Sports betting in Canada: market specifics

Canada is the second largest country in the world by land area, but due to its geographical location, it is sparsely populated. Nevertheless, the thirty-five million inhabitants of a prosperous and affluent state represent an excellent resource for the development of gambling. The situation with gambling in Canada has its own unique features, which will be discussed in this article.

Under the shade of a maple leaf

The country is divided into ten provinces and three territories. The latter are directly subordinate to the federal government, but this is not about them. The provinces, on the other hand, are virtually independent of Ottawa, and any legislative provision there can only be changed by making changes to the constitution.

Therefore, the attitude of the provinces to gambling is somewhat different. National composition The population of a country changes quite a lot when moving from one part of Canada to another. For example, only a third of Canadians consider themselves Canadians. They, like the British (about 20%), Scots (about 15%) and Irish (13%), are the main support of bookmakers in this country. But there are also other nationalities living here – descendants of the French, Germans, Ukrainians, Indians, so the interest in gambling can not be called monolithic.

Thus, each province decides for itself how its citizens will play. In 1999, Ottawa dropped the gambling Legalization act, and each province began to adapt it to local conditions in its own way. For example, in Quebec, you can bet from the age of 18, and in Ontario – from 19. In some provinces, only a state lottery is allowed, while in others, a private lottery is also allowed. And so on.

Online Measure of Freedom (sports betting in Canada)

Not everywhere legalization went smoothly. But the Canadians didn’t mind. If something is forbidden in a particular province – then there is an Internet connection. All the bans were imposed on the operators, and the population, just as in a truly democratic country, does not know strict restrictions.

While gambling was allowed in Canada in 1999, local residents have been allowed to play online since 2009. But it is more accurate to say that permission was required for companies that provide hockey betting services and other games. Canadian citizens have never been caught in the millstones of the criminal code. Here it is worth highlighting another feature of Canadian betting. Officially, you can only bet on several events at once, that is, combined bets of three events or more, residents are prohibited, as officials explain, because of anti-corruption measures. But it’s official that local players don’t care much.

In fact, the Canadian is free to play wherever he wants. And bet on what his demanding gaze indicates. He doesn’t pay any taxes. But there is an exception. If a bettor declares himself a professional gambler, that is, he will earn a living by betting-he will be obliged to pay tax. It would seem – do not announce it and live happily ever after. But in this case, how can the tax service justify the money that came from nowhere, especially if the bettor does not work anywhere?

Competition among betting industry operators has allowed Canadians to have a choice. This was a positive development in light of the fact that the freedom of Internet access allowed betting scammers to flood the local market.

Most popular bookmakers in Canada

In Canada, the leadership has been held for several years by the powerful British firm Bet365 and the local Sports Interaction. Quite a lot is known about the former – it is a world leader, while the latter is quite popular among Canadians BC, primarily because it pays its main attention to popular sports in North America; we are talking, of course, about sports competitions in the United States. The southern neighbor’s market is closed to gambling, but Sports Interaction has found a loyal following among Canadians.

These two companies account for a quarter of the sports betting market. Other bookmakers that are popular here are Pinnacle, 10bet, Parimatch Canada, Bodog. The latter deserves a separate article thanks to its scandalous founder, Calvin Eyre, who was accused by Themis USA of violating local laws, or rather, of accepting bets, which is prohibited there.

All types of payments are available to Canadian bettors, which makes betting as easy as possible. Only the popular electronic payment system Neteller, which is one of the leaders in working with money transfers in the gambling industry, does not work. The ban is intended to prevent residents of the United States from placing bets on the websites of Canadian bookmakers.

What sports do Canadians bet on?

Ice hockey is out of competition for Canadians. No sport is even close to it in popularity. British bookmakers specifically for Canadians are expanding their line for this sport, as hockey is not in demand in the UK. Seven local teams compete in the most powerful hockey league on the planet – the NHL.

Other winter sports are also held in high esteem by Canadians. But they are not very convenient for betting due to the fact that competitions on them can not boast of frequency. The desired frequency of appearance on the screen is created by popular sports in the United States. Canada, as a younger brother, participates in competitions held under the auspices of MLB (Baseball League) and NBA (basketball League). Each of the leagues has one team from Canada. These sports, like hockey and American football, enjoy the increased attention of Canadian bettors.

The Far Side of the Moon

Like all countries that have generally allowed gambling, Canada is experiencing problems with the growing number of ludomaniacs. This is especially significant in comparison. The province of Alberta is the most democratic of the Canadian provinces in terms of gambling, and it is here that the percentage of people who are addicted to the game is the largest. Statistics have shown that the profit generated by such players is slowly approaching half of all gambling companies ‘ revenues. From 2 to 2.5% of the total population can no longer live without gambling.

Canadian Betting Prospects

Canada, as well asAustralia is one of the most promising markets for bookmakers. A well-to-do population, not burdened with prohibitions, and gambling beyond measure. In Canada, the main force of the army of betting players is made up of independent earning men aged 25-45, who do not find it difficult to pay their own, even if considerable, bets. But the army of bettors is rapidly getting younger, and already about 20% of all players are women. Budget revenues have already exceeded $ 14 million a year, and this number is growing by about 10% annually.