While we’re happy to find the best betting sites for you, we’re also happy to share our secrets. Finding a good site can be difficult these days. But there are a few important things we recommend you keep in mind.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of the best Canadian betting sites. This list compares the best online bookmakers and looks at which sites offer the most sports, betting markets, and the highest betting odds.
To make sure all of the betting sites on our list provide a legal, safe, and top-tier betting experience for Canadian players, we review and rank each bookie in 6+ key areas.
We also compare the best betting sites for popular sports. Below, you’ll find the best bookies for hockey, soccer, MLB, NBA, and horse racing.
Want to know how to find the best betting sites in Canada? Here’s what we look for in top bookmakers.
Legal, Licensed & Safe
To guarantee you have the best online betting experience, use only betting sites that are legal and licensed. Many unlicensed and illegal bookmakers exist. Stay away from these. Sticking to legal and licensed sportsbooks will ensure:
- You are not participating in any illegal activity
- The betting is fair
- You avoid being scammed
Online gambling in Canada is still a grey area. In all provinces and territories except Ontario, the laws for online gambling on offshore betting sites are unclear. This lack of regulation and laws allows many Canadians to legally play at offshore betting sites.
Offshore betting sites operate in this grey area where there are no laws against online betting for players from Canada. Therefore, Canadians, and millions of others around the world, continue to gamble safely using these sites.
What’s different about legal online gambling in Ontario? On April 4, 2022, Ontario opened its iGaming market to select privately-owned gaming sites. Online casinos and sportsbooks such as BetMGM and PlayOJO are included in this open market.
Members of the open market are licensed and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario. As a result, these sites are 100% legal and safe for players in Ontario.
With this new law in place, Ontarians can still gamble at unregulated offshore sites. However, it is recommended that players in Ontario use betting apps that are regulated by the province. These regulated sites are the best and safest places to play.
At BettingGuide.com, we only list legal Canadian sportsbooks and licensed offshore betting sites (i.e. sites with no operations in Canada) that accept deposits in Canadian Dollars.
Much like the online casinos and sportsbooks regulated by the AGCO and iGaming Ontario, regulated offshore betting sites hold gambling licenses. These licenses are provided by respected international authorities, including the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
Each internationally regulated sportsbook must comply with strict safety regulations or risk losing its licenses. On top of this, the best betting sites offer high-end online security which secures communications by encrypting all data to and from the site.
Gamblers in Canada can also choose to gamble on betting sites that hold valid gambling licenses from respected authorities within Canada. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, for example, provides licensing for many offshore sportsbooks and casinos.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was founded in 1996. This organization is responsible for regulating and licensing all gaming activities in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission also licenses and regulates hundreds of online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms, including Canadian online casinos such as Spin Casino and Jackpot City.
Security and trust are two of the most important factors when choosing online sports betting sites. All of the Canadian sportsbooks we recommend are guaranteed to be safe and secure.
You can also determine whether a site is trusted by researching its industry reputation. Read through our reviews and follow the suggestions of trusted guides like this one.
When gambling on safe and trusted betting sites, you can rest assured that:
- Your personal information is secure
- Your financial information is protected
Bookmakers Sign Up Offers
All of the best Canadian betting sites offer high-value new customer sign-up offers to attract new players. It is important to take full advantage of these signup offers, as you can only claim them once (on each bookie). As well, these sign-up offers almost always provide more value than any other promotion available.
Bookmakers offer these promotions and bonuses to compete with one another. Therefore, as a first-time player in Canada, you can expect to receive some sort of bonus from the best sportsbooks. The top Canadian betting sites will also offer returning players promotions and bonuses to stick around.
Keep an eye out for these common bonuses:
- Sign Up Bonus - many sportsbooks offer this bonus for new players. The site will match your first deposit, or give you a percentage of your deposit. For example, many sites will offer a 100% deposit bonus. Some may even offer up to 500%, to a certain amount.
- Free Bets - free bets are also common. Players can wager with these free bet credits and, while you can’t withdraw the bet credit itself, any winnings are fair game.
- Reload Bonus - to keep players coming back, some of the best Canadian sportsbooks offer to reload bonuses. This bonus gives you free credits when you reload your account with more funds.
- Boosted Odds - no need to be a first-time player to take advantage of this benefit. Many sportsbooks will offer members boosted odds for increased payouts and improved chances of winning.
- No Deposit Bonuses - this is another risk-free option that is often available when joining a new sports bookmaker. A no deposit bonus is exactly what it sounds like - a free bonus that doesn’t require any deposit to claim!
