Where is Online Sports Betting Legal in Canada in 2022?
Canada lifted the federal ban on single-game sports betting in Canada on Aug. 27, 2021. Although Canadians have been legally betting on sports since 1985, the expansion to single-game betting will take betting in the country to the next level.
Before August 27, Canada only allowed parlay bets and pari-mutuel gambling. Additionally, these bets are exclusively available via the individual lottery systems of each province. This is why Canadians have been exploring more convenient online options and spent approximately $14 billion yearly on offshore gambling websites.
The decrease in sports betting revenue was the main reason for the legalization of single-game bets in Canada. Furthermore, legalizing sports betting on the southern border has driven many critics to change their minds.
However, it is still uncertain how the majority of Canadian provinces will regulate the new form of betting. Nevertheless, bettors will have more options than parlay bets.
Seven provinces introduced single-game online betting right away: British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Quebec. Coming right after was Alberta, while Yukon, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories legalized single-game betting at retail locations in November 2021.
The C-218 bill enabled every province to regulate sports betting in their own way. It’s up to provincial governments to select who to authorize for sports betting, as well as the types of allowed bets.