SportNation Bet Canada - SNBET.ca - has one goal: to explain the often confusing
online sports betting landscape for Canadians and advise them about the most reputable
online sportsbooks for Canada so that they may avoid the scams and bad information
found across the Internet.
Why is it confusing? The USA is opening up online betting on a state-by-state basis.
With this, many US brands are now visible through advertising during NFL, MLB, NHL
and NBA telecasts. In most cases, these US-facing brands are not available to Canadian
players.
Furthermore, for those that enjoy English or German soccer, many UK and European
betting brands are advertised on uniforms or on pitchside LED boards. Some of these
brands are open to Canadians, but some are not. Of those companies that are open
to Canadian players, oftentimes CAD sportsbook accounts are not available, meaning
that Canadian players would need to pay hidden exchange fees to play in USD, Euros
or another currency.
Lastly, online sports betting review resources can often espouse self-serving information
which runs counter to genuinely sound consumer analysis and recommendations for prospective
Canadian bettors. We expose some of the really bad information that is used by sportsbook
affiliate marketers to deceive and refer new Canadian players for their own enrichment.
We discuss how to avoid sports betting scams & bad information on our page about
CAD betting.
All-in-all, this adds up to what can be a confusing situation for the Canadian online
sports bettor. It is our goal to clarify the situation with regard to all of the
above, provide a highly-refined list of the best betting sites for Canada, so that
Canadians may bet on single-events and get access to more competitive odds than the
provincial sports lottery games - this includes one fully Canadian operator. How
is that possible if people keep talking about how single-event sports betting continues
to be illegal in Canada? We explain below.
Sports Interaction screen
Is there an online sportsbook that Canadian players can play at that is reputable
and trustworthy? Might there be a Canadian online sports betting operator?
Yes, there is one online sports betting operator that is essentially within Canada,
but is fully allowed to operate outside of Canadian laws - it’s called Sports Interaction
(SIA).
How is this possible? Sports Interaction was established in 1997 and operates from
the sovereign Mohawk lands of Kahnawake, which is southwest of Montreal. In other
words Sports Interaction - which only serves Canadian customers - is allowed to accept
customers from Canada, process CAD deposits and withdrawals, but more important -
they are allowed to accept single-event bets as they may operate outside of Canadian
laws on their sovereign land. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has become one of the
most important egaming jurisdictions in the world, regulating many top international
gambling brands.
To keep the long story short, Sports Interaction is the online sportsbook that essentially
allows your entire sports betting experience to occur within Canada. So for those
that want to bet on sports online including single-events and get better odds than
the provincial lottery sports games, but are worried about risking their money on
brands they might not quite trust, Sports Interaction is the ideal option.
Furthermore, all profits are returned to a First Nations company and jurisdiction
for community investment and betterment, rather than to an offshore sportsbook company
regulated in Europe or the Caribbean. When we evaluate all of the above points,
you can understand why SNBET has ranked Sports Interaction as its number one recommended
betting site for players in Canada.
Is online sports betting illegal in Canada?
SNBET is not a law firm. With that said, the answer is that as of 2020, no operator
may accept single-event bets within Canada as outlined in section 207 (4)(b) of the
Canadian Criminal Code. This is why all government-run sports lottery games like
Pro-Line and SportSelect all mandate parlay bets, or bets where a win requires several
correct event results to win a bet. While there have been attempts to revoke or
amend this law, at this point the acceptance of single-event bets is still illegal.
This is how the so-called ‘offshore’ sportsbooks are able to serve the Canadian marketplace.
These regulated betting sites accept single-event bets and offer higher odds than
the provincial sports lottery games, all from outside of Canada. So although the
bettor might reside in Canada, the acceptance of the online bet happens outside Canadian
jurisdiction. Since the legal authorities in Canada have no jurisdiction over these
‘offshore’ providers and they cannot be prosecuted, their customers - the Canadian
bettors are also safe from any legal consequences. If the operator cannot be prosecuted,
neither may the customer.
OK - so unfettered online sports betting might not be legal within Canada from an
operator perspective, but this strange grey zone means that players may take part
if they wish through unofficial channels. The Canadian Gaming Association estimates
that $4 billion per year leaves Canada through online offshore providers, and another
$10 billion through black market bookies. That’s $14 billion gone from Canada -
nothing taxed, nothing licensed for the greater good of Canadian society. Most
of this shift to the off-shore and black market options can be attributed to the
lack of competitive odds and single-event betting options within the ‘legal’ Canadian
gaming industry. This may lead some to the following questions.
Are there any drawbacks in playing at Sports Interaction as a Canadian bettor?
Compared to other providers, not really, no. The other providers that we list are
reputable and well-established alternatives. Betsafe, 10Bet, Betway and ComeOn!
all tend to offer odds that are a little higher than SIA on average across sports
and betting markets. They also have larger new customer bonus offers. You simply
need to weigh up these aspects of their offerings against the fact that Sports Interaction
is fully Canadian and your money gets to stay at home in Canada with them. The choice
is yours - all listed companies offer CAD accounts and banking methods. Have a look
at the various screen images below to see if they influence your preference. All
mobile site versions are highly intuitive and have similar colour schemes compared
to the desktop/laptop schemes as shown below.
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The real story about online sports betting in Canada: top sites, laws, scams & news
SNBET Top Betting Sites for Canada
*Terms & conditions apply.
All listed sites accept Interac. Each site also offers a mix of CAD payment methods
including e-wallets, bank debit & prepaid solutions like those outlined at left.
Compare respective bonus terms.
Sports Interaction is located & run within Canada
