From one end of Canada to the other, more people than ever are reaching for their phones to bet on sports, and the numbers really tell the story. If you look at the rise of sports betting in Canada, it feels like one of the wildest rides in the country’s economy right now.
Back in the day, betting meant heading to an offshore site or crossing over to the States, but now it’s a fully legal and homegrown business, and it’s turning a serious profit every single month. Once the Canadian government brought in Bill C-218 in August 2021, legalizing single-event betting, the floodgates pretty much burst open. Ontario, in particular, has become the beating heart of it all.
The numbers are staggering
Let’s just start with the money, because that’s where things really get interesting. Ontario’s iGaming market pulled in $972 million from sports betting in May 2025 alone. We’re talking an 18.5% jump compared to the same time the year before. That number isn’t a typo, almost a billion dollars in sports bets, in a single month, in one province. In that same month, total wagers across the whole iGaming Ontario platform topped $7 billion.
Sure, online casinos are still in the lead, but sports betting is catching up pretty quickly. And here’s the kicker: Fewer people were signing up for new accounts during that stretch, but overall revenue kept climbing. It’s not just about having more players; it’s that each person is betting more. That’s the trend to watch.
Responsible gambling is getting more attention too
With all this growth, you really can’t ignore the responsibility side of things anymore. As betting keeps getting more normal, especially for younger fans who think nothing of putting a parlay or a player prop together, organizations are stepping up their responsible gambling efforts.
Take Betway that focuses on providing education and support for anyone struggling with gambling addiction, and there are plenty of similar resources now. Every province rolls out its own help as well, but as betting gets quicker and easier, having real guardrails in place matters more than ever.
Basketball is Canada’s secret betting obsession
This might throw people who don’t follow the industry, but hockey isn’t the top pick for Canadian bettors. According to iGaming Ontario’s reports, basketball made up 29% of all bets placed in the province, more than any other sport. Soccer came in next at 15%, American football took 13% and hockey lagged at just 9%.
That’s a huge surprise in a country where hockey is almost sacred, but when you think about it, it adds up. Basketball runs almost all year, and the way the game works, it’s just perfect for in-game bets and all the prop bets younger bettors love. That’s where a big chunk of the money is flowing these days.
Alberta is about to join the party
Ontario might have had the spotlight for a while, but things are shifting fast. Alberta is getting ready to launch its own regulated iGaming market, and they’ve set up the Alberta iGaming Corporation to work alongside the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis reg body. This is big because Alberta is moving away from the pooled lottery setup most other provinces stick with, which suggests a bigger shift across the country.
Other provinces are watching Ontario pull in tax dollars and create jobs and are starting to think they could do the same if they let private operators have a slice of the pie instead of keeping things in the hands of government monopolies. Once Alberta’s market goes live, don’t be surprised if everyone else starts wondering if they’re missing out.
What’s fueling this growth
A few things are happening at once. Most obviously, people are betting from their phones, often right in the middle of the game. Nobody wants to fire up a laptop or head to a casino anymore. And then there’s the fact that the rules have started to make sense. The regulatory environment used to be messy, but now it’s clearer, and that’s convincing more companies to get involved.
Statista is projecting that sports betting in Canada pulled in more than $1.5 billion Canadian dollars in revenue in 2025. Forecasts say the market could hit $2 billion by 2029. And, as more than half of all Canadian adults are expected to participate, betting is no longer just a fad. It’s becoming part of the way Canadians experience their favorite games.
A growing market
So, the Canadian online sports betting market isn’t just posting bigger numbers; it’s growing up, turning into one of the world’s most advanced regulated markets. Ontario’s leading the way, with Alberta not far behind.
People’s mobile betting habits, a surprisingly strong love for basketball and ever-climbing revenues all point one way: That this isn’t stopping anytime soon.
