How to Play at legal Sports Betting Sites in Canada

Putting a wager on a sports game is no big deal in several countries across the globe. In such countries, sports betting is usually legal as long as you are over a certain age.

However, this is not the case in Canada. As per the laws in effect in Canada, some forms of online sports betting are prohibited and the government itself offers some state-run platforms where people can legally place bets on sports.

Apart from the sportsbooks regulated by the provincial government itself, sports betting is outlawed in Canada. While residents can play legal bets in most provinces that have their own government run and regulated sportsbooks, the problem is that these sportsbooks pale in comparison to the private sportsbooks offered across the world which are supposedly illegal in Canada.

Not only are the choices in these provincial government sports betting platforms limited, but even the margins are wider than average which essentially translates to the fact that it lacks bang for buck. Furthermore, these government sportsbooks also do not accept single bets, you can only choose parlays with two or more selections which further limits the choice for Canadians.

Even though this may not seem like a big deal to those who aren’t familiar with sports betting, it actually makes a substantial difference and can really hamper your game and ability to make some good money by betting. Considering these restrictions, it is no wonder that Canadians are pushing for legalization of online sports betting and online sports books. However, at the moment, Canadian punters only have one good option and that is to play at offshore casinos or sportsbooks.

Is it legal to take part in real money gambling on offshore casinos & sportsbooks?

As per the letter of the law, it has been stated that it is illegal for someone within Canada to be found within an illegal betting house. However, given that these casinos and sportsbooks are not technically in Canada and are hosted offshores, legal experts will be able to argue that they are not illegal as they do not even come under the Canadian jurisdiction.

There are plenty of such online casinos and online sportsbooks which are perfectly legal within their own countries and they are more than willing to accept players from all around the world, Canada included. So if you happen to be Canadian and wanting a good solution for online sports betting, such Casinos may be your best bet at this time.

It is important to note that the single-game sports wagering bill C-221 was rejected by the House of Commons in September 2016. The bill was struck down 150 to 133 after the Liberal Party opposed it.

Betting laws in Canada – making offshore deposits

Technically speaking, it is legal for Canadian players to play on online casinos which are hosted or have their servers offshore. However, there may be issues making deposits to these offshore casinos. While most casinos now offer a wide range of deposit methods, a lot of the popular deposits methods may not work when you try to make a deposit transaction from Canada. The reason for this is that most Canadian banks will recognize the merchant that you are making the deposit to as being a gambling house and will not authorize the transaction. This is especially true if you are trying to make deposits using credit or debit cards.

If you don’t have any other option to make deposits other than a credit or debit card, then what you could do is use an intermediary service. This is when you use your credit or debit card and make a deposit into a third party website and the transfer the funds from the third party service to the casino that you would like to make the deposit at.

Another work around for when deposit transactions get declined is to use e – wallets. There are several e–wallets such as NetEller, PayPal, Skrill, etc. An e – wallet is similar to an intermediary service in this case. You will first fund your e – wallet and then use your e – wallet as a deposit method in the offshore casino that you want to play at. Many casinos support the Canadian friendly InstaDebit as well.

Having a cryptocurrency wallet can also be useful in such situations and you will not have any issue making deposits using BitCoin or some other cryptocurrency coin as long as the casino accepts that mode of payment.

Are off shore gambling sites safe?

The answer to this question cannot be a straightforward yes or no. The fact of the matter is that there are many well reputed gambling sites around the world, but at the same time, there are also malicious, blacklisted off shore websites. Whichever casino or sportsbook you choose to play with, you should of course do a background check about them. Reading reviews in third party websites, contacting their customer support, reading all the terms and conditions are some of the things you can do to ensure that the casino is legitimate. Further, any casino which is legitimate will have been licensed by a recognized gambling authority and they usually have their license number published at the bottom of their home page in the website.

Conclusion

Even though there are certain state run sportsbooks in Canada where you can bet real money on sports, these are usually lacking in variety and features. The Canadian law states that being found in an illegal betting house is a crime, however, offshore sportsbooks and casinos are technically not illegal since they are not governed by Canadian law, and so it is safe to play in such sites. You may face some issues while making deposits to such offshore websites using traditional deposit methods such as credit and debit cards, however, you can overcome this problem using e- wallets, cryptocurrency and other options. It is important to make sure that the offshore casino that you choose to play with is licensed, legitimate and fair.

Legality of online sports betting in Canada is certainly a gray area, but there has never been a single prosecution in Canada which has led to a conviction when it comes to playing on offshore casinos and sportsbooks. Therefore, offshore casinos and sportsbooks are the best option for Canadian sports punters at this point.