As the third most populous province in Canada, BC is full of rabid sports cheering on local, national and international teams, with many not only cheering but betting on their favourite sports and teams. Interestingly, as of August 2021, single-game betting in British Columbia is now legal.
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BRITISH COLUMBIA BETTING LEGAL UPDATES
While sports betting and gambling are legal throughout the province, the limitations of BCLC’s sporting betting service and some controversy involving British Columbians casinos have bettors looking elsewhere. Luckily, for the residents of the picturesque province, the law regarding single-bet sports betting was amended in August 2021. Now online gambling in British Columbia is available across many major bookmakers.
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How to Gamble in British Columbia?
Online sportsbooks offer a greater variety of events and provide better odds than provincial sports lotteries. From futures markets to special events to odds on lesser-known sports, there are betting options for everyone from British Columbia’s diverse culture. British Columbia has always boasted a strong gambling community, but now with the changes, it will really begin to flourish.
Here on CanadaSportsBetting.ca, bettors can find all the general information on gambling in British Columbia, plus loads of other excellent betting news and betting pages to help make betting online in Canada a seamless and successful process.
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How to Bet on Sports in British Columbia
For those looking to bet online in British Columbia, they first need to know the requirements. To make an account with an online sportsbook, residents of BC need to be at least 18 years old, have a functioning email address, have an address in British Columbia and have a bank account or credit with the same address.
These are standard requirements for everyone, not just residents of British Columbia.
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There are slightly different terms for bettors using Bitcoin or other forms of deposit. To use Bitcoin, bettors must have an e-wallet and may only make withdrawals from Bitcoin winning into their e-wallet.
After making sure all requirements are fulfilled, the next step is picking an online sportsbook. There are more than a few online sportsbooks offering betting services to the people of British Columbia.
However, online sportsbooks are not created equal. Some cater to sharp experienced caters while others and perfect for those new to sports betting. Readers should compare online sportsbooks with what they are aiming to accomplish when gambling online.
To help the process of picking an online sportsbook, we have compiled a list of the best Canadian sportsbooks, the ones that are safe, secure and reputable in Canada.
Compare Sportsbooks for Best BC Betting Products
When finally picking an online sportsbook, bettors need to compare the different options and advantages each online sportsbooks offer. Below are the leading factors to consider when making a decision.
Bonuses and Promotion
Most online sportsbooks offer some form of reward to new bettors. The most common bonuses are matches on initial deposits or free bets.
Initial bonuses match a percentage (between 50% and 100%) of a new customer’s first deposit (on average between $20 to $200). These bonuses come with a rollover requirement, meaning bettors must wager between six and ten times their initial deposit plus bonus before they can make withdrawals.
Seasoned bettors often skip these bonuses, but those new to online sports betting can take them to help them experience more of what online sportsbooks offer.
The other bonus, free bets, is typically a free $5 to $10 wager given to customers after their first deposit. For most free bet bonuses, minimum odds of 1.40 or more are required.
Payment Methods
There are two sides of payment methods to know about before making a decision. The first is what methods they accept, and the second is how fast they process payments (and withdrawal requests).
The two most popular methods of payments are bank transfers and debit/credit cards. Once an account is registered and cards are verified, deposits through credit and debit cards processed immediately. When making withdrawals, the process takes up to 24 hours to confirm with funds transferring within five business days.
Using MasterCard is a great and easy way for British Columbians to make safe and secure transactions online. To find out where to deposit with MasterCard, click the link or continue for more helpful information when wagering online in British Columbia.
Best Sportsbooks in British Columbia
There is not just one reason why sportsbooks in British Columbia are becoming the standard for sports bettors. They offer so much more for people in British Columbia and those gambling in Canadian provinces that most people find one or two aspects available online that make them make the switch.
Variety of Sports Available
Even if the majority of betting in British Columbia is on the major North American sports, the fact many international or smaller leagues/sports are not available for betting makes some bettors feel underserved or left out entirely.
The lack of options is why many Canadians are turning away from their provincial betting services for online betting sites. Online sportsbooks offer way more options, from cricket and rugby to international basketball to junior hockey.
Futures Markets
One area where BCLC sports betting is severely lacking is on futures markets. Futures markets are the best way to get high odds on sports without parlaying (or using an accumulator) multiple events. They offer futures on all sports, with odds adjusting throughout the year.
Increased Options on the Biggest Events
Whether it is the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby or FIFA World Cup, online sportsbooks know the most prominent events for BC sports betting. When these big events roll around, online sportsbooks up the ante with a bigger selection of odds. Bettors will not only find odds on winners and game totals but plenty of game props and even specialty props.
Live Betting
Unlike the BC sports betting service provided by the province, once a game or event starts, it is still open for betting. Online sportsbooks offer live betting on the majority of their events. Watching a game and see something you like (or do not like), jump on your online sportsbooks to see adjusted game totals, point spreads and moneyline. Online sportsbooks even offer live odds on individual sports such as golf and boxing.
Bet on a Single Event
Due to Canadian laws, through betting on sports in Canada are required to wager on at least two events at a time. While the payout is higher when accumulating multiple bets, winning those wagers is also more difficult. Online sportsbooks allow all their customers to bet on single events.
Better Odds = More Money
On popular online sportsbooks available in Canada, the opening odds on a point spread or game total are between 1.87 and 1.95. Betting $10 on team A to cover the spread nets a profit of $8.70 to $9.50.
Standard odds when betting point spreads in British Columbia are closer to 1.50 on point spreads. Opting to bet on odds of 1.50 instead of 1.91 is saying you are happy to win 80% less money on every bet.
Sports Actions and Proline in BC
As mentioned early, Canadians are required by law to bet on at least two events sporting events. Instead of using the term parlay, the Proline betting service in British Columbia calls it an accumulator, where odds accumulate for every event bet on (starting at two and going up to six).
While every bettor is happy to win more money, the limitations of the Sports Action and Proline in BC make winning multiple bets a challenge.
When using the service to create a betting card of six events, bettors are often forced to bet on the same sport or type of wagers.
For example, on a Sunday during the NFL season, bettors could bet up to six NFL point spreads. However, the limitations of the Sports Action mean they cannot mix in some NFL moneylines and game totals. They may not even be allowed to bet on point spreads from other sports.
If you wish to read more about Sports Action betting or are looking for alternatives for Playnow Sports, we have plenty of great recommendations and information to make the change.
BC Betting
For those that enjoy the betting service provided by proline, we have got you covered. All the betting options available on proline are available on our partner sites.
Combining markets is also much better through our top-rated partners. Mix and match point spreads, moneylines and game totals across multiple sports (with better payouts) or focuses on single bets and futures markets. The options are endless, the payouts are higher, and all of it is possible in the comfort of your home.
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Online Casinos in British Columbia
The online gambling scene in British Columbia is thriving, especially now the amendment has been passed. The BCLC online casino offers some great options. However, we provide a broad range of sportsbooks that also feature casinos.
Offline Casinos in British Columbia
In terms of land-based casinos in the province, the law allows bettors to go to certain gambling facilities which we’ll list below. So, for those that are bored of playing online BC casinos, check out our complete list of casinos in British Columbia:
- River Rock Casino
- Treasure Cove Casino
- Casino of the Rockies
- Billy Barker Casino Hotel
- Cascades Casino Kamloops
- Cascades Casino Resort Langley
- Cascades Casino Penticton
- Casino Nanaimo
- Elements Casino Chilliwack
- Elements Surrey Casino
- Lake City Casino Vernon
- Playtime Casino
We will regularly update our list of casinos in British Columbia to ensure our readers stay up-to-date. However, for those that prefer PlayNow mobile casino gambling, be sure to check out the bookmakers we listed above!
Sports betting in other provinces
British Columbia betting FAQ
Yes, betting on sports is legal in British Columbia. The law that governs sports betting in the province is the Gaming Control Act of 2002. The only form of gambling that is prohibited by this law is wagering on sports at an unlicensed betting house.
The province, through the BC Lottery Corporation, offers legal sports betting via PlayNow. This form of wagering is operated similar to the lotteries, and it does not permit single sports betting. All wagers must be played in parlays of a minimum of three games.
There is
nothing in the British Columbia law that prohibits a resident from opening an account and wagering on sports through any of the licensed online sportsbooks.
Since all of these sites are licensed by a legally-recognized gaming regulator, to place wagers with any of these sportsbooks is not a violation of British Columbia law.
In fact, there is no public record of anyone being tried or prosecuted for gambling online via a legal betting site.
There are two options for British Columbia residents who want to wager legally on sports. There is PlayNow, operated by the BC Lottery Corporation.
While PlayNow offers wagering via straight bets, point spreads and over/unders, the catch is that all wagers must be played in the form of a parlay, with a minimum of three and a maximum of six (straight bets), 10 (over/under) or 12 (point spread).
There are also limits on the size of wager permitted. For example, with a straight bet parlay, the maximum total wager is $100.
The best bet for wagering on sports in BC are the numerous online sportsbooks, which offer single sports wagering. On top of that, the online sportsbooks provide a much broader variety of wagering opportunities, significantly better odds and high betting limits.
And wagering at any licensed online book is entirely legal.
With a population of nearly five million people, British Columbia is the third-most densely populated province in Canada. BC trails only Ontario (14.45 million) and Quebec (8.4 million).
According to BC laws governing gambling, if you live in the province, you must be at least 19 years of age to participate in any form of betting, whether that be on sports, at casinos, horse racing tracks and teletheatres, bingos, community gaming centres, lottery retailers, or at a licensed gambling event held in a community.
It is against the law for minors to enter a gambling facility or participate in gambling of any kind.
However, the laws differ when it comes to online sportsbooks. To open an account with an online sportsbook, residents of BC need only to be 18 years old.
You must have a functioning email address, an address in British Columbia and a bank account or credit card with the same address.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that is basically a computer file stored within a digital wallet app on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. People can send Bitcoins to a digital wallet and also to other people, via a transaction known as the blockchain.
One of the biggest advantages to depositing and withdrawing via Bitcoin is that the exchanges almost always are fee free.
Which British Columbia Betting sites accept Paypal?
The most well-known form of online money payment, PayPal is also among the most popular and accepted method of depositing and withdrawing funds from an online sportsbook account.
You will find that this form of money exchange is almost universally accepted across the array of leading sportsbooks. There’s much to like about the PayPal option.
It’s easy to use
The site is trusted by millions
Approximately 20 percent of all online financial transactions take place via PayPal
PayPal offers instantanous deposits and withdrawals
The PayPal site is extremely secure
It comes with limited fees and charges for making transactions
Check out which among the sportsbooks that cater to Canadian customers accept PayPal for both deposting and withdrawing funds from accounts held with them.
To the sports betting newbie, the odds on a wager can resemble some form of ancient hieroglyphics. But reading the odds isn’t as complicated as it seems at first glance.
For starters, it’s important to know that the odds represent the probability of an outcome occuring. There are three types of odds – fractional, decimal and what’s known as American odds
With American odds, a team with negative odds, say -155, are favored to win, so they are assigned more favorable odds. The underdog will be assigned positive odds like +240.
These numbers are based on a wager of $100. If you bet the underdog, the +240 means you’d win $240 if you bet $100 on that team. But if you play the favorite, the line is reversed. the -155 means that you’d be required to bet $155 to turn a profit of $100.
Fractional odds are a bit easier to comprehend. If a favorite is 2/1, that means you’ll win $2 for every $1 bet.
Decimal odds are popular in Europe. With decimal odds, the backer’s stake is included. Thus, odds of 3.0 would be the equivalent of 2/1 in fractional odds – the $2 stake you’d win, plus the $1 wagered.
Comparing odds can be achieved via a number of options. You’ll find that most betting sites will provide an odds calculator.
This device will enable a bettor to convert all forms of odds – American, decimal or fractional – to the preferred type, enabling easy determination of which odds offer the most bang for the buck.
A savvy bettor will also want to line shop to find the most profitable option when placing a bet on a specific event. Suppose you’re planning to play an underdog in one of that Sunday’s NFL games.
One sportsbook might have the team you’re going to bet at odds of +165. But another site could have it at +175, and a third at +180.
By shopping around for the best line, you’ve got that bet down at odds of +180. So if you were planning to wager $100 on the game, instead of a $165 profit on your wager, you’re now in line to pocket $180.
In American odds, the favorite is indicated by a negative number. So, if the New York Rangers are -180 facing the Vancouver Canucks at +210, it means that the Rangers are the favored team and the Canucks are the underdog.
If this were in decimal odds, the higher number would be the underdog. If the Rangers were 2.0 and the Canucks 4.0, again Vancouver is the underdog.
Likewise in fractional odds, the lower number is the favored squad. The Rangers could be 3/1 facing the Canucks at 7/1.
Another variation seen in basketball and football is the point spread. Favorites are again given negavtive digits. So if the BC Lions are -6 facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders, it means the Lions are favored by six points to win the game.
They must win by more than six points in order for you to cash a winning wager. But if you bet Saskatchewan, you’re a winner if the Riders win the game, or lose by less than six points.
The local teams will always drive a betting market and in BC, the most popular team is the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. The NHL is the No. 1 sport in Canada, so it’s logical to expect that this sport will also be hugely populr with BC bettors.
The BC Lions of the CFL are the No. 2 team in the province, and while the CFL might not be an internationally popular sport, in the nine cities that play host to the league’s teams, the action is fairly heated.
The NFL may not have any Canadian teams but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t significant betting interest in the league among Canadian bettors.
The Seattle Seahawks are a short drive from BC, so you can count on many Canadians making that journey to take in a game. And what’s the point of watching a game if you haven’t got some action down on it?
Likewise, BC’s baseball bettors will closely follow the Seattle Mariners. And when the Toronto Blue Jays make their annual visit to Seattle, there’s always a healthy contingent of support from BC-based fans.
BC is rich is offline betting opportunities. The province is home to six casinos:
River Rock Casino
Hard Rock Casino
Cascades Casino
Casino of the Rockies
Cascades Casino Kamloops
Lake City Casino
And two racetracks:
Hastings Park Racecourse
Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino
However, while you’ll find a variety of slots and table games at the casinos, and a rich supply of live and simulcast wagering from around the world at the racetracks, none of these brick and mortar betting sites are legally permitted to offer sports betting.
In terms of straight wagers, betting on a number of games at an online sportsbook is not going to be an issue. If you intend to play a parlay, the limits on the number of games and amount you can wager will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook.
The opportunities to wager at an online sportsbook are endless. The smorgasbord of sports, leagues and games on offer is all-encompassing.
On a particular October day at Spin Palace Sports, there was a deep menu of NFL games on tap, as well as a number of NHL games, NBA preseason contests, European soccer, Rugby World Cup semifinals and CFL games. The final round of PGA an LPGA golf events and ATP and WTA tennis finals were also on tap.
You could also make future book wagers on the the upcoming World Series, betting on either the game of the the series outcome.
When seeking out the best odds for betting on sports in BC, it’s wise to first check out those online sportsbooks that both welcome and cater to Canadian clientele.
Sites like Sports Interaction (SIA) and Spin Palace Sports are some of the most popular sportsbooks with Canadian bettors because they put an emphasis on sports that are popular with Canadian fans.
Sports Interaction (SIA) is 100 percent Canadian, licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out some of the other top sportsbooks that welcome Canadian customers. Sites like Bet365, Betway, and 888Sport also speak Canadian, so to speak.
Whether you’re in the market for a home, a car, a new washer/dryer, or an online sportsbook, the same principles of good consumerism apply – shop around for the best odds.
First of all, ask yourself what you’re seeking from a sportsbook? What sports do you want to bet? Which types of bets are you looking to play?
Every site will have is plusses and minuses. Some sites will offer deeper coverage on certain sports. Others will be quick to offer odds each day. Some sites cater to the recreational bettor, while others are more suited to the sharps, as the big-money bettors are known.
Are you looking for parlays? Maybe you find live betting to be enticing. You might just be in it for some fun to pass the time and you’re looking to play some prop wagers.
Seek out the site that offers the bets and odds you desire. You’ll know it when you find it.
Super Bowl Sunday is often referred to in the business as sports betting Christmas, due to the amount of wagers handled on the NFL’s big game. Canada is no exception to this phenomenon.
More Canadians watch the Super Bowl than view the Stanley Cup final or World Series. It’s that big of a deal. And when it comes to wagering, the Super Bowl is truly the granddaddy of them all.
You can absolutely bet on the Super Bowl in BC at the online sportsbook of your choosing. And what makes Super Bowl Sunday an enticing wagering proposal in the sheer number of betting options that are available.
There are the standard moneyline, point spread and total wagers on the game. But the Super Bowl is known for its wild prop wagers. What song will open the halftime show? What colour Gatorade will be dumped over the winning coach? Who will score the first touchdown.
BC bettors can wager any of these, and so much more.
There’s stiff competition for the betting dollar as the online sportsbook industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and for the BC sports bettor, this is a positive development.
In a bid to lure new customers, all sportsbooks offer some sort of bonus incentive. You can check out the different options available in terms of bonuses right here.
When it comes to bonuses, it all comes down to what you’re looking to get. Do you want a no-deposit bonus? A matching first-deposit bonus? A free bet option?
Look around at all of your options, and remember to read the terms and conditions attached to each offer. Also, you’re not limiited to how many sportsbooks you can sign up with, so why not take advantage of multiple bonus offers from different sportsbooks?
It’s also wise to think ahead. All sportsbooks offer big sign up bonuses. But there are some sites that will continue to provide incentives, such a reload bonuses, and refer a friend bonus offers.
