An Ode to Canadian Bettors: How Does Your Behaviour Compare to Other Countries?

Canadians are very proud of their national identity, which includes a specific mindset relating to various types of competitions. Generally seen as laid back, they can still be very fierce when they care about the outcomes enough. This tendency is on full display in the world of sports betting, where individual choices and tendencies can mean the difference between winning and losing. Canadian bettors share some characteristics with those from other nations, yet retain their distinctive identity to a considerable degree and do things their own way.

In appreciation of Canada’s role in the growth of the international betting market, we will try to explain how the players from this country act on betting sites. The following trends, prevalent among people who enjoy using sports betting sites in Canada, set this market apart from any other in the world.

Betting on Uniquely Canadian Sports

Canada is a little peculiar when it comes to sports fandom, as the list of most popular sports looks quite different than everywhere else. The undisputed #1 is ice hockey, which is the case only in Scandinavia. Sports that were invented in Canada or have specific rules in this country are also rated very high – lacrosse and Canadian football have a lot of lifelong fans who like to bet on their favourite teams. US-based competitions such as NFL and MLB are also receiving a lot of bets from the North. Meanwhile, globally dominant sports such as soccer and basketball are only accounting for modest share of the total betting volume. This is why many betting sites have tailor-made offers for Canada that focus on competitions that local punters prefer.

Loyalty to Sports Betting Sites that Offer Fair Odds

A typical bettor in today’s online marketplace tends to move from one site to the next in search of a better deal. That’s not an approach that most Canadians would take, as they are concerned about the trustworthiness of offshore sites and prefer to stay with well-known providers. They can be great clients since they rarely break any rules and remain loyal for as long as they have access to all events they want to bet on and fair odds to win money. That’s not to say Canadians are immune to the allure of a big bonus offer, but in general this is a market that values integrity and stability. Any website that earns their trust can count on a membership that’s in for the long haul, especially if it continues to treat its members with respect and dignity.

Data-based Approach to Betting

Over the past several years, North American sports teams have embraced advanced statistical analysis to a degree that would seem impossible in the past. As a side-effect of this transition, bettors have access to troves of data about player and team performance that can be instrumental for making accurate predictions. Those who take the time to sift through this data and identify the underlying patterns stand a much better chance of winning their sports bets consistently. Savvy Canadian bettors are quickly learning how to find favourable or undervalued bets with this method, which is obviously much better than following hunches or betting on personal favourites. While this approach is gaining acceptance in other parts of the world as well, Canada currently has an edge and is well positioned to maintain it in the foreseeable future.

Low Level of Problematic Gambling

Expansion of the gambling industry has some negative consequences including a rising rates of gambling addiction. Canada is fortunate in this regard, as its rates of problematic gambling are lower than in most other markets with a similar economic status. Only around 0.6% of people who make sports bets have reported signs of compulsive betting, compared to more than 2.5% in the United Kingdom and around 1% in the US. Some of the reasons for this are of institutional nature (i.e. strong regulatory framework, availability of helplines…), but it’s not outrageous to assume that the famed Canadian rationality plays a part. Good results in this area mustn’t be taken for granted, as the rates could spike if the government becomes too complacent about the risks posed by unregulated sports betting.