Esports betting - How to bet on Esports in Canada

In the esports scene, players are considered professionals as they vie for prestigious titles from renowned game tournaments. There are a lot of players who participate in these competitions and most of them come from various countries. Among the countries that have active players and teams on several esports games is Canada.

Like other countries, many Canadian gamers are fond of esports betting on online bookmakers like Bitcasino. By checking the odds from time to time, punters have a better idea of how their favourite teams are performing and have higher chances of making successful bets. To ensure you make wise betting decisions, find out everything you need to know on how esports betting works in Canada when you read this article.

Popular games Canadians love betting on 

There are several games that Canadians love playing and betting on. In these games, Canadian players get to showcase their impressive playing skills that prove why they have promising odds on online bookies like Bitcasino. The popular games in Canada’s esports industry that you need to know are the following:

Call of Duty 

Activision's Call of Duty is a first-person shooter (FPS) game that was first released in 2003 and made its esports debut in 2006. With its massive popularity, many players try to qualify for this game’s tournament known as the Call of Duty Championship. During the competition, qualified players can participate in either 3v3 or 6v6 challenges.

Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow is known as the most popular CoD player in Canada, especially after he became the first three-time Call of Duty Championship winner in 2013, 2014, and 2017. He also earned a gold medal at the Major League Gaming (MLG) X Games in 2015 where he played Call of Duty with OpTic Gaming.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) 

Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is another popular esport in Canada. In this multiplayer game, two teams need to compete against each other in objective-based game modes. 

This game is known for being one of the most popular and highest-grossing games on Steam. It also hosts the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships, which features several players from all over the world.

Canada hosts several local CS:GO tournaments such as the BashFest, DreamHack Open Montreal, and Northern Arena. By having impressive CS:GO players, people became familiar with players like Keith ‘Naf’ Markovic, Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken, and Peter ‘Stanislaw’ Jarguz. 

Fortnite

Fortnite was published in 2017 by Epic Games. This game features three different game modes but Fortnite Battle Royale is the most popular in the esports industry.

The Fortnite World Cup, their official competition, was first hosted in 2019 and quickly became known for having one of the richest prize pools in esports history. There are two primary events in the initial tournament: one for solo players and the other for duo players. 

In 2021, 15-year-old Canadian player Vincent ‘PaMstou’ Fortin won the Fortnite All-Stars tournament and took home the massive prize of $75,000. This isn’t the first time that a Canadian player bagged home the massive game’s prize pool as Hayden ‘Elevate’ Krueger won $1.2 million in 2019. 

Defence of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2) 

Dota 2 is a popular MOBA game developed by Valve released in 2013. It is the follow-up game of Dota which served as a model for subsequent games.

The International (TI), Valve's official Dota 2 tournament, has set the record for esports prize pools for the past years. The 2011 tournament had a prize pool of only $1.6 million. The prize pool for this crowdfunded tournament began to increase in 2013, making it the most successful esports event in history. In 2021, the prize pool has already surpassed $40 million.

Aside from TI, Canadian esports punters are also fond of betting on the odds of other local Dota 2 tournaments like the Dota 2 Canada Cup. Whenever any tournaments take place, punters look forward to seeing players like Artour ‘Arteezy’ Babaev, Kurtis ‘Aui_2000’ Ling, and Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn.

League of Legends

League of Legends (LoL), developed by Riot Games, is another famous game in the esports industry. In this game, battles are fought between two teams of five players each. Their goal is to defend their turret or tower while attempting to occupy the territory of their opponents. 

Given that LoL has 12 major leagues that compete internationally, this game is frequently referred to as one of the world's largest esports. Also, there are local leagues dedicated to the sport worldwide. Some of them are the Red Bull Solo Q Canada and Canada Esports League Championship. 

Popular Canadian esports teams 

Canada has produced several impressive esports teams throughout the years. Here are some of the best Canadian esports teams players should check out:

Evil Geniuses

Evil Geniuses is one of the oldest professional gaming groups in North America. They started in 1997 when they were just a Quake clan in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

This organisation features teams that compete in several games like: 

• Call of Duty
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
• Dota 2
• Fortnite Battle Royale
• Halo
• League of Legends
• StarCraft II
• Rocket League
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
• World of Warcraft

Evil Geniuses is in partnership with Bitcasino. Therefore, punters who are fans of this impressive organisation can expect to see the best odds for this team when they engage in esports betting on Bitcasino. 

Some of this team’s most popular players include Artour ‘Arteezy’ Babaev and Kurtis ‘Aui_2000’ Ling for Dota 2, Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow for Call of Duty, and Jason ‘WildTurtle’ Tran for League of Legends. 

Vancouver Titans

In 2019, the Vancouver Titans joined the Overwatch League as an expansion team. They quickly gained popularity after finishing as league finalists that same year. As representatives of Vancouver and British Columbia, they primarily compete in Western Division competitions.

The Vancouver Titans are owned by Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the same corporation that owns the National Lacrosse League's Vancouver Warriors and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. By achieving 19 wins in a row in 2019, they are recognized as the team with the longest regular-season match win in Overwatch history. 

