With an ever-evolving sporting calendar, Canada has become a sporting hub within the Western world.
Long gone are the days where winter sports dominated in Canada and whilst the undoubted strength of the Canadian National Team lies in sports such as ice hockey and Winter Olympic vocations, they are now excelling across a multitude of sports.
Few countries can compete with Canada when it comes to sporting resources and consequently their performances on the world stage are consistently improving.
Whilst the traditional sports are still as popular as ever for sports punters in Canada, there is a new and emerging sports betting market that is enticing seasoned and rookie punters alike.
So, whether you’re new to betting or a real old gambler, the wealth of betting opportunities in Canada is seemingly endless – making it a great place to try and win some cash. Fantasy sports with bets!
As always when betting however, there are plenty of things to consider when sports betting in Canada:
Utilise the Sportsbook Welcome Offers
Canada is no different to many other countries in their methods of attracting new players as they offer free bet promotions to their customers.
The emergence of the online sports betting industry in Canada has seen the market boom and consequently there are more bookmakers than ever for people to choose from.
When signing up with a particular sportsbook, be sure to use any welcome offers that you can get your hands on.
Popular offers available to bookmakers include promotions like welcome bonus: new players can access funds simply for signing up and creating an account.
Other offers require players to deposit a certain amount of funds before they can receive free bet credits but regardless of which one you opt for, betting for free can have a huge impact on the winning potential for punters.
As mentioned, the emerging sporting markets within Canada have influenced the sports betting habits of punters within the country over the past few years.
Here are some of the most popular sports for Canadian punters to bet on:
Ice Hockey
Despite the emergence of new sporting markets, ice hockey is still the undisputed number one sport in Canada.
The NHL continues to have a strong Canadian presence and the national men’s and women’s ice hockey team are always vying for Olympic and international gongs.
Central to the appeal of ice hockey betting is the huge variety of markets punters can access in every game.
Outright competition markets are a staple of the sports betting scene in Canada whilst correct score, first goal scorer and over/under goal markets are available on every match.
In-play betting has never been easier for ice-hockey fans, with punters able to bet on the action whilst it unfolds and there is a wealth of live streaming ice-hockey options too.
Football/Soccer
As the most popular sport in the world, it perhaps comes as a surprise to see football/soccer’s emergence within the Canadian sports betting market.
Football’s popularity within Europe continues to remain untouched but in Canada and North America it is very much an emerging sport.
In the men’s game, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are all well represented in the MLS whilst the women’s national team continue to compete with distinction in major tournaments.
Domestic football’s popularity continues to grow in Canada whilst the awareness of the footballing landscape the world over has opened up a wealth of betting opportunities for Canadian sports punters.
Building football accumulators continues to be the most popular sports bet in the world and with leagues and fixtures kicking off 24/7, Canadian football betting enthusiasts have never had it better.
Basketball
Whilst Canada has generally lived in the shadow of their neighbours America in the grand pantheon of basketball, it continues to play an important part in the fabric of Canadian society.
The influence of Canadian teams in the NBA continues to be felt – with the Toronto Raptors becoming league winners as recently as 2019.
Recreationally, basketball is played all over Canada in equal measure by both men and women and the popularity of the sport continues to grow.
Punters have plenty of betting opportunities when it comes to basketball betting, with odds offered across a range of markets including winning margin markets and points scored by individual players.
Tennis
Individual sports continue to dominate the betting scene in Canada and tennis seems to bring out the best in Canadian athletes.
Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian female to win a Grand Slam by winning the US Open back in 2019 whilst Milos Raonic, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger Aliassime are flying the flag with aplomb in the men’s game.
Tennis accumulator betting continues to boom in popularity in all of the biggest events and with a 24/7 worldwide calendar, punters truly are spoiled for choice when it comes to tennis betting.
