Betting on sports in Canada

Sports betting fans of all calibers can enjoy gambling in 2021. With sportsbooks in Canada once again being filled to the prim with sports and markets, there’s a lot to look forward to. As sports bubbles and strict procedures enable the top sports leagues to continue play, we can look forward to continuing to bet on our favorite teams and sports.

List of bookmakers with a loaded sports offering

Given that we all have different sports preferences, it’s good to check the sportsbook offering is before you sign up. In the list below, we have compiled a list of bookmakers covering the most popular Canadian sports.

Canada’s top sports for betting

As we all know, Canada is a country of activity and well-being. As such, all types of sports are played all over Canada. Due to geographical reasons, we have taken a liking to one winter sport, ice hockey. During the warmer months, lacrosse and field Hockey. Then there’s soccer. While soccer was never incredibly popular in North America, it’s taken off in popularity in recent years. Then there’s of course basketball, American football, baseball, cricket, curling, tennis and golf. The list could go on. When it comes to betting, you can find over 20 different sports to bet on at any given time of the year, including the most popular Canadian sports.

NHL ice hockey betting

The first sport in most people’s minds is ice hockey—particularly the National Hockey League (NHL). Ice hockey is the people’s sport in Canada. Most of us enjoy visiting the arena and experiencing the electric atmosphere, and watching the world’s best ice hockey players compete against each other.

Bookmakers like Cbet.gg and Bodog Sports, Canadian bookmakers will fill their sportsbooks with ice hockey betting options at every opportunity. Not just the NHL but regional leagues like the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Ontario Hockey League and of course the top overseas ice hockey leagues; Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Whenever Canada is playing in the Olympics or the world cup, you can find lots of popular betting options, tournaments and unique betting options, particularly for Team Canada.

Lacrosse betting

Lacrosse is a very popular sport in Canada but relatively unknown outside our country, except for our neighbors to the south. In Canada, we know that Lacrosse has been played for more than 500 years. Globally, Lacrosse is not very popular. As such, the sport has a lower profile and coverage. Not all international bookmakers that operate in Canada will have Lacrosse on the menu. You can be sure to find it in Bet365 and a couple of other bookies. Unfortunately, Lacrosse betting usually does not have many betting markets available, but you will be able to bet on the most common markets like Match Winner and line spread like Over/Under and Handicap.

The most popular Lacrosse leagues to bet on is the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The NLL currently has five Canadian teams; Toronto Rock, Calgary Roughnecks, Vancouver Warriors, Halifax Thunderbirds and Saskatchewan Rush. In the last two years Canadian teams have won the NLL title; Saskatchewan Rush and Calgary Roughnecks.

Other popular Lacrosse leagues for betting are; Major League Lacrosse (MLL), NCAA Lacrosse, and Lacrosse World Championships.

Soccer betting

When it comes to betting around the world, nothing beats soccer. As the world’s most popular sport, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of different leagues to bet on, with millions of soccer betting markets available yearly. Thanks to the uplift in coverage of the Major Soccer League (MLS), soccer has seen a surge in popularity in Canada. Three Canadian teams are currently competing in the MLS; Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps. With this newly sparked interest, soccer betting is also one of the Canadian sportsbooks’ most popular betting options. You will be able to find literally hundreds of markets if you visit Cbet.gg or LeoVegas. Both these bookies offer excellent welcome bonuses and a variety of payment methods that accepts Canadian Dollars. You’ll find lucrative odds and live betting and streaming of top leagues.

Outside the MLS, there are, of course, the top internal soccer leagues where the best soccer players compete; English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Champions League and Europa League. When soccer betting on these leagues, you will often find a popular betting feature called Bet Builder. With Bet Builder, you can build your combi bet with markets from the same match. You can try out this feature in Bet365, for example.

NBA Betting

Basketball betting is prevalent in Canada too. Primarily because we have had Canadian teams competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for many years. NBA betting saw a spike in popularity in the 2018/2019 season when the Toronto Raptors, led by Kawhi Leonard, won the NBA championship. Following this surge in popularity, there have been rumors of an additional NBA franchise within the Canadian borders. If you want to bet on the NBA, you can choose any bookmaker, both Cbet.gg and 888sports have a solid offering of NBA both pre-match and in-play. Other than the NBA, there is the National Basketball League of Canada, which regularly has odds available for betting.

Internationally, the most popular leagues for betting are EuroLeague, Eurocup, Spanish ACB, Italy Lega A, Turkey Superligi and the Basketball World Cup, where team USA regularly dominates. A super fun league to bet on is the Philippine PBA; matches always have live streams available, and the gameplay is crazy with loads of points being scored.

NFL and CFL betting

American football is dear to all North Americans. NFL betting is extremely popular in Canada despite that no Canadian teams are competing in the NFL. Contrary to all other top US Sports like Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey – there is no Canadian presence in the NFL. The reason for this is that we have the CFL. CFL does not have the same standard as the NFL, but it’s close enough.

When it comes to betting, NFL has the edge due to its popularity worldwide. NFL betting is in demand in all regions of the world. CFL betting, on the other hand, is only popular in Canada. This does not mean that CFL betting is not available. During the regular season and playoff, you will find CFL odds on all matches. The offering is not as massive as the NFL, but you will find the most popular markets like Moneyline, line spreads for Handicap and Over/Under and many more.

Field Hockey Betting

Field Hockey is the substitute for ice hockey during the warmer spring and summer months. It’s one of the most popular team sports in Canada. Outside of Canada, field hockey is popular but not at all to the same extent as within our borders. For betting, field hockey is available for both men and women in field hockey leagues. However, the availability for Field Hockey betting is relatively low compared to other sports on this page. You will be able to find odds regularly on Pinnacle and Betway.

Summary

Sports in Canada is deeply ingrained in our culture, especially when it comes to ice hockey and the NHL. Sports and betting go together. It’s easy to place bets online through the internet and mobile devices, something that has led to a sports betting boom in Canada. Luckily, there are plenty of trusted websites available. We recommend that you use the bookmakers we recommend to our fellow Canadian punters.