A few years ago, sports betting was something many Canadians associated with office pools or the occasional trip to a sportsbook. Today, it is much easier to place a bet on everything from an NHL game to a UFC title fight without leaving home.

Ontario’s regulated gaming market recorded $82.7 billion in wagers during the 2024-25 fiscal year, including $11.4 billion in sports betting wagers. Those numbers offer a useful snapshot of what Canadians are actually betting on.

Hockey remains Canada’s betting heavyweight

No sport is tied more closely to Canadian identity than hockey. Fans spend months following playoff races, debating line combinations and analyzing matchups. Betting naturally becomes part of those conversations for some supporters.

Big events tend to generate the most attention. The Canada-USA championship game at the 4 Nations Face-Off set a record for hockey betting activity at BetMGM, surpassing previous NHL betting records. That result was not particularly surprising. International tournaments and Stanley Cup playoff games often attract casual fans alongside regular bettors, creating spikes in interest that few sports can match.

A Leafs fan and an Oilers fan may disagree on almost everything, but both are likely to pay closer attention when their team is playing. That personal connection is part of what keeps hockey at the centre of so many betting conversations.

Football brings national and cross-border interest

Football occupies a unique place in Canadian sports culture. The CFL remains an important part of the sporting calendar, particularly during the summer months, while the NFL dominates television audiences throughout the autumn and winter.

Football gives fans an entire week to debate what might happen next. Injuries, team news and potential matchups are talked about for days before the game finally arrives. By kickoff, plenty of people have already made up their minds about how things will unfold.

The Super Bowl remains one of the largest betting events of the year. Even people who rarely place sports wagers may participate when a major championship game arrives. That broad appeal helps football maintain its place among Canada’s most popular betting sports.

Basketball’s rise has been hard to miss

Ask a group of sports fans what they are betting on this week and basketball is far more likely to come up than it was ten years ago.

The Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship introduced new fans to the league, but interest has remained strong long after the celebrations ended. The NBA schedule also creates a steady stream of betting opportunities. Games take place almost every day during the regular season, giving fans constant access to new matchups and player performances.

The numbers back that up. iGaming Ontario identified basketball among the sports generating significant betting activity during the 2024-25 reporting period, alongside hockey, football, soccer and baseball.

The sports gaining ground

Hockey, football and basketball attract much of the attention, but they are no longer the whole story. Soccer continues to benefit from growing interest in European leagues, international tournaments and the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams. Baseball remains popular thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays and the long Major League Baseball season.

Combat sports have also found a dedicated audience. UFC events regularly generate discussion across social media and sports broadcasts, particularly when championship fights feature well-known names. Tennis, golf and motorsports attract betting interest throughout the year as major tournaments move from one country to another.

The range of sports available today has expanded significantly as well. Resources such as SportsbookReview, which provides a list of offers alongside sportsbook comparisons and betting information for Canadian users, illustrate how many leagues and competitions are now available to bettors. A fan can follow a local hockey team one evening and a European soccer match the next.

Ten years ago, fewer Canadians would have been discussing a UFC title fight one weekend and a Champions League match the next. Today, that feels completely normal.

What betting habits say about Canadian sports fans

People generally bet on the sports they already watch. The same factors that drive television audiences, ticket sales and online discussion tend to influence betting activity as well.

A hockey fan may place a wager because they already follow every game. A basketball fan may feel confident betting on player performances after watching the league all season. People tend to feel more comfortable betting on sports they already understand.

Those habits reflect bigger changes in how Canadians consume sports. Fans are no longer limited by geography or television schedules. Like many of the updates people now access through digital platforms, sports can be followed from almost anywhere in real time.

Hockey remains deeply connected to Canada’s betting culture, but it no longer stands alone. Football continues to attract large audiences, basketball has carved out a bigger place in the market and sports such as soccer, baseball and UFC are drawing attention from a growing number of fans. The games filling sports bars, group chats and living rooms are usually the ones attracting the most betting attention as well.