If you thought the only way to get closer to the NFL, NHL, NBA, or CFL action was to increase the size of your HDTV, think again.
Gambling online in Canada offers you way more legal thrills than you probably knew existed. By sports betting online, you can feel like you're smack down in the middle of the field, court, or ice.
But not every online sports betting site is open to Canadians. And not all of the ones that are open make it lucrative to place real money bets in the currency you want. The best sports betting sites for Canadians offer solid bonuses and allow you to deposit in Canadian dollars. Rest assured, we know which ones to choose, so read on to find out how you can join millions of your compatriots at great online sports gambling Canada sites.
The sports betting sites Canada players can choose to play at will offer odds on the favourite and the underdog.
Most Canadian betting sites will show the "moneyline" odds, as with most North American sportsbooks. Effectively, the moneyline odds shows how much you will have to bet to win back C$100.
The Top 5 Sportsbook sites in Canada are as follows:
Betway Sports which was established in 2006 and offers a CAD200 Welcome Bonus apart from a host of other features.
888 Sports was established in 2008 and has a Bonus of CAD 100 with a 24 hour payout system like the one on Betway.
Spin Palace Sports offers a CAD 200 bonus with 24 hour payout system and maximum compatibility.
BetOnline was established in 2004 and offers a whopping CAD 2500 in bonuses although its payout is 48 hours which is double the time of the other sportsbooks.
Finally there’s SportsBetting which also offers a substantial CAD 1000 in Welcome Bonus and a 24 hour payout option.
Understanding Match Odds
For example, betting on Montreal in the Stanley Cup might be priced at -200. That's an odds-on bet where you have to risk C$200 in order to stand a chance of winning back (and making) C$100. A longer shot, say Toronto in the NFL, might be listed at +250. You risk C$100, but stand to win C$250 if your team comes in.
Fractions and Decimals: Overseas betting sites will also list the odds in fractions and decimals. You can usually switch easily between the three. For instance, an even-money shot will be listed as 1/1 on the fractions, and 2.00 on the decimal. You can usually find odds conversion sheets online which will show you the comparisons.
Markets & Bets: Canadian sports bettors will have a host of bets to place. The outright match or game bets can be wagered as singles or "parlays" which group together multiple outcomes in one bet. Placing a wager online is simple: just choose the bets and markets you want to gamble on and add them to your betting slip. Choose your stakes, and hit the Bet button. Now you just have to sweat your NHL, football or basketball results!
Point Spread: Sports like the NBA and NFL open themselves up to 'point spread' bets. These are wagers on one team to win with a handicap (the favourites) or an underdog to win with an advantage. You can see a good example of NHL and NFL spread betting below.
So, how can you maximize your experience online? Here are three top tips:
Shop Around And Open Multiple Accounts: Online sportsbooks differ massively in terms of odds, markets, and offers. It's vital, therefore, to open as many accounts as you can to take advantage. Obviously, keep an eye on all your account log-in details.
Compare Odds In Advance: You don't need to have an account to compare the sites' odds. There are even very good odds comparison sites which compile odds over many sportsbooks on any number of markets. Choose your market carefully and hunt out the value. It's common to find wildly different points spreads at different sportsbooks, and it all depends on how the books are being made.
Claim A Big Bonus: Sportsbooks aren't known for their big welcome bonuses, but it doesn't mean you can't find some decent offers. Sign up and make a deposit and you can a few free bucks to play with. Some sites offer cashback offers, enhanced odds, and refer-a-friend bonuses if you bring a pal on-board.
Make Your Bets Early: Taking early odds can be a good way of stealing a march on the bookies. Ante-post odds change wildly depending on form, injury or unforeseen circumstances. Choose your markets and put some bets on months before an event.
Canada's Best Sports Betting Sites Online
There are all kinds of popular online betting sites Canada gambling fans can get their hands on.
Each top website tries to hook in players in with promises of big betting bonuses and bigger payouts with every win; some even promise payouts on losses.
Before you choose one Canada online sports betting site over another, though, make sure you understand the incentives. Low-juice Internet betting sites offer lower lines than you'd find at the competition.
For example, the industry standard money line is -110, but low-juice sites offer lines of -105. What that means is, instead of having to risk C$110 just for the chance of winning an extra C$100 for yourself, you'd only have to lay down C$105 to win the same amount. However, those sites' underdog odds are usually not as good as the competition.
Other online sports betting sites in Canada include cashback and deposit offers. Remember to check out the Live In-Game Betting markets too. With these markets, you can bet on the action as it happens in real time. Some Canada-friendly sportsbooks will even give you free cash to bet on "in-running" markets.
And if you love your NHL, some Canuck sites have reduced juice on selected hockey matches. To attract players in, the big sites will slash their 20-cent lines to just 10-cent. That number refers to the disparity in the points spread between two teams. NHL fans can also bet The Puck Line and take 1.5 goals for the underdog or give 1.5 to the favourite.
