Since Canada has allowed all its provinces and territories to regulate all forms of gambling within their borders, British Columbia, the third most populous province, quickly made sure every form of gambling, including sports betting, became legal.
In this text, we will tell you all about the legal aspect of sports betting on the territory of British Columbia, and also mention online betting on offshore betting sites. To learn more, keep reading!
Sports Betting Sites for British Columbia
888sport
- Cashout time Pending time: 24 hours; E-wallets: 24-48 hours; Credit/Debit Cards: 3-5 business days; Wire Transfer: 4-7 business days
PointsBet Sports
- Cashout time KYC: up to 24 hours; Pending time: 1-5 business days
LeoVegas
- Cashout time Pending time: 1-5 business days; Processing time: up to 5 business days;
Sports Interaction
- Cashout time Pending Time: up to 48 hours; Credit Cards: 1-2 business days; Bank transfer: 3-5 business days;
ComeOn! Sports
- Cashout time Pending time: 24 hours; E-wallets: 24 hours; Credit/Debit Cards/Bank Transfer: 2-7 business days
Guts Sportsbook
- Cashout time Pending time: up to 24 hours; E-wallets: 15 minutes - 24 hours; Credit/Debit Cards: 2-5 business days; Bank Transfer: 2-7 business days
Mr Green Sport
- Cashout time Canada:; E-wallets: Up to 2 hours; Credit(not allowed for UK Players)/Debit Cards/Bank Transfer: 1-5 business days
Caesars Sportsbook
- Cashout time Processing Time: up to 72 hours; E-wallet: Instant; Online Bank Transfer: 2-5 business days
Bodog Sportsbook
- Cashout time Pending time: 24-48 hours; Bitcoin: Approximately 15 minutes; Check: 10-15 business days; Bank Transfer: 3-5 business days
Bet365 Sportsbook
- Cashout time E-wallets: within 24 hours Credit Card: 1-5 business days ; Bank Transfer: 2-10 business days; Cheque 5-28 days
Legal Framework of Gambling in British Columbia — Is Sports Betting Legal?
According to the Gaming Control Act of 2002, betting on sports is legal in British Columbia. Players are free to place bets on their favourite sports events as long as the platforms where they do so are properly licensed and regulated.
The residents of British Columbia also have the right to open an account and place a bet on sports on any of the licensed offshore online betting sites as there is no specific law that prohibits such activity. This is a proven fact as there has been no public record of any player being prosecuted for betting in international online sportsbooks.
Yet, there are some sports wagering laws that don’t differ much from one province to another. The most famous one includes the prohibition of single-game wagers, meaning that all sports wagers must be placed in the form of parlays and with at least two selections on a single betting slip.
Another important rule is that players from this province must be at least 19 years old to bet on sports in state-provided sportsbooks. However, 18-year-old British Columbia residents can open accounts with offshore bookies.
British Columbia Sports Betting Statistics
Landbased
The following are statistics for landbased sports betting that took place in Alberta from 2003 to 2020 (Note: current data for 2020 are estimates).
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horeserace | $49.0m | $49.0m | $49.1m | $42.2m | $50.4m | $50.2m | $45.9m | $42.8m | $40.6m | $38.8m |
| Sports | $9.0m | $10.0m | $8.7m | $11.5m | $13.6m | $14.6m | $15.9m | $15.3m | $14.8m | $15.4m |
| Total Betting | $58.0m |
$59.1m |
$57.8m |
$53.6m |
$64.1m |
$64.8m |
$61.8m |
$58.1m |
$55.4m |
$54.2m |
| Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horeserace | $36.0m | $33.5m | $27.6m | $25.8m | $21.0m | $16.8m | $14.0m | $7.7m |
| Sports | $16.9m | $17.6m | $17.4m | $21.6m | $22.5m | $22.8m | $26.5m | $25.6m |
| Total Betting | $53.0m |
$51.1m |
$45.0m |
$47.4m |
$43.5m |
$39.7m |
$40.5m |
$33.3m |
Contrary to betting online, landbased betting has decreased recently with 2020 showing the lowest activity of all time (most likely due to covid-19).
Interactive Gaming (Betting Online)
Compared to landbased sports betting, betting online has shown slow but steady growth since 2003.
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Betting Online | $68.59 | $71.42 | $71.99 | $69.69 | $83.36 | $84.64 | $84.66 | $83.88 | $88.02 | $92.64 |
| Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Betting Online | $85.75 | $87.74 | $87.10 | $92.64 | $93.26 | $94.66 | $97.75 | $89.78 |
How Does Sports Betting Work in British Columbia?
Players from British Columbia who want to legally bet on sports can do so by visiting PlayNow, a site operated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation that is a state-regulated betting platform.
In order to place a bet on this website, you must first sign up by providing a valid address in British Columbia, email address, as well as a bank account or credit card registered on the same address.
Some of the most popular teams with players from British Columbia include the Canucks (NHL), Whitecaps FC (MLS), BC Lions (CFL), and Pacific FC. On PlayNow, you can place offers straight bets, point spread, over/under bets, and more.
However, there is no option to place a single-game wager — all bets must be placed in the form of a parlay and contain a minimum of three and a maximum of six straight bets. Also, on the slip, there can be 10 over/under bets or 12 point spreads.
Also, there are limits when it comes to the size of each bet, with the maximum total bet amount of $100 for a straight bet parlay. In case you are interested in placing single-game bets, you can place them on offshore betting sites as they impose no limitations on this betting type.
When it comes to the most popular bets in British Columbia, they include:
- Match or event winner with 3 outcomes — a bet that allows BC bettors to guess the potential winner of a game as well as whether the match will end in a tie.
- Match or event winner with 2 outcomes — betting on the winner of the game only (tie bet not available).
- Point spread — this bet allows punters to predict both the winner of the game as well as how many points, goals, or strokes a team will score.
- Over/under — by placing this type of bet, players from British Columbia can try to predict if the overall number of points or goals in the game will go over or under the given margin.
Are Offshore Sports Betting Sites Illegal in British Columbia?
Placing wagers on offshore betting sites from British Columbia is a legal grey area. In the law governing online gambling in the province, there is nothing that clearly prevents residents of British Columbia from playing on offshore betting sites. The law actually concerns offshore gambling operators as they have to comply with specific terms and conditions.
Namely, offshore online bookies are not supposed to advertise their services to residents of British Columbia, or Canadian citizens in general. However, although they are not promoting their services in the country, international betting sites still accept Canadian players and allow them to create accounts.
Furthermore, offshore betting sites are not allowed to be physically located on Canadian soil and run their operations from there.
Therefore, as long as a given site respects and follows these two rules, and you manage to create an account on it, you are free to place bets and enjoy online gaming on an international sports betting site from British Columbia.
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