Best Ontario Sports Betting Sites & Sportsbooks in 2023
Legal sports betting online in Ontario was given the green light on April 4th 2022. Legal sports betting has actually been available in Ontario since 1992 via the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp) but only in a very limited fashion (restricted parlay betting only). On April 4th 2022, major betting companies such as 888sport, Unibet and more are allowed to offer their sports betting services to Ontario's 15 million residents for the first time.
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Best Ontario Sports Betting Promotions
Current legislation in Ontario prevents us from displaying the current offers from specific Canada sports betting sites, but there are plenty of different sports betting promotions types that might be available once visiting the sites themselves. Because online gambling will be newly legalized, all the major online sports betting sites in this fledgling arena will be keen for new customers and traditionally in other jurisdictions and geographical areas they will offer new players sign up offers that are worth checking out. With so many well known and respected online sportsbooks about to come online, the choice for the Ontario betting sites and apps is outstanding.
There are likely to be several different types of Ontario sports betting promotions available at Ontario sportsbook operators, and here we outline a few of the most common types that you might come across:
• Deposit Bonus - probably the most common type of online sportsbook offer currently available. If a deposit bonus offered is for 100 percent up to $100, then anything you deposit below that $100 cap will be matched with the same amount of bonus money. This is money you can wager with but can’t withdraw. It is not paid to you as part of a winning bet, and wagering conditions (minimum odds, playthrough) may apply as well so ensure you read through the terms and conditions.
• No Deposit Bonus - the same as a deposit bonus except you do not have to make a deposit in order to receive it.
• Free Bet - this is similar to a deposit bonus. A typical offer would be 'place a $10 bet, get a $10 bet,' so, if you bet $10 of your own money, you will get a $10 free bet. Free bets are not returned as your stake when you use them; they usually have minimum odds restrictions but wagering conditions do not typically apply.
• No-Risk or Risk-Free Bet - identical to a free bet except for one essential difference - you only get your risk-free bet if your qualifying bet loses. If your qualifying bets wins, it's no free bet. The terms of a risk-free bet are usually identical to free bets.
• Odds boost - an offer where you get better odds on a single game sports betting opportunity than a normal sports bettor. This sounds like a fantastic deal, but it comes with one important caveat - any money you win over the normal price is usually paid as bonus cash as opposed to real, withdrawable money.
• VIP or Loyalty programs - these programs are designed to reward regular site users. The more activity you have with the betting site or app, the better the benefits you receive.
Ontario Betting Sportsbook Referral Codes
A sportsbook sign up referral code is the same as a voucher code or discount code. When you make a deposit at an Ontario sports betting site that accept such codes, you will need to enter the code in order to claim anything you are entitled to that's associated with the code. Ontario betting referral codes will vary across a large number of newly licensed operators in the province of Ontario and based on what the major betting operators and sites usually provide in other locations they are highly sought after. Bookmakers.com regularly updates its Ontario betting sites page, so be sure to continue checking back to get the latest operators as they come online and enter the Ontario market for sportsbooks and sports betting online.
Ontario Sports Betting Apps
For the ultimate in convenience, we recommend using the best Ontario sports betting apps. Such apps are easy to use and can be used on your phone or tablet. You do not need a desktop PC or a laptop in order to place your bets or use any sports betting Ontario site. Just fire up the betting app on your device, get researching and place those (hopefully) winning bets.
The majority of sports betting sites in Ontario do now host sports betting apps. If a site does not offer Ontario betting apps for iOS and Android, you should still easily be able to access NFL betting sites or NBA betting sites using mobile-optimized sites on your web browser.
Popular Payment Methods at Ontario Betting Sites
Payment methods at top Ontario betting sites are a little limited currently. As more betting sites Ontario residents can use come online, the number of payment methods is likely to expand. Here, though, are the most popular payment methods that are available.
• Visa & Mastercard - this the most common way of making payments and receiving withdrawals from online betting sites in Ontario. Register your card online and make payments over the internet as you would at any internet-based retailer. It’s ideal for withdrawals too.
• Interac - most people in Canada will be familiar with Interac. Not an e-wallet as such, Interac is a service that links a customer's bank account to an online retailer. You should be able to make transfers using Interac at most top Ontario betting sites. INSTADEBIT and iDEAL offer similar functions.
• e-wallets - e-wallets allow customers to securely transfer money. EcoPayz is one commonly accepted e-wallet in Ontario, with MuchBetter another.
• e-vouchers - e-vouchers are typically codes you purchase at real-world retailers that you can then use online. Not suitable for withdrawals, the two biggest e-voucher schemes in Ontario are Paysafecard and Neosurf.
