Esports Betting in Canada in 2025 | Is It Legal?

Best Esports Betting Sites

With an increasing number of bookmakers operating in the gambling industry, it can be difficult to choose which bookie to select. This is especially true for esports betting, as this aspect of esports is rapidly on the rise. Now increasing in popularity, many betting sites have now introduced esports betting markets & betting odds for their customers.

Now technology is advancing across a number of industries, bookies have now started moving online, with the majority now having betting sites & now betting apps. This has been an extremely beneficial advance for esports betting, as it is now more accessible than ever!

If you’re looking for the best esports betting sites, then you’re definitely in the right place. Here at Strafe.com, we only review the trusted bookies, and below you can find the leading operators within the industry.

Is Esports Betting Legal in Canada?

We already know that esports betting is perfectly legal for Canadian punters to place wagers. With that said, some bettors residing in Canada may still be confused with the legality governed within the country, and what it all means.

Well, esports betting Canada is one of the widest markets around, which has been recognised by the Canadian government. Admittedly, the legalities are rather confusing, especially if you’re a newbie to the betting world. Esports betting is legal and fun.

The confusion arises because the rules and regulations vary in different provinces. As it stands, the gaming industry is governed by legislation that esports betting sites in Canada are regulated within the Canadian territory. A government licence is required for the gambling service.

With that said, this law only applies to Canadian-based companies, so does not apply to those Canadian bettors who just want to place a bet. Here, punters can use whichever online betting sites they like, and will not be breaking the law to do so.

The last major talking point around the legal aspect of esports betting Canada, is the regions. Local governments can choose whether or not to allow online esports betting. Depending on the province, the legal age to bet can be anywhere from 18 to 21.

Esports Betting Canada - Esports To Bet On

When it comes to esports betting in Canada, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. There are many esports in Canada for bettors to place wagers on, just like we have seen esports betting in Australia. Now, there’s a number of major esports matches, tournaments and competitions for Canadian punters to bet on – here are some of the most popular esports currently:

League of Legends

Arguably the most famous esports title around, the MOBA game by Riot results in LoL being an extremely popular form of wagering. For example, the League of Legends World Championship has a multi-million dollar prize for the winner, and is a huge esports event for many across the world. Over 200 million spectators watched the last Worlds – it’s that popular.

Dota 2

Another extremely popular MOBA game is Dota 2 – with some well-known tournaments all year round. As a result, a number of esports betting sites in Canada will offer competitive esports betting odds for Dota 2 events and tournaments, including The International. Dota is played across the world, and there’s no doubt that Canadian bettors have the chance to place wagers on Dota competitions.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The fourth edition of the Counter-Strike series, CS:GO was released all the way back in 2012. It has maintained it’s top reputation as one of the most popular first-person shooters today. It is extremely popular with bookies too, as most CSGO betting sites will offer markets for their Canadian customers.

Valorant

Even though Valorant is fairly new in comparison to other esports titles, there’s no doubt that it’s still an extremely popular esport, especially for betting. There are now a number of professional Valorant teams and major tournaments, and esports betting Canada for Valorant has never been better. This is a popular esport amongst bookies too, so there should be plenty of choices for Canadian punters.

Call of Duty

With the introduction of Call of Duty: Warzone in 2020, CoD betting markets have shot up, and adds to the tournaments and competitions that already take place across the world. It’s arguably one of the most popular gaming titles from the 21st century, so it’s no surprise that it is a popular esport to bet on. It's certainly offers up hotly-contested esports matches which are extremely exciting and fun to bet on.

Rocket League

The fun, action-packed Rocket League could be considered a surprise to some as an available esport to bet on. However, esports betting sites in Canada offer plenty of Rocket League odds for those in North America to bet on. Some of the major Rocket League tournaments and competitions are fun to spectate, and now fans have the chance to bet on it, too!

Canada’s Best Esports Bookmakers

Thanks to the gambling legislation in Canada, a wide range of online bookmakers are permitted to operate in most provinces - depending on the legal aspect of the local government, of course. Just like we saw with esports betting in India, there are plenty of esports bookmakers available.

Below, we’ve compiled just some of the leading bookmakers that offer punters the chance to bet on esports in Canada.

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Esports Betting Types – What do betting sites in Canada offer?

Outright Betting

Outright betting is an available market where bettors place a wager on the overall result of a particular event, tournament or competition. For example, if you feel like you have the knowledge of a particular esport tournament, and you think you can predict who is going to win overall, then you can place an outright bet on this.

