Canadian Online Sportsbooks
In Canada, sports betting has been legal since 1984. However, compared to the manner in which those in the US gamble, some would hardly call it gambling, and more refer to it as a “lottery”.
While it is legal to wager bets in Canada, they must be in parlay form, as dictated by the Canadian provincial government. Nationally known as “Sports Select”, the law governs that there are three different ways in which citizens can partake in sports betting.
All of which follow the parlay style format – meaning, that you have to select multiple games on one ticket.
While options are limited, things are getting better for Canada’s sports betting options and now Canadians can bet on major American national sports, English Premier Soccer, and even NCAA college sports.
Options Given Under the Sports Select Laws
Technically, according to the Criminal Code of Canada, placing a single wager on sports is illegal, but placing multiple wagers is not. Do not ask me to explain this logic, this is simply how it is, and this is why all the ways in which you can bet on sports in Canada must be done in the parlay style. We lay out the three major options available below.
Pro-Line Betting
Going by different names in different provinces in Canada, sports betting through Pro-Line is a type of betting system that Americans would know as “moneylines”. There is no point spread in these types of bets, and the odds are stacked highly in favor of the “house”, in this case the Canadian government. In this style of betting, you would place wagers on as little as two, and up to as many as six matches. These are fixed odds bets, and as in usual parlay fashion, in order to make a profit from your wager, all bets made must be winners.
Point Spread Betting
Depending on the province in which one resides in Canada, sports betting will allow you to parlay between two and twelve teams and play them against the point spread. The payouts to be expected vary by province, but the point spread style of betting is much more similar to the types of bets placed by American bettors.
Over/Under Betting
This is a very basic form of sports betting whereby you simply determine whether you think the scores will exceed or go below the expected and posted total. Known by different names in different provinces, the number of teams allowed to be chosen (between 2 and 12) and the level of payout for winning bets, depends on the province in which on resides.
Online Canada Sports Betting Options
Many are unsatisfied with the government’s current parlay-only options and wish to choose sites that abide by the law, but have odds that are much more favorable to success than those such as Pro-Line betting. Bodog, a popular offshore sports betting site, proudly serving American sports bettors for over 15 years, now offers a Canadian-friendly version of their service, which many find far preferable to the Pro-Line offerings.
With the options of better betting odds, same day cash outs, and the ability to transfer money directly from your bank account, these solutions are meeting many sports bettors needs perfectly.