Best Canadian Betting Sites 2024

Compare Canada's Best Online Sportsbooks

With so many online sportsbooks out there, picking out one that suits you best is easier said than done. Fortunately, the Compare.bet Canada team has made things simple. We’ve scoured the market for the best sports betting sites, considering bonuses, betting markets and mobile compatibility as part of our shortlisting process. Our list features the very best bookies on the market, and you can use our expert reviews to compare what’s on offer at each betting site.

Whether you want to bet on sports on your mobile, make in-play bets or claim an exciting sports betting bonus, we’ve got the site for you. All you need to do is compare the Canada’s top bookmakers and pick out a favourite – it’s as simple as that! If you want to learn more about what sets a top online betting site apart from the rest, we’re here to take you through the ins and outs of how to pick the best sports betting site for you.

What Makes a Top Betting Site?

You’ll probably have your own expectations of what the best betting sites will offer, but here’s a quick rundown of what our experts look for when deciding if an operator makes the cut for our list of top online betting sites.

Licensing

The absolute most important requirement for any betting site is appropriate licensing from a reputable body like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) — any site without a license is a no-go as it’s illegal to operate in Canada without one.

Banking Options

Whether it’s instant banking, e-wallets, prepaid cards, or even more nascent methods like cryptocurrency, a top betting site should offer flexibility to its customers. Quick withdrawals are another plus, and that means the site keeps its processing times minimal while supporting the quickest methods.

Security

Nobody wants to risk their own money at a betting site without the latest security standards. The best sportsbooks in Canada implement top SSL encryption, highly secure payment methods like e-wallets, and water-tight protection of your personal information.

Bonuses

While a competitive bonus is a great way to get you in the door, we also assess ongoing promotions for existing players — that means plenty of regular reload offers, or even player-friendly cashback schemes. We’ll also dig into the T&Cs to ensure a bonus is truly valuable to a player.

Betting Options

At sportsbooks, betting is the main event. That’s why we’ll assess the available markets in-depth, looking for broad sports coverage including the most popular leagues, like CFL, MLB, EPL, NBA, NHL, NFL, and UCL. Variety of bet types is important too, including straight bets, props, futures, parlays, and live or in-play betting. We might also look at a sportsbook’s casino offering where applicable — it’s great to have everything under one account.

Customer Support

When your money is on the line, knowing help is close at hand gives you an extra level of confidence when playing at a top betting site. Round-the-clock customer support is important, offered through a range of channels like email, live chat, telephone, and social media.

Best Sports to Bet On in Canada

You can bet on all the top sports in North America at pretty much all of Canada’s best bookmakers, whether that’s hockey, football, basketball, or popular sports from across the pond like soccer, horse racing, and rugby. However, not every betting site offers markets on more obscure sports. For example, if you want to bet on sports like handball, badminton, or even WWE, you might have to look a bit harder to find a bookmaker that offers them.

Here are some of the top sports and leagues to bet on in Canada:

NBA Basketball

Basketball is absolutely huge in North America, with the NBA league pitting the top teams against each other. There’s plenty to bet on when it comes to the NBA including Canada’s own Toronto Raptors.

NHL Hockey

Without a doubt one of the most popular sports in the country, NHL hockey gives Canadian punters a chance to back their favourite of the 32 teams. There’s plenty to bet on in the 2022 season, with 82 games scheduled in total.

NFL Football

Another massive North American sport with widespread appeal is American football. The 103rd NFL season is set to take place between September 2022 and January 2023, which will see the ​​Los Angeles Rams defend their title.

CFL Football

It comes as no surprise that CFL football is available at many top Canadian sportsbooks. The 2022 regular season is scheduled to run from June to October, with the playoffs beginning on November 6.

Soccer

With an estimated following of 4 billion fans, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. North American leagues you can bet on include Major League Soccer (MLS) or the Canadian Premier League (CPL), but many sites offer markets on contests such as La Liga, the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and, of course, the World Cup.

Esports and Virtual Betting

Betting isn’t only limited to traditional events these days, either — an increasing number of online bookmakers now offer punters the chance to bet on esports, with markets on competitions such as the ESL Pro League for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or the Dota 2 International championship. There are also virtual betting options like virtual horse racing and greyhound racing that you can wager on at any time of day.

Choose From a Range of Sports Betting Markets

​​These days, Canada’s best sports betting sites offer a huge variety of betting markets. However, like with the sports on offer, the exact markets available aren’t the same across all online bookmakers. Of course, every sportsbook offers outright betting markets on individual games and tournaments, as well as accumulator bets, but some top sportsbooks offer more than 150 markets on single events! From spreads and quarter betting to total points and player props, there’s a huge range of choices at the top betting sites.

