The History of Sports Betting in Canada: From Ancestral Games to the Modern Era

1. Origins: Indigenous Practices and Early Colonists

Long before the arrival of Europeans, several Indigenous nations engaged in various forms of gambling:

• dice-style games using carved bones among the Iroquois,
• wagers on physical competitions or skill-based games depending on local traditions.
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European settlers introduced their own practices, including:

• horse racing,
• card games, often associated with informal betting.

2. 1867–1892: Progressive Criminalization

After Confederation, the federal government sought to regulate and moralize public activities.

In 1892, the first Criminal Code banned almost all forms of gambling, except for a few charitable lotteries.

Sports betting became largely illegal across the country.

3. 1910–1960: The Rise of Horse Racing

In 1910, Canada legalized pari-mutuel wagering on horse races.

This led to:

• the growth of major racetracks such as Woodbine,
• strict oversight by what would become the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency.

For decades, horse racing remained the only legal form of sports betting in Canada.

4. 1960s–1980s: Partial Decriminalization and the Birth of Lotteries

1969: A Major Turning Point

A revision of the Criminal Code allowed provinces to operate lotteries.

Key developments followed:

• 1970: creation of Loto-Québec,
• 1974: launch of interprovincial lotteries,
• 1976: lotteries helped finance the Montreal Olympic Games.

1985: Increased Provincial Authority

Provinces gained the right to offer parlay-style sports betting products.

This led to the creation of:

• Pro-Line,
• Sports Select,
• and other regional equivalents.

5. 1990s–2010: The Online Betting Boom

The internet transformed gambling habits dramatically.

Canadians gained access to foreign platforms offering:

• single-event betting,
• better odds,
• modern and intuitive interfaces.

This highlighted the limitations of provincial products and increased pressure for regulatory change.

6. 2010–2021: The Long Road to Single-Event Betting

For more than a decade, various legislative efforts tried to legalize single-event sports betting, but they repeatedly failed.

Professional sports leagues initially opposed the idea before reversing their stance after developments in the U.S. in 2018.

7. August 27, 2021: Legalization of Single-Event Sports Betting

In 2021, Bill C-218 was adopted.

On August 27, 2021, provinces officially gained the right to offer single-event sports betting, marking a pivotal moment for the industry.

8. Since 2022: Ontario Opens a Modern and Competitive Market

On April 4, 2022, Ontario became the first province to:

• open a regulated sports betting market to private operators (such as Pinnacle),
• under the supervision of the AGCO and iGaming Ontario.

This model has attracted:

• billions of dollars in annual wagers,
• tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Ontario quickly positioned itself as a regulatory leader in North America.

9. October 15, 2025: The Arrival of Bet2invest.ca, a New Technological Revolution

October 15, 2025 marked the arrival in Canada of Bet2invest.ca, a platform promoted as a major breakthrough in the world of sports betting.

It stands out through its independent certification of tipster performance, relying exclusively on 100% Pinnacle odds, renowned for their accuracy.

Its most striking innovation is its autobetting system: Bet2invest allows users to automatically copy the selections of top-performing tipsters, executed directly on Pinnacle.ca, without any human intervention.

For many industry observers, this level of automation represents a worldwide revolution in how betting strategies are tracked and replicated.

Conclusion

From ancestral Indigenous games to the latest technological innovations, the history of sports betting in Canada has been defined by continuous evolution.

After long periods of prohibition, followed by gradual reopening and rapid modernization, the industry continues to transform through:

• technological innovation,
• regulatory developments,
• and the emergence of advanced platforms like Bet2invest.ca.

The future of sports betting in Canada appears closely tied to technology, transparency, and automation.