In addition to these bonuses, the best betting sites in Canada offer contests and loyalty programs. The best benefits include:
- Weekly contests
- Rewards programs that offer exciting prizes like vacations and vehicles
Ultimately, you’ll want to pick a site that offers promos and bonuses that are most attractive and exciting to you.
Some players even sign up for almost every legal sportsbook available to take advantage of these fantastic free bet offers. But, not all signup bonuses offer good value, and it is important to learn how to spot the best and avoid the worst. But not all signup bonuses offer good value. Therefore, it is important to learn how to spot the best and avoid the worst.
Before you apply for a bonus, promotion, contest or rewards program, read the terms and conditions. There may be restrictions on certain bonuses and promotions and reading the fine print will guarantee the option is right for you.
Here are three of the most important things to look at when reviewing bonuses, promotions and rewards.
- Wagering Requirements - this will tell you how many times you need to wager the bonus to unlock the funds for withdrawal. The best bonuses come with no wagering requirements. That said, many betting sites require you to wager the bonus 10x the amount or more.
- Bonus Restrictions - before signing up, check to see what restrictions there are on the bonus. For example, you may need to deposit money using a certain payment method, use the bonus to bet on a certain sport or market, etc.
- Bonus Codes and Other Conditions - it is also important to check if you need to enter a bonus code and what the minimum deposit and bet amount are to qualify for the offer. Not all bonuses have these conditions, but it is crucial to check so you don’t miss out on the offer.
Wide Range of Payment Methods
After making sure a betting site is legal, licensed, and safe, we check to see which payment methods are accepted to be sure residents from Canada can deposit and withdraw money.
There’s nothing more frustrating than signing up for a service, only to find that depositing and withdrawing funds is difficult.
So, we want to ensure that residents from Canada can deposit and withdraw money quickly and conveniently!
We also check to see if the Canadian betting site charges any fees for deposits or withdrawals, and the average time it takes to process payments. You will find this information in our payments table if you head to our betting site reviews.
All of the betting sites in our list accept a wide number of Canadian payment methods including:
When looking for the best online sports betting sites, make sure their payment options are simple to add and quick to use.
Look for:
- Various payment and withdrawal methods
- Options that will provide the fastest payout speed (e.g. e-wallets, Visa, etc.)
- Any additional fees associated with withdrawals
Make sure the site you choose has an option that works for you. Most importantly, make sure the options are convenient for Canadians.
Design, Style and Usability
One of the most important factors of a good betting site is its user interface. The best betting sites in Canada are easy to use. From loading funds to withdrawing winnings to placing bets, everything should be simple and intuitive.
Don’t get frustrated by a bad user interface - stick with our top recommended online sports betting sites for a care-free betting experience.
When you need to place a bet in a hurry, the speed of your chosen Canadian betting site is key as well. This is why we run speed tests in all of the bookmaker reviews.
At BettingGuide.com, we regularly test the Canadian betting sites and apps we recommend. This way, we can provide our readers with an honest and in-depth look at each site.
How we test betting sites in Canada:
- We join each Canadian betting site and undergo the process of verifying an account, depositing funds, betting and withdrawing money
- We place several sports bets and attempt to use features such as live streaming, cash out, etc
- Check and update our reviews every 6-12 months.
Sports & Betting Markets Available
When it comes to online gambling, it’s nice to have options. Look for Canadian betting sites that offer a wide variety of sports and betting options.
To make our list of the best Canadian betting sites, bookies must offer a wide range of sports and betting markets. We also check for other important features such as whether the bookie offers free live streaming and a cash-out feature.
Whatever your favourite sport is, you’ll be able to find a site where you can bet on it. Let’s be honest, if you can bet on an upcoming election, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to place a bet on your favourite CFL team.
The best Canadian sportsbooks on our list offer:
- NHL betting
- MLB betting
- NBA betting
- NFL betting
- MLS betting
- UFC betting
The best sports betting sites listed above are bound to offer your sport of choice.
Currently, bet365 Canada is our number one pick for online sports betting. With 30+ sports, free live streams, full and partial cashouts, high betting odds, hundreds of betting markets, and awesome features like including a bet builder that allows you to create custom bets, bet365 is hard to beat!
High Betting Odds
Once we confirm that a bookmaker offers numerous sports and betting markets, we look at their betting odds.
We recommend playing on the betting sites with the highest odds. This can make a huge difference in your outcomes. Not only will better betting odds result in bigger wins but can also help you save money.
For example:
- You want to put $100 on your favourite NHL team.