Many of the best bookmakers even let you build your own bets for sports like football and hockey, where you can select a number of different variables and get the odds that suit you. This is a brilliant feature, but it’s not currently offered by every online bookmaker, so check if it’s available before signing up if you want to use it.

Here are some of the most common types of bet you’ll find at the best Canadian sportsbooks.

Moneyline

A moneyline bet is the simplest wager you can make at a sportsbook, and it’s sometimes referred to as a straight bet or a head-to-head. Essentially, you’re betting on the team or player you think will win the match — there’s no spread and no conditions so it’s a good place to start for new sports bettors.

Point Spread

Point spread is effectively an estimation of the separation between two competitors. When you wager on point spread, you’re betting that a team will win or lose by a certain number of points.

Imagine the Lakers are playing the Knicks, with the point spread displayed like so:

• Los Angeles Lakers -5
• New York Knicks +5

The Lakers are the favourite, ‘giving five’, while the Knicks are the underdog, ‘getting five’. If you bet on the Lakers, they need to win by six points or more for your bet to come good. If you bet on the Knicks, they need to win the match or lose by less than six points for you to win your bet. If the Lakers win by exactly five points, it’s called a ‘push’ and all wagers are refunded.

Totals

Also known as over/under bets, totals are bets placed on the number of goals, points, or runs during a game. The threshold is set by the bookmaker and you can pick whether you think the total will be over or under it. Totals are available on loads of markets, but let’s take a look at a hockey example.

Say the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Edmonton Oilers, and you can bet over or under 6.5 goals. Goals from both teams count, so a final score of 3–4 means 7 goals in total — over bets win. A score of 6–0 is 6 goals total, so bets on under win.

Teasers

Teasers work like a little parlay — that’s where you combine multiple bets together for longer odds with a chance of a larger win. However, a teaser lets you shift the spreads or totals to improve your chances and make the parlay easier to win.

The most common teaser is a two-team teaser consisting of two separate bets, where you can usually move the spread six points for each — for example, a -4 favourite would become a +2 underdog, or a +4 underdog would then become +10. As you’re improving your odds, your payout will of course be reduced, so some punters like to put as many as five or six teams in their teasers.

Bet In-Play as the Action Happens

On top of a wide range of pre-match markets, the best online betting sites put punters into the heart of the action with in-play betting markets. This allows you bet on events as they take place, giving you the chance to take advantage of changes in momentum as matches play out. Not only does this provide a particularly exciting betting experience, but it also gives you the chance to benefit from some enticing odds – if you’re quick enough!

A number of Canada’s best betting sites even let you watch events such as basketball and soccer matches through high definition live streams. The sports and leagues available for live streaming vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, so check what events are on offer to help find the right betting site for you. Keep in mind that you may need to wager on an event in order to access the live stream.

Newly-Launched Bookmakers Offer Something a Bit Different

Bettors are often interested in uncovering top new betting sites to play at. New bookmakers are appealing because they might have as-yet unclaimed bonus offers for customers to enjoy – this is more common if a customer has already claimed a number of welcome offers at alternative sites.

Others might have had a bad experience with a more established bookmaker and be interested in trying something new. After all, new betting sites are competing against industry giants, so they must be keen to impress if they have a chance at building a fanbase.

It’s worth being aware that the best odds available at new sportsbooks might not be up to par with the industry heavyweights – and features like cashout and bet builder may not be available. That’s the trade-off – but many customers think it’s worth it!

Pros and Cons of New Betting Sites

Claim a Generous Welcome Bonus

Pretty much every sports betting site offers a welcome bonus to help you get started. From matched deposits and free bets to cashback offers, these bonuses are a great way of boosting your bankroll, but some are more generous than others. Keep in mind that it’s not all about which bonus is biggest – the terms and conditions are what determine the true value of a bonus. Reading up on terms like win limits, minimum odds, market restrictions and wagering requirements will help you find the bonus that best matches your preferences , so make sure you check the small print. Let’s take a look at the types of bonuses you can claim at the top online sportsbooks:

Boost Your Bankroll with a Sports Betting Promotion

As well as offering generous welcome bonuses, the best online betting sites offer plenty of promotions to existing customers. As well as plentiful free bet offers, promos like enhanced odds give you the chance to win more without having to bet any extra. Some top betting sites also offer parlay boosts, were you get increased winnings if your bet comes in!

