How to Bet on Sports in Canada: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

This guide explains, step by step, how to register with a sportsbook (also called a bookmaker), make a deposit, bet on a game, withdraw your winnings and submit your identity documents. It also explains how to check which sites are legal in your province.

You will also find a few ways to get more enjoyment out of sports betting.

What You Will Learn

• Getting started with a sportsbook follows four steps: register, deposit, bet and withdraw.
• You need three things to begin: a smartphone, a payment method and identity documents.

This article takes about 9 minutes to read.

What You Need to Get Started with a Sportsbook

To get started with a sportsbook, you need the following three things.

• A smartphone, computer or tablet
• A payment method for deposits and withdrawals
• Documents for identity verification

First, you need a device with internet access, since sportsbooks operate online. If you are reading this page on your own smartphone or computer, you already have what you need.

You also need a way to move money into and out of your account, such as Interac e-Transfer, a debit or credit card, a bank transfer or an e-wallet. Fees and processing times vary by method.

Finally, many sportsbooks verify your identity before your first withdrawal, so you should have the documents ready. Requirements vary by sportsbook, but having all three ready before you move on to the next step will make the process smoother.

Check Which Sites Are Legal in Your Province

Gambling in Canada is regulated province by province, so the sites you can use depend on where you live. Single-event sports betting has been legal since August 2021, when the Criminal Code was amended, and each province decides how it is offered. In Ontario, private operators registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) offer sports betting through iGaming Ontario’s regulated market, alongside OLG. In Alberta, registered private operators have been able to offer sports betting since July 13, 2026, and PlayAlberta remains the government site. British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba use PlayNow, Quebec has Loto-Québec’s Mise-o-jeu, and Atlantic Lottery runs the regulated site in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Sites outside these provincial systems are not regulated by the provinces. The minimum age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 in the other provinces and the territories.

Register with a Sportsbook

To bet on sports, you first need to open an account with a sportsbook.

Signing up is much the same as creating an account on an online shopping site, and if you have done that before, it takes only a few minutes. The registration steps are as follows.

1. Go to the website of a sportsbook that is legal in your province
2. Enter the required information, such as your email address, home address, full name and phone number
3. Tap the confirmation link sent to the email address you entered

Make a Deposit

Once your registration is complete, the next step is to make a deposit. The deposit process is much the same on every site.

1. Tap the “Deposit” button on the home page or on your wallet page
2. Choose a payment method
3. Enter the deposit amount and your payment service login details or account number
4. Tap the “Deposit” or “Confirm” button
5. The deposit is complete once the funds appear in your wallet balance

Payment methods vary by sportsbook, but options usually include Interac e-Transfer, bank transfers, debit and credit cards and e-wallets.

Interac e-Transfer and debit cards are convenient if you want to pay directly from your bank account. A credit card lets you start right away, but credit cards often cannot be used for withdrawals, so you will need another method for those. A bank transfer works well if you want to use one method for both deposits and withdrawals, and an e-wallet is a good option if you want to keep fees down.

How Much Money Do You Need to Start with a Sportsbook?

If you are betting for fun, you do not need a large amount of money. You might bet on the team you cheer for, or on an unfamiliar sport, and simply enjoy watching the game. As a guideline, a first deposit of around C$30–50 is a good place to start.

If you want to keep playing over a longer period, though, a larger bankroll helps. Your balance rises and falls with each game, and a few losses in a row can use up your funds. With around $100, it is easier to keep betting through a losing streak. In either case, deposit only an amount you can afford to lose.

How to Bet on Sports: From Choosing a Game to Placing a Bet

Once you have made a deposit, you can place your first bet on a sporting event.

The selection depends on the sportsbook, but dozens of sports are usually available, including hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis and esports. You can bet on a wide range of competitions, from the NHL and the CFL to the Premier League, Major League Baseball and the US Open, as well as on Canadian teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors. During major international events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, you can bet on those games as well.

1. Choose a sport
2. Choose the game you want to bet on
3. Choose a bet type
4. Enter your stake
5. Tap the “Place Bet” button to finish

Sportsbooks offer many bet types, such as point spreads (handicaps) and over/under (totals) bets. For first-time bettors, the easiest to understand is the moneyline, in which you simply pick the winner; soccer and other sports with draws use a three-way moneyline (1X2) with a home win, a draw and an away win. Betting on the team you cheer for also makes watching the game more exciting.

What Are Sportsbook Odds?

If you have bet on horse racing, the idea of odds may already be familiar. A sportsbook sets a price for each outcome, called the odds. The odds show how much a winning bet pays, and they are set lower for outcomes that are considered more likely. A winning bet returns your stake multiplied by the odds, so the less likely a bet is thought to win, the higher its odds and the larger its payout. In Canada and the US, the same price is also often shown as American odds; for example, decimal odds of 5.00 are +400.

