Best British Columbia Sports Betting Sites & Sportsbooks in 2023
People who want to bet on sports in Canada have been living in hope and expectation since 2018, when it was first mooted that online sports betting on single events would be legalized. The idea gained traction in 2020 when it was announced that a bill – called Bill C-218 – was being pushed through the Canadian legal process in order to end the ban on single gam betting in British Columbia. The bill finally passed into law in August 2021, paving the way for each of Canada’s individual provinces to decide when they were going to allow single event sports betting to become fully legal.
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The "Sign-up offer” promotion will run from 13:00 (CEST) on 21.09.2021 to 05:59 (CEST) on 31.12.2022 (the "Promotional Period"). This offer is not available in conjunction with any other sign-up offer. By taking part in this promotion, you hereby agree to these Specific Promotional Terms and Conditions and to our General Terms and Conditions
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Best British Columbia Sports Betting Promotions
There are no British Columbia Sports Betting Promotions currently available aside from those at PlayNow, and it seems it might be some time before any other betting offers in British Columbia become available. The only way to legally bet on sports in the province currently is via BCLC’s PlayNow site.
However, such is the current drive in the neighboring US to fully legalize all forms of sports betting across multiple states, it should not be too long before the major players in the market of legal North American sports betting, names such DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel and PointsBet, will be allowed to offer their sports betting services in British Columbia.
When that happens, the initial competition for customers is likely to be fierce, meaning there should be plenty of betting offers in British Columbia for punters to take advantage of. Below you will find ‘British Columbia Online Sports Betting Promotions 101’, so you can ready to claim the bonuses you’re entitled to when and if the sports betting market in British Columbia fully opens up.
British Columbia Betting Promo Codes
Promo codes work in exactly the same way as internet discount codes. With a discount code, when you use it at an online bookmakeryou enter it ‘in the box provided’ and something magical will happen to your order – you may receive a discount, or you get free shipping. It’s definitely something beneficial, anyhow.
British Columbia betting promo codes also give you something beneficial – an extra amount of bonus cash or site credit to use at the British Columbia online sports betting site offering the code. You enter the code when making a deposit in order to receive your bonus.
Currently, there are no British Columbia betting promo codes available, but should we find any, check back here if you want to be the first to know.
British Columbia Free Bets
Free bets are not actually free, but they are as close as you are going to get to something free when and if sports betting in British Columbia is fully legalised. First up, you usually have to make a minimum contribution yourself in order to acquire a free bet. For example, to get a $10 you may have to make a $10 bet using your own cash.
Secondly, you can only use your free bet money to make a wager. It can never be withdrawn and what’s more, it will not hang around forever and may time out if you don’t use it quickly enough. Free bets are never returned either – if you use a free bet and it wins, then you will get your winnings, but not the value of your free bet as your stake returned.
British Columbia No Deposit Bonuses
A no deposit bonus is just as it sounds – it’s a bonus that you receive that you do not have to make a deposit for. Complete your sign up at a legal sports betting site in British Columbia offering a no deposit bonus and immediately you are in receipt of some site credit.
This sounds great, but there are conditions attached. For a start, no deposit bonuses are usually very small. They also come with pretty fiendish (but fair) terms and conditions such as a steep turnover (the amount of money needed to release any no deposit bonus funds and winnings). As of yet, no British Columbia no deposit bonuses exist but if we find any, you’ll be the first to learn about it on these very pages.
British Columbia Deposit Bonuses
The most common type of deposit bonus that is likely to one day be offered by legal British Columbia sportsbooks is the deposit bonus. Usually, a sports betting site will match the first deposit you make with them by the same amount in bonus cash or site credit.
You’ll need to make a minimum deposit in order to acquire your bonus, and possible bets too at minimum odds. All deposit bonuses come with terms and conditions and it’s important that you understand them fully before grabbing a bonus so you do not receive any nasty surprises further along down the line.