The majority of bookmakers have outright odds available for a wide range of sports and esports, which is great news for us! In general, outright betting odds are usually rather generous and can give esports betting Canada punters some great potential returns. If you want a punt on who’s going to win the LoL Worlds, or The International – check out outright betting odds.

Pre-Match Betting

Another form of betting is pre-match betting, which is usually the most common betting markets offered by customers. Before an esports match, event or tournament has started, there are plenty of betting markets open to punters to try their luck.

Esports betting sites in Canada will also offer pre-match betting markets, so any time before the particular esports match has started, you will have the chance to bet on it as usual. Some of the dedicated esports betting Canada sites will look to offer more pre-match opportunities for customers, which is a great benefit if you’re wanting to bet on an upcoming esports event.

Live Betting

The esports live betting scene is becoming increasingly popular, with many bookmakers now offering a lot more in-play betting markets than ever before. With esports in Canada now on the rise, live betting could be the perfect opportunity for you to get involved with esports betting.

Live betting markets are usually the same markets and odds available before a match has started. However, on top of that, esports betting sites in Canada will add to their selections, involving many other different event outcomes. As well as live betting, we recommend checking out which esports betting sites in Canada offer a free live streaming service, showing some of your favourite esports events for you to tune into!

Esports Betting Strategies

When it comes to esports betting, you may be thinking of devising your own betting strategy. Well, we think that this is always a smart move, as you’ll create and design your very own betting plan, meaning there’s a much higher level of organisation. It’s also much more likely that your bet will be successful – so why wouldn’t you?

Arbitration Betting Strategy

Arbitration (often abbreviated to arb) betting is very popular with some punters, especially on sportsbooks. The process of arb betting involves placing multiple bets on a single betting event. So, for example, if there’s a specific sports match going on, bettors using the arb strategy will place wagers on the different outcomes of said event. From here, one bet is guaranteed to win, and bring in some form of return. As you could guess, online bookies aren’t fond of this form of betting, as they will have to reward the punter with the bet that wins.

Matched Betting Strategy

Another strategy that is popular in the betting world is known as the matched betting strategy. This method takes advantage of a bookmaker’s welcome bonus & sign up offer. Then, similar to the arb strategy, you bet on different outcomes of a single event, but use your bonus funds for one of the wagers. This way, one of your bets will allow you to receive winnings, which will also reduce your gambling risk.

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Available Payment Methods in Canada

Fortunately, it’s more good news for esports betting Canada, as there are a number of available payment methods for punters to deposit and withdraw money to and from their betting accounts. Of course, the different payment options depend on the bookmaker you have signed up to, but all available methods will be clear on the betting site. Here are some of the most common and popular payment methods for esports betting sites in Canada:

Credit/Debit Cards

As arguably one of the most common payment methods, debit cards in particular are widely accepted by most online bookmakers. Credit and debit cards can be used in a variety of online transactions, and it’s not a huge surprise that these are available for Canadian esports punters to deposit and withdraw betting funds.

PayPal

PayPal operates worldwide and has made its name as one of the staples of payment methods. This e-wallet is quickly becoming the go-to payment option for esports sites, as well as general online betting. Esports betting sites in Canada will likely accept PayPal, with deposits being made instantly into your betting account.

Cryptocurrency

On the rise, crypto such as Bitcoin are now widely popular within the esports community. Bitcoin in particular is widely used on esports betting where available, and there are select esports betting Canada sites that accept cryptocurrencies. Transactions using cryptocurrencies are safe, secure & instant.

Bank Transfer

A more traditional payment method option to esports betting in Canada is through a bank transfer. This way, betting funds are transferred directly to and from an individual’s bank account to the selected betting site.

Neteller

Neteller is yet another popular method of payment, especially in the online betting industry. Though not as popular, it is still an extremely trusted service, and those punters in Canada have the option to use Neteller if they wish to.  Neteller is also a viable payment method when it comes to esports betting in the Philippines, showing that despite it being slightly less common, it’s still a trusted and reliable payment option.

Esports Betting in Canada – Conclusion

Overall, for esports betting Canada punters, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with some of the latest esports action. Esports in Canada is constantly on the rise in popularity, and now esports betting is too! As it is perfectly legal, and very enjoyable, esports betting could be for you!

We recommend checking out everything that esports betting has to offer, with many choices in terms of online bookmakers and betting sites! As well as that, we also think you should consider esports in Canada to see where you can take advantage of bookie’s sign up offers and welcome bonus offers, which will heavily benefit your overall esports betting experience.

If you’re from a different part of the world, and you want to know the legalities of esports betting in Singapore, then we’ve got you covered! See how esports betting Canada compares.

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Esports Betting in Canada FAQs