Legal Ontario Esports Betting Sites in 2023

SNBET has become an authority on legal Ontario sports betting - but esports betting is a subset of this iGaming type that deserves its own bit of analysis.  A solid traditional sports betting site might not offer a very good esports betting experience at all.  Some sportsbooks offer cursory coverage, while others might not cover it at all, as we've seen with some brands that exist in the US. Many esports-first brands simply don't have the sheer scale that is often required to offer competitive esports odds or even a full suite of markets, or ways to bet.

We know esports betting too, and we know which of our recommended legal Ontario sports betting sites also offer a premier esports betting experience.  We haven't just copied over our regular list of top Ontario providers, because in reality, right now, if you are serious about esports, there are really only two Ontario providers you should consider for esports betting: bet365 and Betway. We outline their esports betting offerings and provide some answers to some frequently asked questions.  

SNBET's #1 Ontario Esports Betting Site: bet365

Perhaps if you've had no exposure to European soccer, where the bet365 brand is ubiquitous, you can be excused for not recognising the brand.  If this is you, understand that bet365 is essentially the biggest iGaming and online betting brand in the world, with over 80 million registered players. The brand is known for their world-leading casino and sports betting platforms. That's all well and good, but why is bet365 the best Ontario Esports betting provider? 

When we looked to write this review, bet365 covered over 50 different esports events taking place around the world. While perhaps 10 events had matches in the coming days with a full array of match markets, bet365 was offering event outright winner markets on all 50+ of them - which is incredible coverage that far in advance of events. We found coverage of an unsurpassed array of esports at bet365, including CS:GO, DOTA2, LOL, SCII, VALORANT, R6, Rocket League plus esoccer and ebasketball events and more.

Within the bet365 match coverage of these esports, you will find an extensive array of pre-match and live in-play betting markets (ways to bet).  These go beyond the match winner, to offer markets like totals, handicaps, races or 'first to...' markets and map-based markets. 

Beyond this, know that bet365 offers the fastest and most intuitive betting platform available in Ontario.  So whether you only want to bet on esports, or you want a great esports betting experience to go along with the rest of your sports betting and iGaming, bet365 leads the pack in Ontario.  Find 'Esports' in the main bet365 'Sports' navigation.  Read our overall bet365 Ontario review.

SNBET's #2 Ontario Esports Betting Site: Betway

Betway as an esports betting brand may be familiar to you, as they have been a sponsor of major esports teams like 'Ninjas in Pyjamas' and 'MIBR' (Made in Brazil) for several years. Betway recognized the importance of esports betting to its platform long ago.  Betway takes esports very seriously, so much so that they have structured their site to be very visibly 'speak to' esports fans.  They seem to have a firmly held belief that Esports fans are well and truly separate from 'traditional' sports fans.  As such, you will find that Betway has an 'Esports' heading in its main navigation at the top of their website, though you will also find it in the main A-Z sports navigation.

Betway offers an amazing array of coverage, with every esport you could imagine and essentially all the betting markets you would expect from a top provider for both pre-match and in-play betting.  Events are organised by 'Popular', 'Live Now' and 'All Events'.  'All Events' gives you a proper overview of all the available Betway Esports coverage.  Read our overall Betway Ontario review for a more full idea of their Ontario platform.

'Esports first' Ontario betting sites vs esports betting at traditional sportsbooks

Betting sites that position themselves as 'esports first' tend to be very small companies relative to those that are iGaming & betting leaders.  When you are talking about a small betting company in any manner, esports or otherwise, you usually end up getting lower odds.  Even though they might be esports-first, they won't have the liquidity and risk-management that allows for really competitive odds.  They simply won't have the volume of players for this. 

Smaller companies are also thus more vulnerable to the swings of bookmaking, which can lead to things like canceled bets, or even a company that goes out of business.  In other words, if you play at an esports-first site, in the back of your mind, you may worry if they will be able to stay in business for a long time. 

In the end, being a bookmaker or betting site is a simple service, whether its esports, soccer, basketball or any event.  Being 'esports-first' is really all about marketing to those fans that see themselves as 'esports-first', over other sports.  In the end, you just need to find the best esports betting site for your needs from Ontario.  Bet365 and betway are licensed in Ontario and provide a top-notch esports betting experience alongside the rest of their iGaming types. 

Why would you look to play at an 'esports first' betting site with lower odds across all events, both esports & traditional sports?  Why would you play at a small site that will likely have very low win limits and withdrawal limits compared to the leading iGaming companies with great esports offerings that we list, that are leaders world igaming and esports betting?  Go with the legal Ontario sports betting brands that offer you a better overall experience, not with one that is trying to position itself within your chosen niche.  What does it serve you to be with an 'esports-first brand' ? You will be settling for an inferior experience compared to the above providers.

What esports are covered by these Ontario betting sites?

Essentially all the major esports are covered by these licensed Ontario betting sites, including but not limited to LOL (LoL, or League of Legends), CS:GO (Counter Strike: Global Offensive), DOTA2 (Defense of the Ancients), SCII (Starcraft II), R6 (Rainbow Six), Valorant, Rocket League, FIFA, Brawl Stars among others.

What devices are available for esports betting?

All of our recommended Ontario esports betting sites offer intuitive platforms across all devices, from you mobile, your tablet, or your computer.  If you prefer to use an app from your mobile device, they will all offer this to you, but both offer mobile betting sites also, for a potentially more private experience if you are concerned about data privacy.  A player account with any given company above will work on both their respective website or their mobile app. 

What is the legal age to bet on esports from Ontario?

We know that there are esports enthusiasts of all ages.  However, when it comes to betting on esports (or regular sports) in Ontario, the minimum legal age is 19.

7,000-person esports arena planned for Toronto

Canada is in a group of nations that is leading the way in Esports entertainment. Canada has players in the top echelons of esports competition, both in terms of individual players, and its teams. Canada also has leaders and upstarts in terms of the companies in Esports, and several Canadian cities are home to gaming publisher studios, be they names like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, or others. To top it all off, a company has plans to build a 7,000-person Esports-specifc arena near downtown Toronto. This kind of development will ensure that Toronto and Ontario stay at the forefront of esports events in the decades to come after it has been constructed.