Sports betting odds are set in advance by the sportsbook and then move in response to betting activity. The odds a sportsbook offers also have the sportsbook’s cut, called the margin (also called the vig), built in. The inverses of the odds for all possible outcomes add up to slightly more than 100%. The inverse of that total is the payout percentage (the share of all stakes paid back to bettors), and 100% minus the payout percentage is the margin. As with any form of gambling, betting at random will therefore lose money over the long run.

The main difference from pari-mutuel betting is that the odds are fixed the moment you place your bet.

In pari-mutuel betting, as used in horse racing, the odds change with the amounts bet by all bettors and become final only when betting closes. At Canadian racetracks, the takeout deducted from the pool is roughly 12–19% on win bets and higher on exotic bets. At a sportsbook, your bet is settled at the odds available when you place it, so even if the odds move afterward, the payout on your bet does not change. Being able to choose when to bet and which odds to take is a defining feature of sportsbooks. Fixed odds do not, however, give you an edge in themselves.

Make a Withdrawal

Once you have won money betting on sports, the last step is to withdraw it from the sportsbook to your bank account or another payment method. As with deposits, the process is broadly the same on every site.

1. Tap the “Withdraw” or “Withdrawal” button on the home page or on your wallet page
2. Choose a withdrawal method
3. Enter the withdrawal amount
4. Tap the “Withdraw” or “Request Withdrawal” button
5. The withdrawal is complete once you receive a confirmation email from your payment service

You cannot choose any withdrawal method you like. As a rule, you must withdraw using the same method you used to deposit; using different methods for deposits and withdrawals may be flagged as possible money laundering. If you deposited by bank transfer, for example, you also withdraw by bank transfer. Credit cards, however, often cannot be used for withdrawals, and in that case you choose another method, such as an e-wallet or a bank transfer.

Identity Verification (KYC) Is Required for Your First Withdrawal

Many sportsbooks require identity verification, known as KYC (know your customer), before your first withdrawal. Verification confirms that the details you entered when you registered, such as your name and address, are correct. You upload photos of your ID and proof of address to the sportsbook.

The documents usually required are listed below, although some sportsbooks ask for different ones.

• Proof of identity: a passport, driver’s licence or provincial photo ID card
• Proof of address: a recent utility bill or bank statement
• Payment documents: a screenshot showing your bank account details, a photo of your credit card or a screenshot of your e-wallet account

At sportsbooks that require verification, you cannot withdraw until the process is complete.

3 Ways to Get More Out of Sports Betting

Betting on your favourite team and cheering it on is enjoyable enough, but sports betting offers many other ways to play.

Use Prediction and Analysis Sites When Choosing Games

For every major sports league there are many websites, not just those run by sportsbooks, that analyze and predict results.

Popular professional leagues, such as the Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga in soccer and MLB in baseball, are covered by many analysis sites. These sites are useful for gathering information, but the track records they publish cannot be independently verified. Treat them as only one factor in your decision, and be cautious with paid tipping services.

If you are confident in your analysis of a sport, you can try other bet types beyond simply picking the winner, such as point spread bets or correct-score bets. As explained above, bets that are less likely to win have higher odds, but that does not give you an edge.

Try Betting on a Different Sport Now and Then

Besides professional leagues in popular sports such as hockey, soccer, baseball and basketball, sportsbooks let you bet on individual sports such as tennis and golf, indoor games such as darts and billiards, less widely followed sports such as kabaddi and squash, and esports.

Some sportsbooks also have a “Specials” category with bets on events outside sports (prop bets), such as who will win a Grammy or which party will win the next federal election.

Following the same league is enjoyable, but we also recommend betting on a different sport from time to time. Try a small bet on an unfamiliar sport, then watch the game. You may discover what makes that sport appealing and have another game to look forward to.

Watch Big Events and Set Limits

Major events such as the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Grey Cup and the World Cup are easy to follow with a small bet on the outcome. International events such as the Olympics pack many sports and games into a few weeks.

Because there are more games to bet on during these events, set a budget before the action starts and stick to it. Regulated sites offer tools that let you set deposit limits and time limits on your account, so use them to keep your betting within the amount you can afford to lose. The sportsbook’s margin applies to every bet, during big events just as at any other time.

Summary: Register, Deposit, Bet and Withdraw in Four Steps

Getting started with a sportsbook is simple. Choose a site that is legal in your province after comparing the sports it offers and its terms, and once you have registered, you can start betting right away.

Next, make a deposit, choose the sport and game you want to bet on, and place your bet. If your bet wins, you can withdraw your winnings after you complete identity verification.

Enjoy sports betting in whatever way suits you, whether it adds to the excitement of watching a game or gives you a way to use your in-depth knowledge of a sport. If gambling stops being fun, contact ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 in Ontario, Gambling: Help and Referral at 1-800-461-0140 in Quebec, or your provincial helpline elsewhere.