The legal status of sports betting in Canada — including online sports betting — is complex and somewhat confusing. The Canadian government has historically deferred much of the oversight responsibility for gambling to provincial governments. That being said, there are some gambling related laws in Canadian federal code but they’re largely outdated and have little applicability to the digital age. There is momentum at both the federal and provincial level to update and clarify the legal status of online gaming and sports betting but any type of substantive change is likely several years away.

The result of this situation is that online sports betting is widespread and readily available but exists in something of a ‘gray area’. While the United States government has taken an aggressive approach to keeping Americans from betting online—at the behest of the religious right and the land based casino industry—that’s definitely not the case in Canada. Canadians can play at over 1400 online gaming sites worldwide including all of the major European books. Money transfers are also easier though some individual banks or credit cards may have their own corporate policies against gambling related transactions.

The sum total of all of this is that the Canadian betting enthusiast is in a much better situation than his American counterpart. Assuming that they’re not operating an unlicensed online betting establishment there’s no legal risk whatsoever for Canadians. In fact, there’s no legal framework in state or provincial law to prevent citizens of Canada from betting online.

This website will provide Canadians with all of the country specific information they need to bet online. We’ll provide an easy to understand primer on Canadian gaming law, outline the differences between online betting in Canada and the United States and explain the various betting options available including provincial lotteries. Most importantly, we’ll provide objective and informative recommendations on the best places to bet and comprehensive instructions on how to open an account, transfer money and collect winnings.

Hockey is undoubtedly the national sport of Canada. The good news for NHL betting enthusiasts is that the sport has worldwide popularity. As a result, most of the major sports betting websites from all over the world offer extensive hockey betting. You’ll be able to bet on NHL hockey just about everywhere with some websites taking action on the AHL, the Russian based KHL, European hockey and more. The ubiquity of hockey betting worldwide is a great opportunity for the intelligent handicapper as the variety means better odds in the competitive marketplace.

Canadian sports bettors also have countless mobile betting options. No longer do you have to be in front of your computer to place a bet. Virtually every major sports book and casino offers a robust online platform that provides betting from Apple or Android smartphones, iPads, Android Tablets and other connected devices. You can check lines, place bets and even cash out your winnings from anywhere with an Internet connection.

When it comes to online sports betting, Canadians have it good. You can access the best sportsbooks and online casinos in the world, easily transfer money and collect winnings and incur very few hassles relative to many other countries in the world. Our goal is to provide Canadian bettors will all of the news, handicapping insight and betting information that they need to enjoy these options.