Sports betting in Canada

Is sports betting legal in Canada?

Yes. Until 2021, Canadian law only allowed provinces to offer parlay-style betting, where you had to combine several games in one bet. The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (Bill C-218) changed that. According to LEGISinfo, the bill received royal assent on 29 June 2021, and the Department of Justice announced that the changes would come into force on 27 August 2021.

The Act amended the Criminal Code so that provinces and territories can conduct and manage betting on a single sport event, other than horse racing, which stays under federal rules. The text of the Act is short and worth a look.

In practice, that means sports betting in Canada is organised province by province. Most provinces offer it through their own lottery corporation. Ontario went further and opened a regulated market in which private operators can register: iGaming Ontario manages that market, and the AGCO regulates it. Our Ontario guide explains how the two fit together.

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Bet types explained

Moneyline. A bet on who wins. Favourites pay less; underdogs pay more.

Point spread (puck line, run line). The favourite must win by more than a set margin, or the underdog must lose by less than it, for the bet to win. Spreads make uneven games closer to an even bet.

Totals (over/under). A bet on whether the combined score is above or below a line set by the sportsbook.

Parlays. Two or more selections combined. Every leg must win. The payout grows with each leg, and so does the chance of losing.

Props. Bets on events within a game, such as whether a player scores. Rules on how props settle can be detailed, so read them.

Futures. Bets on outcomes decided later, such as a season champion. Your money is tied up until the result.

Live (in-play) betting. Betting while the game is on, with odds that change as it unfolds. It is fast, which makes limits more important.

Odds formats

Decimal odds show your total return per unit staked, including your stake. Multiply your stake by the odds to see what a winning bet returns.

American odds are common at North American sportsbooks. A positive number shows what you win on a standard stake; a negative number shows what you must stake to win that standard amount.

Fractional odds, common in the UK, show profit relative to stake. All three formats describe the same price, and most sportsbooks let you switch between them in the settings. Whatever the format, the sportsbook's prices include its margin.

How a sportsbook makes money

A sportsbook does not need to know who will win. It sets prices so that, across all the bets on both sides of an event, the total it pays out is less than the total it takes in. The difference is its margin, sometimes called the vig or juice. You can see it by converting the odds on both sides of a two-way market into implied chances: they add up to more than a hundred per cent, and the excess is the margin.

That margin is why most bettors lose over time, even ones who know a sport well. Knowledge helps you avoid bad bets; it does not remove the margin. Treat betting as entertainment you pay for, not as income.

Bankroll basics

A bankroll is the money you have set aside for betting and can afford to lose. Decide it before a season or a month starts, and keep it separate from money for bills. Keep each bet small relative to the bankroll, so one bad weekend does not wipe it out. Do not top it up mid-period because of a losing run. And keep a simple record of your bets; most people who do find they bet more, and win less, than they thought.

Live betting and cash-out

Live betting lets you bet while a game is on. Odds move quickly, bets are accepted or rejected in seconds, and it is easy to place many more bets than you would before a game. Cash-out, where offered, lets you settle a bet early for an amount the sportsbook sets. It can lock in part of a win or limit a loss, but the price includes the sportsbook's margin, so it is rarely the best value. Read how each works on the site before you use it.

Ontario vs the rest of Canada

Betting responsibly

Sports betting can feel like skill, and knowing a sport well does help you understand a bet. It does not remove the sportsbook's margin, and it does not make any result certain. Set a budget for the week or the season, keep bets small relative to it, and do not chase a losing weekend with bigger bets. In-play betting is especially quick; if you use it, set a deposit limit first.

If betting stops being fun, talk to someone. Our responsible gambling guide lists free support in every province, including ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600.

More reading: all guides for Canadian players.