. But that’s not all, because the best Canadian sports betting sites also offer different kinds of electronic wallets and online payment systems. It is not unusual that these platforms allow their clients to make their deposits and withdrawals through systems like PayPal, Neteller, Skrill and many others.
Each system has its own fees and minimum and maximum amounts. This means that it is a good idea for users to be aware of said fees, in order to choose the system that is more convenient to them. Also, note that in some platforms, some systems might be allowed only for deposits, but not for withdrawals.
Bonuses and promotions
This is another aspect where people put a lot of attention when choosing a bookmaker to bet. In general, there are two broad types of bonuses that sportsbooks tend to offer. On one hand, there are the promotions for new players, which usually require the punter to make a deposit beforehand. And on the other side there are the bonuses and incentives for existing members.
In most cases there are a few fundamental differences between them. For example, the benefits aimed at new players, tend to usually give things such as an extra amount which is equal to a certain percentage of the first deposit made by the punter. It is very rare to find a bookmaker that offers a welcome bonus that doesn’t require a deposit.
On the other hand, for existing players, there can be lots of no-deposit bonuses. As their name suggests, they don’t require the punter to make a deposit beforehand. However, under no circumstances this is free money, because while no deposit is required, these benefits usually have certain conditions attached. They regulate things such as how to obtain them, and also what the user needs to do in order to claim the incentive or reward.
User Interface
The user interface is an extremely important aspect of any bookmaker. It is another aspect that sets apart one of the top betting sites Canada from the rest. After all, if a bookmaker has an unattractive or even a not very functional user interface, it is highly unlikely that punters will want to employ a portal like this. Nowadays most bookmakers tend to do pretty well when it comes to the interface of its website. However, the same can not be said for their mobile interfaces in certain cases.
Speaking about mobile interfaces, most of the time it is recommended to download the application of a certain bookmaker if it exists. Most of them will offer a mobile website in addition to their mobile program. However, for stability and usability reasons, most of the times the user interface of the applications tends to be better suited than the one offered by the websites, even if they look practically the same.
What about customer support
Many bookmakers offer only contact through email. While this gets the job done in most cases, answers can be painfully slow to receive. In other words, it is unlikely that a customer support department will get high ratings if it only offers contact through this medium.
It is much more preferable when there is a chance to interact more directly with the customer support team. This is done through media like live chat or phone call. Here users can ask their questions or present their issues and get answers almost immediately. In general, the best bookmakers tend to offer many different forms of communication at the same time, such as email, phone and live chat.
Betting options and markets
The best bookmakers currently in existence tend to have very diverse betting portfolios. The largest platforms of this kind can offer several dozens of disciplines. They tend to have sports like football, tennis, basketball, eSports and many others. This means that when signing up for one of the best Canadian sportsbooks bookmakers in the market, it is highly likely that people will find their favorite sport if it’s played at a professional level.
However, the amount of featured sports is not the only factor when deciding how good are the betting options offered by a certain bookmaker. Another important aspect to consider is how well covered is each sport. In other words, how many competitions, tournaments and individual matches are featured.
Some of the largest bookmakers in the market can offer hundreds of matches of a single sport at any given time. In most cases, such a large availability of betting markets is available for disciplines like football, tennis or eSports. Those that might have several tournaments and contests being played at a single moment.
How to find the best odds on Canada’s favorite sports
Usually the most famous bookmakers tend to be the ones that offer the most competitive odds. However, in the same way as people compare different stores to find the cheapest price for a product, people should also do a bit of research and compare different bookmakers in order to see which one offers the best odds.
Is it legal to do sports wagers in Canada?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer might be a bit more convoluted. To summarize, in Canada it is not allowed to establish private bookmakers. Yes, there are certain casinos and sports betting places managed by the provinces of the countries. However, it is not possible for a particular Canadian person or company to put their own Canadian betting sites and start profiting with it.
However, online bookmakers are totally allowed to operate inside the country, as long as they are hosted and offered by entities located outside of Canada. So, to summarize, it is possible to make online betting Canada as long as the entity offering the service is from abroad or managed by a provincial government.
How to find the best sports betting apps and mobile sites
There are a few important things to mention about the mobile platforms offered by the different online sports betting Canada platforms. First, many people might distrust a certain entity because its official Android application is not available from Google Play. However, this is not due to a problem with the app itself or the bookmaker. This is because the regulations of the store prohibit the distribution of bookmakers that work with real money.
Having said that, the largest bookmakers tend to invest a lot of resources in order to improve their mobile platforms. This is because over time, the use of these means to access these services has skyrocketed, while the desktop platforms have stagnated or even fell during recent times. That’s why if someone wants to make sure to get the best mobile platforms from the very first moment, it is a good idea to start with the largest sportsbooks.
However, this doesn’t mean that the smaller players have bad applications or mobile sites. Not at all. In fact, in order to promote their own platforms to the general public, many bookmakers have implemented some free games and features that people can enjoy from their mobile gadgets. Being free means that they are totally free of risk. Therefore, it is a good idea to try different mobile websites and different apps to see what they can offer.
Some useful sports betting tips
There are always a few healthy pieces of advice to take into consideration before engaging in any kind of online sports wagering. Probably the most important of all is to only wager amounts that people can afford to lose. This might be a bit obvious at first. However, considering that many people have ruined their finances by not keeping control of how much they were wagering, this is something worth remembering.
Another important thing to mention is that people should always take a look at the terms and conditions of the bookmakers, and especially of their bonuses and promotions. It is true that many people simply skip those texts because they seem to be boring and uninteresting. However, they were not written for entertaining people, they were written in order to make people aware of what are their rights and obligations when making use of a service of this kind. The top betting sites will show this information in a very clear manner.
Also, it is recommended for punters, especially those who are more new to this industry, to start wagering on the sports that they know the best. Of course at the end of the day, luck plays a big factor in the outcome of a specific wager. However, they also require a bit of knowledge of what are the best teams or athletes in a given discipline.
FAQ
Where can I bet on sports in Canada?
Only horse racing is now allowed one-off bets in Canada, while with other sports the users that like sports betting online must bet on more than one game at a time. Because of this, people look at foreign bookmakers, some of which offer promotions and bonuses specially for Canada.
Is sports betting legal in Canada?
Despite the fact that casinos are legal in this country, Canada sports betting is still illegal. This may soon change. Draft legislation to create a regulated betting market is being debated by the House of Commons. Mass is going to repeal the provision in the penal code banning sports betting and allow Canadian provinces to develop their own rules.
What sports do Canadians bet on the most?
People of this country simply love ice hockey. No other sport even comes close to it in popularity. British bookmakers are extending their line for this sport specifically for the Canadians, as hockey is not in demand in the UK. Other winter sports are also favoured by Canadians. But they are not very good for online sports betting Canada.
Do you have to report sports betting winnings in Canada?
In essence, the Canadian is free to play wherever he wants. And bet on whatever his demanding eye can point to. He doesn’t pay any taxes. But there is an exception. If a Canadian sports betting player declares himself a professional gambler – that is, he becomes a gambler for a living – he will be required to pay tax.