Best Bookmakers in Canada

Viewed as one of the best countries in the world when it comes to standards of living and human interaction, Canada is a model for many. Perhaps it’s exactly that high standard of living that makes over 60% of Canadians participate in different forms of gambling at least every week. The main focus goes to lotteries, but Canadian bookmakers are also chosen by a large number of players.

As for gambling legislation, Canada is what you can call a grey market, as there are different regulatory bodies for each province and territory. Therefore, since the nation’s online betting laws are not preventing international bookies from operating and delivering their services to local bettors; everyone is free to enjoy any online bookmaker he wants.

Best Canadian Bookmakers for 2024

The list below contains the top bookmakers Canada has to offer for 2024. We reviewed their odds & markets on all the major North American sports, as well as the bonuses and promotions they offer to new & existing bettors. We've also tested them in terms of user experience and withdrawal times.

5 Things to Know About Bookmakers in Canada

• 1
  You can bet on any foreign or local bookmaker in Canada as long as you are over 18
• 2
  Canadians who bet on international bookies generate around C$4 billion every year
• 3
  The Kahnawake Gaming Commission issues licenses to online bookies
• 4
  Single-event sports betting is not allowed by local bookmakers
• 5
  There are no fees or taxes applied to your winnings

How Bookies in Canada Operate

According to the country’s Criminal Code, which dates back to 1892, gambling is considered illegal. Nonetheless, this piece of legislation has been amended several times throughout the years in order to tolerate some gambling activities. For instance, in 1910, pari-mutuel gambling was legalized.

Nowadays, the most significant provision of the law is that single-event sports betting is illegal. Gambling, however, is currently considered legal in all its forms when it is regulated by a provincial government. As regards sports betting, it falls into the grey area, primarily due to the fact that Canadian laws are outdated.

More specifically, it is not illegal to bet online; however, the laws around bookmakers state that any online operator which is based in Canada should hold a government-issued gambling license. As a matter of fact, betting falls under the jurisdiction of the country’s provincial governments.

They actually offer sports betting in the form of a program known countrywide as Sport Select. This program consists of several betting games powered by lottery corporations. It is also worth noting that each of the 10 provinces (and 3 territories) has its own gambling authority.

This is responsible for the province’s sports betting games, casinos, lotteries, video lottery terminals (VLTs) and slot machines. Nevertheless, Canada is home to the renowned Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), which issues licenses to online bookmakers and casinos.

Sports Interaction is the leading local online bookie, holding a license issued by the Commission. Except for it, the KGC has also granted licenses to some of the best Canadian sportsbooks have to offer, like 22bet, 20Bet, Bet99 and Spin Sports.

Last but not least, keep in mind that in Canada, bookmakers who are not domestically licensed are technically not considered illegal since the laws do not clearly mention anything about international online operators. Therefore, international bookies manage to operate freely in the country.

What Should Players Know about Bookies in Canada

First and foremost, Canadians can rest assured that no taxes are levied on their online betting winnings. It is also important to highlight the fact that those who choose to place their wagers on the international bookmakers Canada has to offer are not prosecuted by the authorities.

For the record, most local bettors opt for international online bookies that operate in the country since they have optimized their platforms based on Canadians’ needs. More specifically, they offer French and English as standard languages, as well as support agents who speak both of them fluently.

Moreover, they accept Canadian Dollar (CAD) deposits and offer local payments like iDebit, Instadebit and Interac. They also offer a wide range of events on popular North American sports. NHL bookmakers are the norm, but you will also find excellent opportunities for American football, baseball and basketball. Another important fact is that single-event sports betting is finally going to become legal in Canada.

More specifically, in June 2021, the Senate approved Bill C-218, which is going to amend the Criminal Code’s provision around betting on a single game. This means that bettors who like to place their bets on local CA bookmakers will soon be able to do so without having to include on their betting slip at least two games.

How to Deposit on CA Bookmakers

After highlighting the way in which Canadian bookies operate, it is only natural to take a closer look at the most popular payments among local bettors. Instant banking methods that allow secure transactions straight from a player’s bank account, namely iDebit and Instadebit, are by far the most widely used ones.

The same applies to the local mobile payment Interac, which allows instant deposits, fast withdrawals and the possibility to add a debit card to it. Furthermore, e-wallets like MuchBetter, vouchers like Flexepin, credit cards and bank wire are also very popular among Canadian players.

So, international bookies in Canada make sure to cater to their bettors’ needs and offer the aforementioned payment options. If you are not familiar with any of these methods or you are looking for alternatives, feel free to examine our detailed guide for each below:

⏩ Top Interac Betting Sites

⏩ Best iDebit Sportsbooks

⏩ Top Neosurf Betting Sites

⏩ Best Google Pay Bookmakers

Why It's Worth Betting on Canada Bookmakers

The future doesn’t seem very promising in terms of the establishment of new gambling legislation in Canada. Since this is the case, the vast majority of bettors will keep on gambling on international or even American bookmakers.

More specifically, those who bet on international online bookmakers do so from the comfort of their homes, deposit funds to their betting account via their preferred payment method, get higher odds on sporting events and are eligible for great bonuses.

On the contrary, those who opt for sports betting games (i.e. Sports Select) powered by provincial governments at land-based shops are offered fewer betting options and significantly lower odds. So remember that if you’re looking for a bookmaker, Canada is full of decent international operators which are way better than the local ones.