Playthrough is a thing too when it comes to British Columbia deposit bonuses. If a deal has a playthrough of 5x and you receive $100 in site credit, then you will have to place a total of $500 in bets using your own money before you can cash out your bonus money, and any winnings derived from it.
British Columbia Betting Apps
Currently, the PlayNow site in British Columbia does not have any mobile apps. You can still use the PlayNow site on your phone or tablet, but you will have to use a browser, just as you would if you were using the site on a laptop or a desktop PC.
If and when the full roll out of legal sports betting in British Columbia ever takes place, it is likely that several of the sites will offer dedicated British Columbia betting apps. These are apps that you can download from the Apple App Store, Google Play or from the betting site directly (Android only) so that you can place your sporting bets right from the palm of your hand.
If a sports betting site does not offer an app then do not worry as you will still be able to use it via a browser, just as you can the PlayNow lottery, betting and casino site currently.
So those looking to find the best NHL betting sites can do so with ease on their phones.
British Columbia iOS Sports Betting Apps
If your phone comes with an Apple flavor, then you will need to download any British Columbia betting apps for iOS directly from the Canadian Apple App Store. You can search at the store, or find links offered by the site you are downloading the app for.
British Columbia Android Sports Betting Apps
Android phone users are used to obtaining their apps from all sorts of places. That’s because Google is not so concerned about geographical boundaries as Apple. You may be able to download British Columbia betting apps from Google Play, or from the sites where apps are available.
Payment Methods at British Columbia Betting Sites
There are a number of payment methods that are currently accepted at PlayNow that will be accepted by retail and online sportsbooks in British Columbia should they freely be permitted to operate. Below you will find details about those payment methods, and others that are likely to become available if and when online sports betting becomes fully legal. Once your account has been opened and you have funds in it, you'll be able to place a bet on the leading NBA betting sites in the provence.
- Visa & MasterCard – PlayNow accepts both these payment methods, and online sports books also universally accept them too. Most British Columbia residents will have a Visa or MasterCard in their wallets or handbags.
- Interac – Most people in Canada, including British Columbia, use Interac to make payments online. Not an eWallet, Interac directly links a retailer with a customer’s bank account. In use at PlayNow and will be available at other betting sites. Similar systems include INSTADEBIT, Trustly and iDebit.
- Online Bill Payment – a way that people in Canada manage utility accounts online, Online Bill Payment can be used to transfer funds to PlayNow. It may be the case that this payment system is adopted by other British Columbia betting sites if they come online.
- Web Cash – Several legal lottery agents use Web Cash, including PlayNow in British Columbia. You can purchase deposit cards from retailers and then redeem them online. Could be adopted by online sportsbooks, although the similar Paysafecard is an alternative.
- eWallets – eWallets are online financial accounts that are not bank accounts. Not currently permitted at PlayNow, eWallets such as Skrill, PayPal, MuchBetter and Neteller are popular the world over with countless online sportsbooks.
Is Sports Betting Legal in British Columbia?
The short answer to that is ‘it’s complicated’. Following the passing of Bill C-218 there was nothing to stop individual provinces from rolling out single-event sports betting and allowing operators to open up online sportsbooks. However, the lawmakers of British Columbia have not decided yet how they are going to manage legal sports betting across the province, unlike other Canadian provinces such as Quebec and Alberta.
Sports betting has been legal in British Columbia for a while now, but – again as is commonly found across Canada – only parlay (combo or accumulator) betting was legal, and only at PlayNow. Since C-218, single event sports betting has been available at PlayNow too.
Currently, there are no plans in British Columbia for operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel to offer legal sports betting in the province, but that seems likely to change soon.
What Sports Can I Bet on In British Columbia?
As has been previously mentioned, legal single-event sports betting in British Columbia is only available at the BCLC-run PlayNow lottery, casino and sports betting site.