Some of this team’s best Canadian Overwatch players include Nick ‘False’ Wiseman, Randal ‘Roolf’ Stark, and Abtin ‘ShRedLock’ Shirvani. 

Luminosity Gaming

Luminosity Gaming is a North American esports team formed by Steve Buyaka Maida in Canada in 2015. Some of the games in which this organisation has active competing teams are: 

• Call of Duty
• CS: GO
• Overwatch
• Valorant
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege 
• Super Smash Bros.
• Fortnite
• Apex Legends 

It is now one of the world's most well-known esports organisations with the most profitable CS: GO squad in Canada with a total earnings of $1.4 million. Their other esports teams have also earned massive amounts for their impressive performances.

Some of the best Canadian Luminosity Gaming players include Nicholas ‘Nick Eh 30’ Amyoony and Rocky ‘RockyNoHands’ Stoutenburgh for Fortnite, and Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel for Overwatch. 

Tips for a smooth esports betting experience in Canada

Winning with every esports bet is not always guaranteed but there are ways how punters can ensure that they’ll enjoy every winning opportunity. Punters, even rookies, can keep these tips in mind for a quality betting experience. Here are some of them: 

Know the games

Punters will know more about their chosen esports games by either playing the games or watching live streams regularly. By getting a better feel of their chosen games, they’ll be able to make better predictions since they already have insights about the game. This will also give them an idea of which teams or players are strategizing better in the game, thus helping them to determine who is worth betting on or not.

Bet on several esports tournaments

Most bettors only wager on major tournaments since they offer higher payouts and better stakes. However, it is also important for punters to try betting on minor tournaments since they are fun to watch. 

Monitor wins and losses 

Keeping track of bets in esports games is one of the most challenging tasks for bettors. For best results, punters should stop betting when they already lost three or five times in a row. They should also keep in mind that they should never chase their losses and keep record their wins and wagers to monitor their bankroll properly.

Is it legal to bet in Canada? 

Online betting is considered legal in Canada, albeit with several mild restrictions, compared to other countries. Since every province in the country is given the authority to regulate online gambling, Canada became one of the main contributors of the iGaming sector.

In most cases, bettors are restricted to wagering on sports but not on esports. Given that there are no strict regulations concerning this industry, players can now engage themselves in esports betting on Bitcasino as much as they can. 

By making an account, punters can easily see the odds that they can use as reference when placing bets for their favourite players and teams.

Types of bets 

By visiting online bookmakers like Bitcasino, Canadian players will see the odds for the different teams competing for various esports competitions. Punters can also place different types of bets online, thus giving them better chances of winning. With that, here are some of the bet types punters can place when esports betting with Bitcasino. 

Outright bets 

With outright bets, punters can wager on the overall outcome of a tournament or competition. More often than not, outright betting odds can provide esports betting Canadian punters with impressive payouts. With this, punters can predict who they think would be the winner for competitions like the LoL’s Worlds or Dota 2’s The International.

Pre-match bets 

Pre-match bets are another type of bet that is usually preferred by punters. This type of bet is placed before a tournament starts. So, esports fans can easily place bets for several markets even before the matches take place. This type of bet can easily be placed by Canadian punters when betting in Bitcasino. 

Live bets 

Another type of bet punters players love to place are live bets, which as the name suggests, are placed while the matches are in play. Many Canadian punters are fond of placing these as the odds get more reliable because they’re based on the actual progress being made.

Live betting markets are usually the same markets that were available for pre-match bets. The only difference is that the odds are subject to change as the game continues. Thus, adding more thrill to punters who bet and stream at the same time. 

Payment methods accepted when betting in Canada 

When betting in Bitcasino, punters can conveniently place their bets because there are several payment methods available. Some of these are:

Credit/debit cards

Debit and credit cards are the most accepted payment method by most online bookies like Bitcasino. So, it's no surprise that Canadian esports bettors love using their Canadian dollars to bet.

Bank transfers 

A bank transfer is another standard payment method for esports betting in Canada. By using this method, punters’ funds are transmitted straight from an individual's bank account to Bitcasino.

Neteller 

Another payment method accepted in online bookies like Bitcasino is Neteller, a credible e-wallet most punters also use. Even though it isn't as globally accepted as PayPal, several Canadian punters prefer using this because of its highly reputable service. 

PayPal 

PayPal is a global payment system that has established itself over the years. This e-wallet is highly preferred by esports punters for the convenience it provides. With PayPal, punters are guaranteed that their bets and any deposits will be reflected promptly into their betting accounts.

Cryptocurrencies

Esports betting with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) is also becoming popular in the esports betting scene. By using these digital currencies to place bets, punters are ensured of a safe, secure, and speedy betting experience. Aside from BTC, other cryptocurrencies that are accepted in Bitcasino are Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Tether (USDT).

These are just some facts that Canadian punters need to know when esports betting with Bitcasino. By learning more about the extent of the industry and how appealing it is to players and punters, Canadians can be more eager to place bets on their favourite teams and athletes. 

More importantly, they can be more engaged in watching their anticipated esports matches as they hope for the best results that are in favour of the bets they’ve placed. So, to have the best betting experience, start betting on Bitcasino to join in the fun and see how thrilling esports betting is!

Words by: Kyra Jimenez