Ontario stands as one of the most popular Canadian provinces for football. If you’re in OT, you can bet on football betting sites as you follow the matches, and my aim here is to help you pick the best ones.
The Heartland Province has a rife betting market, thanks to regulations by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). As an expert, I’ve wagered on several sites, and the best from my reviews are bet365, BetMGM, 888Sport, and Tonybet. Read on as I explain why these bookmakers stand out for football betting in Ontario and other notable info.
For the record, I didn’t pick my best Ontario betting sites for football by chance. On the contrary, I carefully evaluated each sportsbook and its features. I took factors like licensing, league coverage, markets, odds, and overall user experience into consideration. Based on the final scores after my analysis, here are the top four football bookies to go for as an OT punter:
With a history stretching since 2000, bet365 is one of the most reputable sportsbooks in Ontario. Hence, I wasn’t surprised to find that the site is a rich hub for football betting. During my review, I found all popular leagues, including the NFL, CFL, and NCAAF. For all the top games, I found moneylines, spreads, and totals, among others.
One interesting feature I leveraged on bet365 is the Same Game Parlay (SPG). The SPG option allowed me to combine multiple markets in the same football game into a single bet. This is quite similar to the Bet Builder on other Canadian sportsbooks, but bet365’s setup is easier to use.
BetMGM offers dedicated Android and iOS sports betting apps for Ontarians. From my firsthand experience, it’s the best app you can lay hands on for football betting online. I installed the app on my iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the experience was smooth. My wagers were mainly on the CFL, but BetMGM also offers the NFL, College Football, and the UFL.
Notably, I was quite impressed with the futures betting market on BetMGM. The sportsbook app allowed me to stake on the Super Bowl and NFL conference winners way before the season even started. In my opinion, the futures are worth checking out if you’re a fan of long-term bets.
I evaluated the odds for all the football bookies in OT on my list, and 888Sport gave me the most competitive returns. Specifically, the average margin for top NFL and CFL games is around 4.40% to 4.50%. Hence, if you nail your predictions, you can score 95.5% to 96.6% payouts on your stakes. I found 20+ for most games at the time of my review. You can expect all the major ones, including full-time and half results.
Tonybet joined the market in April 2022, making it one of the new football betting sites in Ontario. While reviewing the sportsbook, nothing impressed me more than the in-play betting section. As you’d expect, the section allows you to wager on ongoing football games. I was particularly hyped about the detailed real-time stats, which made it easier to make predictions.
From my calculations, the in-play odds on Tonybet CA have margins of up to 7%. That’s quite high, but it’s the norm because live markets are highly volatile. If your in-play predictions click, you’ll score a 93% payout on average, which is still decent. I must mention that Tonybet offers a mobile app, and I recommend installing it for a more seamless live betting experience.
Yes, football betting sites are totally legal in The Heartland Province as long as they have a license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Offshore bookies regulated in other countries are a no-go.
Based on my research, OT officially launched its regulated sports betting market on April 4th, 2022. Before then, OT bettors, along with other CA punters, were stuck with parlay-only wagers for quite many years. This was due to Section 207(4)(b) of the Criminal Code, which banned single-game sports betting.
However, things changed on August 27th, 2021, when Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, came into force. Personally, I was elated by the news, as it scrapped the parlay-only rule and gave provinces the green light to regulate single-game bets. Ontario wasted no time in implementing the regulation.
As you kick off your football betting journey in Ontario, you must know the leagues where things happen. These are where you’ll get the most stats for detailed research and analysis, which helps you make better predictions. I’ve discussed them below:
I always refer to the NFL as the gold standard for football betting. To be upfront, no other sports league is more popular than NFL in North America. While it’s a US league, the NFL still commands a major audience in Ontario and all of Canada.
The NFL starts with 18 weeks of regular-season action between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. Then, it moves to the high-stakes playoffs and Super Bowl. Thanks to this setup, I’m never short of markets to wager on on NFL betting sites in Ontario. Rest assured that the top bookmakers I recommend cover all the games.
The CFL doesn’t get as much global attention as the NFL, no doubt. However, if you’re in Ontario or anywhere else in Canada, you can’t skip this league. I mean, it’s the true National League for Canucks. From my experience, betting on the CFL also provides better edges.
