How to Find the Best Online Sportsbook in Canada for FIFA World Cup
The next football world cup is right around the corner. It’s the biggest showdown of soccer supremacy in the world. Fans have to wait for four long years for each of the installments. Needless to say, the craze is off the charts for such a high-voltage tournament.
Did you know that you can bet on the FIFA World Cup just like all the other tournaments? Many punters wait specifically for this opportunity to bet because the odds are just spectacular. As online sports betting is a completely legal activity in Canada, you might take the chance this season.
Oftentimes, the biggest challenge for a punter is to find the right sportsbook. Options are abundant and it’s not always a good thing. Especially for newcomers. So, we’re going to learn how you can find the perfect online bookmaker for you in Canada. We’re going to apply the techniques we always use to rank online bookmakers in the country.
What is an Online Sportsbook?
The first step of landing the perfect online bookmaker for yourself is to understand what you’re looking for. An online sportsbook is a legal betting platform that allows you to place wagers on selected sports events.
Back in the day, people needed to visit physical betting shops to place bets. The practice was most notable at the horse race tracks. To this day, betting on horse races is considered the most original form still in existence.
It’s not like physical betting shops have gone distinct. They’re still there and operating with a legacy that dates back hundreds of years. But when you have the option to conveniently do it on your smartphone or desktop, would you be willing to visit a physical establishment? The answer is most likely no.
So, an online sportsbook takes care of all the markets and odds for you. All you have to do is find one that offers the sports you’re interested in and sign up. Most online betting sites are very intuitive so there’s virtually no learning curve for the punters.
How to Find the Best Online Sportsbook
We’re aware that you’re on this page reading this piece because you want to bet on the FIFA World Cup. Our header should’ve reflected that. However, the funny thing is that the characteristics of a good online sportsbook will carry over to any sports imaginable. So, we’re taking the holistic route here.
First Things First: The License
Whether you’re in Canada or in a remote corner of the world, you must always bet at a licensed bookmaker. The purpose of the license is to oversee the operations of a betting company. At the same time, it protects your interest by making sure that you’re getting fair odds and secure payment methods.
In Canada, most online bookmakers are licensed by the appropriate provincial governments. Since the passing of the C-218 bill, online gambling has come down to how the provincial governments see it. Ontario has been a pioneer in this regard but other provinces are also making noticeable changes.
Apart from the local licenses, Canadian laws also allow you to bet at offshore sites. These sites are not based in Canada and are not licensed by one of the provincial governments. But it has a valid license. It may be from the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, or the Curacao government. All licenses are still valid.
The Sports Library
Of course, you need to make sure that the online sportsbook you’re going for offers markets for the FIFA World Cup. That’s what you’re looking for in the first place. The question is, are you willing to hang up your punting hat after the World Cup is over?
No, right? In that case, you need to evaluate the sports library of a betting site before you sign up and commit real money. Thankfully, most modern online betting sites in Canada offer a plethora of mainstream sports to choose from.
From American football, soccer, golf, MMA, darts, ice hockey, handball, volleyball, snooker, water polo to politics, everything is fair game when it comes to betting.
At the same time, you should look into what tournaments the operator is offering. A site that offers 30 sports with 1 tournament for each will not hold up against a site that offers 20 sports but at least 2 tournaments for each.
As for now, let’s stick to the FIFA World Cup as your primary agenda.
Online Payment Methods
This is more of a self-search for you as the punter. Most online bookmakers nowadays offer a wide range of payment methods. They surely include local Canadian methods like Interac, iDebit, InstaDebit, and so on.
However, if you don’t have access to them, even a bookmaker with the longest list of payment methods won’t work for you. So, make sure you have at least one mainstream payment method registered in your name before you start betting on the FIFA World Cup.
Customer Support
Last but not least, the quality of customer support is an important criterion for us. And we believe that you should stick to it as well. It’s simply because every time you face a problem with the platform, you’ll need to contact support. If that’s not on point, you’re looking at a lot of lost time. The stress comes as a bonus.
Tips for Betting on FIFA World Cup
The pointers we covered in the previous section apply to all sports you can think of. But let’s not forget that you’re looking for the sportsbook for the FIFA World Cup. We’re yet to come across a betting site foolish enough to skip on this massive tournament. So, you won’t have to deal with such brands in Canada.
But before you sign up, make sure you go through the checklist below.
- Compare odds at multiple sportsbooks for world cup matches. The odds will determine how much you can win so it’s a no-brainer.
- Look at the available markets. The more options you have, the more enjoyable your overall experience will be. Reputed bookmakers will always try to include as many unique markets as possible.
- Just because the bookmakers are pegging Brazil as the favourite, never blindly trust them. Do your own research to figure out which team is most likely to win.