Nova Scotia Sportsbooks

Sports Betting in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of the smallest and least populated Canadian provinces, but this region is still home to thousands of people who enjoy sports betting on a daily basis.

Canadian gambling laws have always been confusing and restrictive. Add that to the fact that each province and territory have their own gambling laws, and even Canadians themselves don’t quite understand where they can play gambling games and which restrictions apply to them.

So, is sports betting legal in Nova Scotia? We assume that this is the question that led you to this article, and we will do everything to answer it as clearly as possible. We will also talk about how sports betting works in this province and about online sports betting on offshore websites.

Sports Betting Sites for Nova Scotia

Legal Framework of Gambling in Nova Scotia — Is Sports Betting Legal?

All Canadian gambling laws have their roots in the country’s Criminal Code that was written back in 1892. According to this code, all forms of gambling were made illegal in the whole of Canada.

However, over the last century, the Criminal Code was updated and relaxed, becoming more favorable towards casinos and sportsbooks. Also, each province and territory was allowed to write up their own laws in regards to gambling.

When it comes to Nova Scotia, all gambling activities in the province are governed by the Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation. This governing body has further entrusted all ticket products and video lottery operations to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC).

ALC is in charge of legal gambling operations throughout several Canadian provinces. Their main service called Pro-Line provides sports wagering for all overage residents of Nova Scotia. In order to participate in legal sports betting in the province, you need to be at least 19 years old.

So, we have established that sports betting in Nova Scotia is legal and regulated. However, it does come with certain restrictions and limitations. Read on to learn how it works.

How Does Sports Betting Work in Nova Scotia?

The Pro-Line system is the only legal system through which you can place sports wagers in Nova Scotia. This system is rather strict in deciding what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to creating a betting slip.

To begin with, you can’t place single-game bets in Nova Scotia. The only bets allowed are parlays (placing bets on multiple teams or players), although you will be able to place single bets on certain futures (outright bets). The minimum number of events you are allowed to place on your betting slip is two, while the maximum number of bets is usually eight, but it can sometimes be ten or more.

To win a bet, you will have to make a correct guess on all fixtures. There are no system bets, early payouts, or bets in which you get a refund if only one of your guesses is wrong (all of these are commonly seen on offshore betting sites).

Also, the number of sports that you can wager on is highly limited. The available sports include football, basketball, college football, college basketball, ice hockey, baseball, and soccer, but ALC recently added a few other sports like golf, combat sports, tennis, racing, and esports.

Here are all Pro-Line betting options available to the players from Nova Scotia:

• Pro-Line Parlay — Make a correct guess on between two and eight matches. Markets include moneyline, point spread, and point totals.
• Pro-Line Futures — Guess which team will win the competition or which players will end up with the MVP trophy. This is the only game in which you are allowed to place a single bet.
• Pro-Line Stadium Picks — All of your correct guesses over a certain period are recorded on a leaderboard that determined prize winners.
• Pro-Line Fantasy — ALC’s take on daily fantasy sports.

Depending on which type of betting you choose and how many picks you select, the wagering limits range from C$1 to C$250 per play.

Are Offshore Betting Sites Illegal in Nova Scotia?

Due to various limits and restrictions imposed by the province’s official sports betting provider, many players from Nova Scotia opt to place their sports wagers on offshore sportsbooks. But are these foreign sportsbook operators legal?

Officially, they’re not. However, since these sportsbooks operate offshore, they do not have to abide by the province’s laws. Therefore, nothing stops these websites from allowing Canadians to join and place real-money bets. Moreover, the provincial authorities rarely make any effort in banning these sites, and no players have yet been arrested or fined for visiting offshore sportsbooks.

Offshore sportsbooks have many advantages, as they have a wider range of available sports and betting markets, plenty of rewarding bonuses for new players, and fewer restrictions regarding minimum and maximum wager limits.

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