You see, CFL rules allow three downs instead of four, as in the NFL. Also, the field is wider, and there’s a 20-second play clock. As a result, the CFL is faster-paced, with relatively more goals than the NFL. I always capitalize on the explosive offensive plays when top-performing teams clash.
Simply known as college football, I’ll say the NCAAF is the wild card of football betting. It’s a league with over 130 FBS teams, which is nothing but massive. Due to the high number of teams and games, bookies often struggle to set perfect lines.
When betting on college football in Ontario, I’ve observed that the odd margins can shift dramatically based on different factors. This is unlike the NFL and CFL, where lines usually tighten. Therefore, if you’re a savvy punter like me, you can find soft spots and capitalize on them.
This is the most recent league on my list, but it’s already drawing attention on top football betting sites in Canada. The UFL started in 2024 after a merger of the XFL and USFL, and it’s all about spring football. Since it’s new, OT bookmakers don’t have years of data to set lines. Hence, UFL betting markets can be volatile.
In football betting, you’re not just picking winners. The top four bookies on my list display a variety of markets, such that you can make any prediction. I’ve highlighted the popular ones below so you know where to start:
As an expert, I recognize point spreads as the number one market for football betting. The same applies when I use Ontario hockey betting sites. Instead of staking on who wins the game, you pick a team to cover the spread. The spread is simply a number of points set by the sportsbook, which a favorite must win by or an underdog must stay within.
To illustrate, I once bet on a game where the Kansas City Chiefs are -6.5 against the Denver Broncos. This means the Chiefs must win by at least seven points to cover the spread. On the flip side, if you bet on the Broncos (+6.5), they can lose by six or less, and you still cash your bet.
Here’s the simplest market on the best football betting sites in Ontario. You just have to pick who wins. The odds show the probability of each team coming on top, and the favourites get the negative (-), while the underdogs are positive (+).
For example, suppose the Toronto Argonauts are -200 against the BC Lions at +170. In that case, a $200 bet on the Argonauts would win $100, while a $100 bet on the Lions would win $170. It’s that straightforward.
In this market, you’re betting on the combined score of both teams. It’s one of my favourites because it’s easy to predict when you look at the data. First, the football bookie sets a number; then, you bet on whether the final score will be higher or lower than it.
My Totals bet on bet365 during my review of the best betting sites for football was on an NFL game at 48.5. I bet over, meaning I’m expecting the teams to score more than 48. If I had selected under, it means I win if the teams score less than 48.
Props are extremely popular in football betting, especially during in-play action. These wagers focus on specific player stats, and here are the top five from my expertise:
| Prop Market | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Player Touchdowns | Bet on whether a specific player will score a touchdown in a game. Options include Anytime TD Scorer, First TD Scorer, or Multiple TDs. |
| Quarterback Passing Yards | Wager on whether a QB will go over or under a set number of passing yards. |
| Total Receptions | Bet on how many catches a specific wide receiver or tight end will make during the game. |
| Longest Field Goal | Wager on whether the longest successful field goal will be over or under a set distance (e.g., Over 47.5 yards). |
| Defensive/Special Teams TD | Bet on whether there will be a pick-six, fumble return TD, or kick/punt return TD in the game. |
The reason I love props is that you don’t have to worry about the overall game result. Just focus on the players you know best.
I commend the well-regulated nature of football betting in Ontario, with the AGCO in charge. Also, all the best bookmakers I recommend are highly renowned. They offer a variety of betting options, from spreads to moneylines, totals, and props. The only drawback is that, as an OT punter, you can’t legally use international football sportsbooks if you want. These are the pros and cons in summary:
Now, all you have to do is select your best online betting site for football in Ontario from my top list. Any of these sites, whether bet365, BetMGM, 888Sport, or Tonybet, will do the job. When you sign up, make sure you do your research as you wager on the NFL, CFL, and NCAAF. That’s the only way to improve your chances of making correct predictions.
You can bet on football games in Ontario by first selecting a quality sportsbook. Next, you sign up and fund your account. Then, you can visit the football section and click on odds for markets you want to bet. When done, submit and wait for the game results.
The best strategy for football betting is simply research and analysis. You have to look at past and recent games to see how teams perform and apply the insights in your predictions.
The best football betting apps in Ontario are BetMGM, bet365, 88Sport, and Tonybet. These quality sportsbooks offer dedicated mobile apps for Android and iOS users.
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