Sports bettors have always had it good in British Columbia, one of the first provinces to offer legal sports betting and the very first to offer it online. Now that single-game sports betting is legal in BC and across the country, the future looks even brighter.
PlayNow.com is the British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s online sportsbook, but residents of the province may want to consider other options that offer better odds, promotions, and selection. So which BC sports betting site is the best?
Odds Shark Recommended Betting Sites in BC
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Online Sports Betting BC
Oddsshark is here to help with our breakdown of the best sports betting sites for British Columbia bettors, grading their app user ratings, user experience, live streaming, same game parlays, payout speeds, and more. Our betting experts also identify each sportsbook’s strengths and weaknesses, helping you find the betting site that is the best fit for you.
Sports Betting BC Quick Facts
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How We Rank BC Sportsbooks
No stone goes unturned in our rankings of the top British Columbia sports betting sites, ensuring you find the best — and safest — sportsbook for you.
Our three-layered approach begins with each sportsbook’s nuts and bolts, including critical information about availability in your region, payout options, ratings from mobile app users, and more. We also analyze and rank each sportsbook in six different categories: Bonus Availability, Sports Odds Variety, User Experience, Safety & Security, Regional Availability, and Payout Speed.
Next, an experienced betting expert fact-checks our review to ensure the rankings are based on the most recent and accurate information. Finally, the review is passed onto our publishers, who give the green light to go live.
This thorough quality assurance process is complemented by unique features that help you envision your betting experience before you even sign up. Each review features a bulleted “strengths and weaknesses” category, a section about apps and features, an area that covers customer safety, and a chart that compares that sportsbook to its competitors. That attention to detail is why Odds Shark is considered a premier voice in the sports betting industry, having served as a trusted and reliable source for three decades.
Is Sports Betting Legal in BC?
There may be no province in Canada that has embraced sports betting more than British Columbia. Sports betting became legal in BC in 1985, shortly after Bill C-218 allowed provinces to offer parlay betting on sports, and British Columbia was the first province to feature online sports betting.
PlayNow.com, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)’s online sportsbook, has since been adopted by several other provinces, and it remains the home to regulated single-game sports betting in British Columbia. However, British Columbia sports bettors
Major moments in sports betting regulation in BC
1985
Following an amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code that allowed provincial lotteries to offer multi-leg (parlay) sports betting, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) was formed to oversee and regulate sports betting, casino betting, and lotteries in the province.
1991
The BCLC launched Sports Action, a retail sportsbook that accepts multi-leg (parlay) sports betting. Over the years, Sports Action would add two- and three-outcome wagering, point spreads, over/under, props, and Toto — a popular game in which players would predict the outcome of 11, 12, or 13 games and win or share a prize pool if all their predictions were correct.
2004
PlayNow.com is launched in British Columbia, making BC the first Canadian lottery corporation to operate its online gambling platform. PlayNow.com would also eventually be used for online sports betting in Manitoba (2013) and Saskatchewan (2022) through partnerships with those province’s governments.
2010
PlayNow.com adds online blackjack, craps, and roulette to its platform, making it the first website in North America to offer legal, regulated online casino games.
2021
Single-game sports betting was added to PlayNow.com’s offerings after the passage of Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, which made it possible for provinces to offer single-game sports betting.
2024
BCLC announces that Sports Action will be retired in May, promising to launch a new digital way to bet on sports at retail within a few months. The new retail sportsbook will mark the first time that single-event betting has been offered at retail locations in BC.
BC Sports Betting Tips
Whether it’s professional teams in Vancouver, national favorites in baseball and basketball, local minor league teams, or pro squads in neighboring states, there’s no shortage of action to bet on in British Columbia. But before you start wagering your hard-earned cash on which way the puck or ball will bounce tonight, there are a few golden rules that all sports bettors should follow.
The most important thing is to understand that anything can happen in sports, so you should never get carried away. Determine the maximum amount of money that you could afford to lose without it drastically affecting your life (otherwise known as a sports betting bankroll) and then wager a small percentage on that bankroll on every bet you place. Many professionals won’t risk more than 1-2% of their bankroll on a single bet, focusing more on the big picture than making money every day, week, or month.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re constantly looking for the best possible odds (having funded accounts at many different sportsbooks can help), following the latest injury news, monitoring how the betting lines change leading up to the game and using the best British Columbia sports betting sites.
With those tips in mind, you’re ready to get in on the action. The hottest bet in British Columbia is the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, but the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions are also consistently in the hunt for the Grey Cup and a popular side-to-back for BC residents.
The Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays are the province’s darlings in the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, although some southern BC residents also have an affection for MLB’s Seattle Mariners due to their location in the Pacific Northwest. Speaking of Seattle, the Seahawks are a common team for BC sports bettors to support on NFL Sundays and the NHL’s Kraken has quickly become one of the Canucks’ fiercest rivals.
Rounding out the BC sports betting scene are five Western Hockey League squads, Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Canadian Premier League’s Vancouver FC. Given how many teams reside in Canada’s most western province, no wonder BC has been so influential in the push for legalized online sports betting across the country.
BC Lotteries and Casinos
Oversight and regulation of legalized gambling in BC is provided by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which was founded shortly after the Canadian Criminal Code was amended in 1985 to allow provincial lotteries to offer multi-leg sports betting. In addition to its signature PlayNow.com online platform that was launched in 2004, the BCLC hosts gambling facilities in 33 communities across the province, featuring nearly 14,000 slot machines and 500 table games.
Anyone 19 years and older is allowed to gamble in BC at casinos, horse racing tracks and teletheatres, bingos, community gaming centers, lottery retailers, or at a licensed gambling event held in a community. Money generated by gambling in British Columbia is used to provide key services to residents of the province, ranging from health care and education to economic development throughout BC.
How to Sign Up at a BC Sportsbook
Choose the best sportsbook for you: Playnow.com is the only provincially-regulated betting site in BC, but other online sportsbooks provide more betting options, not to mention generous signup bonuses. Read our sportsbook reviews to determine which betting site is the best choice for you.
Sign up: Signing up for a sportsbook requires providing personal information that confirms your location and protects your identity.
Pick your bonus: PlayNow and other legal betting sites often offer welcome bonuses (or signup bonuses) to attract new customers. These sports betting promos can vary throughout the year, so make sure you keep checking our reviews to capitalize on the best time to sign up. It’s also wise to sign up at multiple betting sites in order to cash in on as many bonuses as you can.
Make your deposit: The arrival of legalized sports betting in Canada has made it much easier to fund your sportsbook account. In fact, you may be able to send money via Interac e-transfer! Consult our sportsbook reviews for a detailed list of banking options available at each betting site.
Place your bet: Now that you’ve got money in your sportsbook account, you’re ready to get in the action! Check out the many different ways to bet on tonight’s game, ensure you’re getting the best possible odds, and don’t risk more than you can afford to lose.
Withdraw your winnings: It’s much easier to win your bet when you can wager on one game at a time. If you picked a winner on your first try, you’ll be able to withdraw your winnings just as easily as you made your deposit. (Just make sure that if you got a signup bonus, you’ve met any rollover requirements associated with the promotion before requesting your first withdrawal.)
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