• e-checks - people have been using checks for decades. E-checks are the online-only version of paper-based checks and are available at a number of Ontario sportsbooks.
• Cryptocurrencies - We are not aware of any Ontario sportsbooks that accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, but that may change in the future.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Ontario?
Sports betting in Ontario became fully legal on April 4th 2022. Limited sports betting had previously been available in Ontario but only via the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.
Sports betting is now completely legal in Ontario at licensed sports betting sites in the province. Sports betting at so-called 'offshore betting sites' remains illegal. To keep yourself safe, you should only ever bet at properly legalized sports betting sites in Ontario.
What Sports Can I Bet on in Ontario?
There are many different sports that will be available for people to wager on at the best Ontario sports betting sites. Ontario sportsbooks will of course concentrate on the leading North American leagues - the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS and CFL - but any sport both in North America and in almost any country in the world should be available for you to bet on. These will include some of the best soccer betting sites, betting sites for horse racing and golf betting sites.
How to Sign Up at an Ontario Betting Site
Completing your sign up at an Ontario online bookmaker is not complicated at all. You can find the best sportsbook options for you at Bookmakers.com and click through to them on any links in this article. From there, you will be led to the legal sports betting site of your choice and find the 'sign up' button. Click that to begin the registration process. You will need to fill in your personal information, including your phone number and email address.
You will need to verify your account, usually by clicking on a button in a confirmation email. In addition, you will need to produce evidence that you are a resident of Ontario, and therefore an eligible sports bettor in the province. This may be photographic ID such as a driver's license, or some other kind of government-issued ID.
How to Place an Online Bet in Ontario
Once you have opened a sports betting account in Ontario, it is time to place your first bet. Head to your chosen sports betting Ontario site and look for an event that you are interested in armed with any of the brilliant betting offers you have signed up with.
When you know what you want to bet on, click on the odds of that event happening. This will transfer the bet to your bet slip. You can add other events to your slip to create parlay bets.
The next step is to set your stake. Naturally, to bet with real money you must have added real money to your account. Choose your stake, hit the 'place bet' button and hope that your placed bet is a winning one.
Top Ontario Sports Teams
Naturally, Ontario has a number of excellent sports teams that compete in the leading North American sports leagues. You are free to bet on them using the best MLB betting sites or NHL betting sites but remember you can also wager on any team or sport of your choice using your sportsbook app. Here is a list of the leading Canadian sports teams.
Toronto Maple Leafs - the Maple Leafs compete in the NHL. They were formed in 1917 and have won 13 Stanley Cups, but the last one was over half a century ago! Place a bet at the best NHL betting sites if you think that's about to change!
Ottawa Senators - also an NHL side, the Senators have only been around since 1992, and have yet to win a single Stanley Cup and have only one appearance in the Stanley Cup in their history when losing to the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
Toronto Raptors - the Raptors (formed in 1995) are Ontario's only NBA franchise. Ontario has five other pro basketball teams, but they compete in the EBL in Canada. The Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship as recently as 2019 and are usually in the thick of playoff action, so a bet on them at the best NBA betting sites could be a winner.
Toronto Blue Jays - the Blue Jays are now Canada's sole baseball team (since the Expos moved to Washington). They entered the MLB in 1977, winning the World Series in 1992 and 1993. In 2020, they moved to Buffalo because of COVID-19 restrictions but returned home in 2021. The Blue Jays are always a decent shout at the best MLB betting sites.
Ontario currently does not have a Canadian football team you can bet on at the best NFL betting sites, but the city of Toronto has attempted several times to persuade the Buffalo Bills to move to Toronto, so that could change one day soon!
Daily Fantasy Sports in Ontario
Daily Fantasy Sports are money-based competitions between fans who select fantasy sports teams made up of players from different teams to go head-to-head with each other, based on each players' performance on that day. There are several DFS sites - such as DraftKings and FanDuel - that offer sports betting in Ontario, but DFS is not available as it is not currently legal in the province.
Online Casinos in Ontario
Online casino games have not yet been made legal in Ontario, aside from one exception - the OLG. If you want to play slots and any other casino game in Ontario, the OLG is your only legal source. Currently, there are no plans to roll out the legalization of online casino games in Ontario, as has happened with legalized sports betting.
Ontario Responsible Gambling
Obviously, these are new times for gambling in Ontario, with the legalization of sports betting across the province in 2022. It is important that both Ontario users and the betting sites themselves take their responsibilities towards responsible gambling seriously. For the sports bettors, that responsibility is a personal one, but for the sites it is important that they provide tools so that their users can successfully manage their gambling and links to important resources to help those who struggle with their gambling.
Gambling help can be provided for people in Ontario by ConnexOntario. This organization can be contacted at 1-866-531-2600.