The list of available sports is as follows: Aussie Rules, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Darts, eSports, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Handball, Hockey, MMA, Motor Racing, Novelty & Specials, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker, Tennis, Volleyball.
Ice hockey betting sites are the most popular in British Columbia, as you might expect. The NBA is also very popular as is soccer, with good coverage of the EPL and the UCL. MLB comes in for coverage too, as do MMA events such as UFC.
How to Sign up at an British Columbia Betting Site
Currently you can only sign up for a PlayNow account, but as signing up for a PlayNow account is practically the same as signing up for any sports betting account, we are going to walk you through the process anyhow.
The first thing to do is head to the site and find the ‘Join’ button. On the screen that appears, enter your name and address, date of birth, email address and phone number. The next step is to choose a username and password, followed by the answers to two security questions.
Step three involves checking a few boxes to make sure you are happy to go along with the rules lain down at the site, and the final step is to choose whether you want email communications from the site.
If all is okay, your account will be set up. If your information could not be verified (such as you not being resident at the address you gave, according to governmental records) then you will have to contact the site via phone.
This process will differ from site to site, but fundamentally it’s the same kind of procedure. Once verification is set up you can search for the best NBA betting sites from the comfort of your own home.
How to Place an Online Bet in British Columbia
To start betting you will need to fund your account after choosing form the best Canada sports betting sites. You are probably tired of us saying it now, but currently single event sports betting is only available at BCLC’s PlayNow site. We’re gonna to outline how to place a bet there, and the process will be the same at legal British Columbia sportsbooks that are not PlayNow too, when they finally arrive in BC.
Once you have logged in to PlayNow (or an alternative site) head to the event that you are interested in. You will need of course also to fund your account, which you can probably do using any of the methods we’ve outlined previously.
When you’ve found your event, find the outcome you want to bet on and click on the odds displayed. This will transfer the outcome to your betting slip. If you want to create a parlay bet in British Columbia, add more outcomes to your slip. Once you have everything in place, choose your stake and click ‘Place Bet’ – once you do this there is no going back as sites will not usually allow you to cancel bets that you have already placed.
You are free to place as many bets as you want, using the same method outlined above, as long as you have the funds to do so.
Top British Columbia Sports Teams
The biggest pro team in British Columbia is of course the Vancouver Canucks. This hockey side began life in the PCHL in 1945, moved to the WHL is 1952 and finally the NHL in 1970. Alas, the Canucks have yet to win the Stanley Cup.
The Utica Comets, who have been around as a franchise since 1932, moved to Abbotsford to also become the Canucks, playing in the AHL.
BC’s top soccer team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, were founded in 2009 (not to be confused with the previous Whitecaps (1974-1984 and 1986-2010) and play in MLS. They are yet to win a Championship. Pacific FC, who are based in Langford, compete in the CPL.
Daily Fantasy Sports in British Columbia
Daily Fantasy Sports sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings are not legal throughout Canada, and that of course includes British Columbia. It seems that there are zero plans to legalize daily fantasy sports in British Columbia currently.
Online Casinos in British Columbia
PlayNow is currently the only online casino available in British Columbia where you can play slots, casino games and live casino games. Most of the games at the PlayNow casino are by IGT, with the live casino games from Evolution. There are no plans to expand casino play in BC beyond PlayNow, and it seems unlikely that expansion will happen any time in the next five years.
Many offshore online casinos are within reach of the people of British Columbia, but such casino are not legal in Canada. If you use an offshore casino as a resident of British Columbia, then you do so at your own risk.
British Columbia Responsible Gambling
As multi-event sports betting has been available in British Columbia for some time, as well as lottery play, BC already has helpful resources in place for people who may suffer from gambling problems.
Gambling Support British Columbia can be reached at 1-888-795-6111 or you can visit their site bcresponsiblegambling.ca in order to request online help. In addition, national gambling help can be found via Gamblers Anonymous, Gambling Therapy and GamTalk.
