If you are a resident of Canada, BettingZebra will help you to lear more about Online Betting in Canada

Sports Betting in Canada 2019

Online betting is extremely popular in Canada and wagering continues to increase amongst sports fans. There are several well-established online operators such as Bodog, Sports Interaction and 5Dimes who have carved out a solid reputation for themselves and they’ve recently been joined by newcomers such as 888Sport and Betway. This has provided a huge variety of options for Canadian bettors.

Is Betting Legal in Canada?

Canada has a long and complex history with online gambling legalities but it is currently perfectly legal to place a sports bet whilst living and working in the country. In areas such as British Columbia, anyone over the age of 19 may take part in recreational sports gambling. Prior to 1969, it was illegal to place sports wager of any type but that has since changed and there are an increasing amount of online operators springing up throughout the country.

The law dictates that companies must be commissioned and regulated overseas or by the Kahnawake Gambling Commission. Many of the companies who operate throughout Canada are regulated abroad and are legally allowed to operate within the country.

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of signing up for an online bookmaker in Canada, it is advised to look for an operator who have been prominent in the country for at least three years.

What Sports Are Popular in Canada?

North American sports are particularly popular with Canadian punters and a number of these can be found on the home page of online sportsbooks.

Despite no Canadian teams featuring in the NFL, football remains the most popular sport to bet on. Most bookmakers will target potential customers with the prospect of multiple betting markets throughout the season and they see a significant increase in sign-ups ahead of the Super Bowl each year. The CFL, which is a much smaller division is also very popular with regular matches taking place throughout the season. Parlay bets are particularly common amongst CFL and football fans.

At any given time, the majority of the ‘most popular events’ will be upcoming NFL games.

Basketball is another hugely popular sport in Canada with the NBA attracting a lot of interest from fans. When the Toronto Raptors are in action, sports betting turnover tends to increase.

Although these are very popular, hockey is undoubtedly Canada’s favourite game. The NHL is hugely popular and there are several teams situated within the country who compete in the league on a regular basis. The likes of the Vancouver Canucks and the Montreal Canadiens attract huge crowds on a regular basis and games are regularly televised throughout the season. It runs for around ten months of the year so there are always plenty of betting opportunities!

Baseball is another popular option and runs throughout the summer months. The Blue Jays are a huge draw for sports fans and their games are regularly positioned towards the top of online sportsbooks. The MLB play-offs are always very popular with Canadian punters even if the Blue Jays don’t make it through.

UFC has become increasingly popular in recent years and a number of Canadian competitors have seen the franchise go from strength to strength.

Tennis, Golf and Soccer are also popular with Canadian punters although they aren’t advertised and promoted as heavily by online bookmakers.

What Markets are Popular?

There are numerous markets that remain popular with Canadian bettors although the traditional money line, points spread and points total markets still command the highest turnover amongst sports fans.

The Puck Line market is the most popular amongst NHL fans and this will offer hockey enthusiasts the chance to wager on either side to overcome a small handicap. With some incredibly one-sided games anticipated as well as many prohibitive odds on home teams, this can be a great way of finding value.

Outside of the big three, other popular markets include ‘first team to score’ and Over/Under on each period of the game.

There are hundreds of different markets available for each individual game and there are also many pre-season markets including the option to wager on each team to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.

NFL has a number of similar markets available with the totals proving particularly popular. This allows bettors to wager on a match without having to pick a winning team. Prop betting is also very popular, particularly ahead of the play-offs and the Super Bowl. These allows bettors to explore different options and concentrate on the performances of individual players and teams.

As well as points totals, moneyline and point spread markets, winning margin bets are also popular on NBA games and Canadian punters can also choose to bet on specific players to score a set amount of points. These are usually set at around the 20-25 mark but they will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker.

Sports such as UFC, Tennis and Golf have a completely different set of markets whilst Horse Racing bettors are able to utilise place, show and trifecta options.

Types of Bet Available

Parlay – These are incredibly popular especially ahead of a full set of fixtures. A full card of NFL fixtures tends to take place over the course of a weekend and bettors often enjoy adding multiple teams into their parlay bet. This requires all teams to be victorious in order to receive a pay-out. NHL and NBA bettors may also have parlay bets which stretch across a number of days.

Single – This is the most straightforward of all of the bets and simply requires just one wager to be struck. This is a far more effective and provides a safer way of betting. However, it will require larger stakes in order to make a healthy profit.

In-Play –Online bookmakers now offer a healthy amount of live in-play betting options for punters. This allows customers to place a bet after the event has begun. It is a very popular way of playing and is often favoured by savvy bettors who prefer to study the flow of the game and take advantage of momentum swings.

Ante-Post – These are season-long wagers which offer punters the opportunity to make informed and long-term predictions about upcoming competitions. These apply to leagues such as the NFL, NHL and the MLB as well as one-off tournaments such as the US Open and the FIFA World Cup.

Popular Payment Methods in Canada

After signing up for an account, bookmakers will ask all new customers to make an initial deposit. This can be done in a variety of ways as there are a plethora of methods available.

The most popular method is Credit Card and all online bookmakers offer this option to customers. It is quick and easy and there is no additional charge for funding an account in this way. A number of e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller are also available and these are free of charge with most operators.

eCheck is another easy way of making a deposit and is universally accepted by Canadian bookmakers.

Other methods include:

Instadebit

iDebit

PaySafeCard

EntroPay

Click and Buy

ecoPayz

Some of these methods will incur a small charge for using their services and it’s always best to check with the individual operators before committing. However, the majority of methods are completely free to use and accounts will be funded in a matter of minutes.

( Here our article about payments methods in betting )

Bonuses

Bonuses are a key part of the betting in Canada with the majority of bookmakers offering generous incentives to sign up for their service. These can range from 100% bonus on first deposits through to free $20 sports bets. The former is extremely popular and offers bettors an extra $50 (if depositing $50) on top of their deposit.

These are a great of way of boosting the betting balance and give players an incentive to join the online bookmaker.

It is commonplace for Canadian bookmakers to offer a sign-up bonus.

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