- You see Site #1 has your team at 2.4.
- You see Site #2 has the odds for your team at 2.6.
- You’ll want to go with the better odds. But why?
If you bet $100 on your team on Site #1 and they win you’ll get $240 - $140 in winnings and your initial $100 back.
If you place your bet on Site #2 and win, you’ll get $260 - a $160 win plus your original bet of $100.
Betting Margins
In addition to betting odds, the sportsbook experts at BettingGuide.com look at each site’s betting margins.
If you did not know, the betting margin is essentially how much a bookie "charges" you to place a bet. Simply put, the lower the betting margin, the higher the odds.
So, which betting sites in Canada have the best margins? We compare the betting margins of some of the top bookies below.
Best Betting Margins in Canada
Below are the results of our independent betting margins tests.
Keep in mind, that we only test a small sample of events and markets. Our goal is to give you an idea of how much each sportsbook "charges" you to place a bet. Therefore, we recommend regularly testing margins yourself to ensure you are getting the best odds possible.
- Fansbet sports margin – 3.62%
- Mr.Play sports margin – 4.75%
- Spin Sports margin – 4.92%
- Betway sports margin – 5.16%
- bet365 sports margin – 5.68%
- Unibet sports margin – 5.98%
- 888Sport sports margin – 6.13%
- 22Bet sports margin – 6.63%
- LeoVegas sports margin – 6.75%
- Sports Interaction sports margin – 7.64%
Mobile Bookmakers
Want to place a bet while you’re on the go? More and more Canadians are using their mobile phones to surf the web and gamble online. Therefore, the best Canadian sportsbooks offer mobile betting apps and mobile-friendly sites so that you don’t miss a beat.
Make sure the betting sites you choose offer the option for you to move to mobile. These sites should be just as easy to use from your phone or tablet as from your laptop or desktop.
The best sports betting sites will offer a great experience from any mobile operating system including:
- iOS (iPhone)
- Android
- Microsoft Windows, etc.
The mobile betting experience is essential as the majority of players now gamble on a phone or tablet instead of a desktop or laptop. Therefore, we test mobile betting apps, and mobile-optimized betting websites to see which bookies offer the best mobile betting experience.
Compare which betting sites offer betting apps on Android and iOS below. Plus check out the results of our tests on our best betting apps in Canada page.
Customer Support
When it comes to technology, top-notch customer service is the key to a great experience. The last thing you want is to be stuck on a loading page as bets are closing with no one to help solve the problem.
Look for sites that offer fast and effective customer service. Customer support should be easy to reach at any time.
The best betting sites will offer support via:
- Email
- Phone
- Live online chat
- Social media support
You won’t find these convenient customer support options on all betting sites in Canada. But the top ten bookmakers on our list all offer top-tier, 24/7 customer support with several contact methods.
Real Player Reviews
We encourage our users to leave real reviews of their experiences, both good and bad, to help other players decide if the betting site is right for them. Of course, it's quite common to see a large number of negative reviews, even on the most reputable betting sites. This is the nature of gambling.
That said, if a betting site accumulates too many worrying negative reviews, we will flag it as “One to Avoid”. For example, if a sportsbook starts locking accounts, refusing to pay, scamming players, etc., we will flag it right away.
Unique Features
Keep an eye out for new and innovative features on sports betting sites. Unique user interface designs and betting options can make your experience more fun. As well, if you are a beginner, some sites will offer unique features to help you learn the ropes.
Examples of unique betting options and features include:
- Futures bets - betting on championship titles and player awards, etc
- Unique prop bets - wagering on team stats, half-time performances, fan behaviour
- Sports data
- Ability to cash out bets early
- Odd converters
- Parlay calculators
The best betting sites in our list offer the most up-to-date features and fun, unique options.
Live Sports Streams and Betting
If you enjoy the excitement of placing bets as you watch a game or match unfold, look for a site with live betting options.
When selecting the best sports betting sites, we always look for sites that offer live streams and live betting. This is the most fun and exciting way to get in on the action.
bet365, Unibet, Betway, 888Sport, Pointsbet, BetMGM, and Betsafe offer a wide variety of live streams across numerous different sports.
Languages and Currencies
Canada prides itself on being a multi-cultural country. Therefore, the best Canadian sportsbooks will offer services in various languages, including English and French.
Above all, you’ll want to make sure that the online sports betting sites you choose accept Canadian dollars. Every single gambling site on BettingGuide.com accepts Canadian dollars and offers a wide range of local and international payment methods for players from Canada.