You’ll also find promos for big dates on the sporting calendar, such as the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup Finals, at most top betting sites. It’s not always about boosting your bankroll, either – some online bookies even offer promos that give you the chance to win tickets to big sports matches and events!

Of course, just like with welcome bonuses, the promos on offer vary between sportsbooks. While the promos available change at a pretty quick rate, looking at the deals on offer before you sign up can give you a good idea of what to expect in the long run.

Are Mobile Betting Apps Available in Canada?

Mobile sports betting is bigger than ever, and all the top sportsbooks offer mobile compatibility. Whether you’re playing on iOS or Android, the best Canadian sportsbooks adapt to whatever device or browser you use.

However, that doesn’t mean the mobile experience is the same at every sportsbook. As well as mobile-friendly websites, some of the best mobile bookmakers have also developed native betting apps which can be installed on your device for access to all the odds with a few finger taps.

Mobile betting apps make it faster and easier to navigate to your favourite markets, and as they’re developed specifically for your device, they often provide a smoother betting experience. On top of that, mobile betting apps for Android and iOS devices have push notifications to alert you to the latest bonuses and markets, so you’ll never have to worry about missing out on a great deal.

Find the Banking Option that Best Suits You

The best online betting sites offer a range of deposit and withdrawal options, but the accepted banking methods do vary from site to site. For example, while every site accepts credit and debit cards, you may have to be more selective if you’re looking for a bookmaker that accepts Interac deposits. The same goes for other banking methods such as paysafecard and ecoPayz.

Depositing at online betting sites is easy – simply follow these three steps:

As well as considering the accepted deposit and withdrawal methods, you should read up on minimum deposit and withdrawal limits to ensure they match your budget. Don’t forget to check out the payout times as well. These often vary depending on the bookmaker you play at – some of the best sports betting sites even offer fast payouts to e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill.

There’s a wide variety of banking methods on offer at Canadian sportsbooks, each with different pros and cons. Here are some popular options:

• Interac – a popular instant banking option, although withdrawal speeds are slow and small transaction fees apply.
• iDebit – functions like an e-wallet, allowing for quick deposits and fast payouts. iDebit accounts are free but there’s a fee of $1.50 on all transactions.  
• eCheck – an electronic equivalent to physical checks that requires the same banking information to make payments, but no support for withdrawals.
• InstaDebit – a third-party payment intermediary with fast withdrawals and no fees.
• EcoPayz – an e-wallet with fast payouts and no fees.
• AstroPay – a virtual prepaid card with e-wallet functionality.
• Bitcoin – a cryptocurrency that offers immediate transactions.
• Visa and Mastercard – traditional bank cards accepted at nearly every Canadian sportsbook.

Enjoy Exciting Special Features at Top Betting Sites

These days, some of Canada’s best online betting sites offer unique features in a bid to stand out from the crowd. For example, some online bookies offer helpful statistics and betting guides to help you make an educated bet, while others have bet calculators to help you understand your potential returns from more complicated wagers.
Certain sportsbooks even have community platforms where you can discuss your betting with other punters, while other sites have innovative bonuses or flexible cash out policies. Our online sportsbook reviews highlight all these helpful little extras to help you find the best betting site for you.

Benefit From a Helpful Customer Support Service

You may never need to get in contact with your betting site’s customer service team, but there’s always the possibility that you might have a question or need a hand some time. For this reason, it’s a good idea to check the customer support options before signing up. While some of Canada’s best betting sites offer support via phone, email and live chat, others only offer one or two options, so you should make sure the sportsbook offers your preferred contact method.

Canada Sports Betting Legalization

Sports betting has been legal in Canada for quite some time as a parlay option through provincial lotteries, but it wasn’t until 2021 that Canadian law allowed for single-game sports betting through the C-218 amendments to the Criminal Code. Much like the PASPA repeal in the USA, these changes legalized sports betting on a countrywide basis but left power in the hands of individual provinces to dictate the ways online gambling is permitted.

The most recent change saw Ontario fully legalize sports betting on April 4 2022. Online sports betting is currently legal in the following provinces:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec

The remaining provinces do allow sports betting, but only at retail locations.

Signing Up a Sports Betting Site

Now that you know all about what makes a top betting site, you have everything you need to find the perfect site for you. All you need to do is compare the sportsbooks on our list. Want to learn more about the Canada’s best betting sites? Our expert sportsbook reviews have got all you need to know. Whether you’re searching for the best live football betting or the biggest selection of boxing markets, we’ve got you covered. Simply compare, sign up and bet on sports today!

Top 10 Best Licensed Betting Sites for Customers in Canada: