Single-game betting is now legal in Canada. After a long wait, the government finally approved a new bill in August 2021, allowing provinces to regulate the sports betting market. Since then, several provinces have launched their own sport betting sites, and a number of top commercial sportsbooks have also gone live. It’s a great time to be a sports fan in Canada, and there are loads of betting opportunities. Perhaps the most popular sport to bet on is football, with the NFL drawing in the most money wagered across North America.
While Canada has its own football league in the CFL, the NFL remains the most popular. An average audience of eight million people watched the 2022 Super Bowl, and the sport is growing throughout the country. For Canadian NFL fans, there are loads of great ways to bet, but getting started can be daunting. Here’s a short guide on how to bet on the NFL in Canada.
Choosing a Sportsbook
The first step in your NFL betting journey is to choose a sportsbook. There are lots of them available, although where you live will impact your options. Ontario has the best choice of sportsbooks, with both state-run and commercial options available. The Proline Plus app is run by the Ontario government and offers odds on all NFL games. There are also sites such as Caesars sportsbook Ontario which provide more variety and bigger bonus offers.
If you don’t happen to live in Ontario, you might have fewer options, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bet. There are also offshore sports betting sites, which you can easily sign up for if they accept Canadian players. Note that while these sites can’t legally operate in Canada, you’re not at any risk when using them. Provided they’re licensed and have a good reputation. You shouldn’t have any issues.
NFL Betting Tips
When betting on the NFL, you want to be prepared if you’re going to have the best chance of success. Betting can be fun, but if you’re risking your own money, it makes sense to be cautious and only take bets that have value. This is where you feel the true probability of an event occurring is higher than the odds suggest. To find value, you’ll need to consider these tips:
Do your Research – You don’t need to be the biggest NFL fan to succeed when betting, but some research and understanding of the game is required. This doesn’t mean knowing who the Super Bowl-winning coach of 1932 was. It means you need to know the current stats and form of each team. Always check injury reports, form, and even weather before the game, as these can all affect the outcome.
Avoid parlay bets – Betting on parlays can be fun, and the payouts are bigger if you win. However, nothing is certain, and some games in the NFL can be quite unpredictable. You’ll almost always lose in the long term with parlay bets, so they’re generally not advisable.