he Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act was the real game changer for six Canadian provinces, including Manitoba. At the end of August 2021, an important change in the legislation of the country allowed for legal sports betting. The amendment is known as Bill C-218.
Obviously, such important changes had the potential to change the betting scene in the regions they were to meant to have an effect. While only a year and a half had passed, there are notable improvements in the revenue from this sector in each of the six provinces, Manitoba included.
The all-new legislation allowing single-game sports betting in Manitoba took effect immediately after August 27, 2021 – the day when it became active. The MBLL (Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries) immediately gave everyone interested in sports betting the chance to engage in such activities. This was possible thanks to the popular PlayNow Sportsbook platform.
This online betting portal is regulated by each province, and there are differences when it comes to the rules a user must comply with before joining the fun. Currently, the PlayNow site is the only one that has been granted legal status, but there are several offshore rivals that offer equal services and features. In the near future, other operators might be regulated by the MBLL as well, but we have yet to witness that.
Sports betting at a glance
Manitoba is the fifth-largest Canadian province in terms of population. With more than 1,3 million people, it’s also a lucrative market for online betting platforms. Not only that, but this province has the lowest age requirement in all of Canada. Unlike Ontario and British Columbia, for example (where the minimum age requirement is 19), you need to be 18 if you want to bet on sports in Manitoba.
There are no retail sportsbooks (similar to B.C.), but the important fact is that online sports betting has been legal since mid-2021. Its sports betting revenue figures are not as impressive as the ones that Ontario and B.C. boast, but the local market is picking up speed.
How we rate Manitoba’s sportsbooks
Regardless of the region, province, or country, we always use a similar methodology when we need to rate sports betting websites. There are a few simple aspects that need to be taken into account before rating the available sites:
- Promo offers and welcome bonuses: Not all sportsbooks boast hefty welcome bonuses or a plethora of promos for existing players, but they don’t really need to. It’s the mechanism behind the rewards that counts, and not their sheer value
- Variety of banking methods and payout terms: Some betting sites would delay withdrawals for too long or refuse a payout occasionally, which is unacceptable. Others would not be able to offer the best banking options. We consider the best possible variety of listed payment options and the most reasonable payout terms
- Number of features and unique perks: Some sports betting sites have it all: the cash out options, the live streaming features, and so forth. The more perks a betting platform has, the more likely it is to be competitive
- Private data and banking details security: Top-rated betting sites offer immaculate security when it comes to personal details and sensitive information. The prevention of theft and loss is always a must
Is sports betting legal in Manitoba?
In short: yes, it’s legal to bet on sports in Manitoba. It has been present as a service in this province for nearly ten years or so thanks to the PlayNow online platform, developed by the BCLC (British Columbia Lottery Corporation). But it has always been available through the in-person locations provided by the WCLC (Western Canada Lottery Corporation).
As mentioned above, single-game sports betting dropped from the list of prohibited activities in the Criminal Code in August 2021 and became legal. Immediately after this happened, Sport Select announced the single-event betting option. The latter became available later the same year – in November.
The MBLL might decide to welcome other operators and their betting sites. There have been some announcements related to this, but we don’t have specific information about whether this is going to happen, and when.
Manitoba sports betting updates
There are plenty of important and even pivotal moments in the history of sports betting in Manitoba, including the most recent updates. The ones worth mentioning are listed below.
2022
- January 11: MBLL announced that Manitoba has the will to develop its iGaming sector and bring it to the next level
2021
- November 1: Sport Select allowed single-event betting as part of the services available on its sports betting platform
- August 27: Single-game betting was officially allowed for the first time in Manitoba thanks to the PlayNow platform, just 15 days after Bill C-218 was announced to come into effect. This was the most important moment of them all
- June 22: Bill C-218 was approved by the Senate just a couple of months after it was proposed for the first time
Who can bet on sports in Manitoba?
The fact that Manitobans have the official right to single-event sports bets comes with certain requirements and rules. The most important of them all is the age requirement that we already mentioned. In Manitoba, the lowest legal age to wager on sports is 18, which means you don’t need to wait until you become 19 to legally place a bet on your favorite sport.
Those who can bet on sports are welcome to do it through the WCLC retailer network if they prefer the offline way. For the rest who would like to opt for online sports betting, there are a few important aspects they should take into account.
Online single-game bets can be placed using the PlayNow Sportsbook platform via any device. The platform, as mentioned above, is regulated by the MBLL in Manitoba. There is a key aspect that’s of crucial importance: location. To be able to create an account and place a bet, every user needs to be on Manitoba’s territory. The convenience of being able to register from a random location is undisputed.
Everyone who is eligible to bet on sports in Manitoba would be happy to know that all their winnings are not taxable. It’s the same with all types of income gained from gambling activities in the country.
The pros and cons of Manitoba sports betting
There are some things related to sports betting in Manitoba that are considered to be advantages, and then there are other aspects that are referred to as downsides. This is inevitable, as this industry has yet to be developed further.
Given the above, it’s no surprise that there still aren’t any specifically regulated options in this province. PlayNow is the only regulated option available if a user wants to wager on sports events online.
Pros of sports betting in Manitoba
- Single-event sports betting is available since August 2021
- The PlayNow Sportsbook platform has been accessible shortly after this type of bet was legalised
- All profits from sports betting are tax-free
Cons of sports betting in Manitoba
- There aren’t many regulated options for bettors who want to choose between several platforms
- Only Manitoba residents can take advantage of the single regulated sports betting platform – PlayNow
How to start betting in Manitoba?
Being able to place a bet on numerous sports teams, individual players, events, and tournaments is awesome, and Manitobans have the chance to do all of that. It’s not a difficult process, and it only requires a few simple and easy steps.
Getting started requires registration, but choosing a betting platform is the most important part of them all. Except for the PlayNow platform, users can pick one of the several offshore betting sites that are currently accessible. Some of them pose risks, but there are ways to verify if a platform is trustworthy or not. The perfect choice should be based on the advice given above: a proper betting site needs to offer plenty of features and bonuses, and it needs to be safe and easy to use (having immaculate customer support is a must).
When you choose a sportsbook to join, you’ll need to create a new account. Usually, the whole registration ordeal lasts a couple of minutes from start to finish, and its fairly straightforward, too. The main requirement is a matter of geolocation. To create an account and bet on sports, you need to physically be within Manitoba’s borders.
If you choose the best sports betting platform of them all, you will enjoy plenty of welcome bonuses and promotions for existing players. Once you register, you will need to claim the former.
After the steps above have been cleared, you’ll need to deposit funds before you’ll be ready to bet some of them on your favorite sport and event. It’s important for the deposit and withdrawal processes to happen fast. They should also be free, at least in most cases.
When you’re ready to bet for the first time, you will have to choose the bet type that works best for you. Since we’re talking about single-event sports betting, you will be able to choose from parlays, totals, futures, spreads, and live bets, to name a few.
Once you’ve done everything so far, the only thing left to do would be to actually place a bet. After the action takes place, you’ll likely enjoy your winnings, as long as your guess was right. To be able to score more winnings, you will need to learn to read the odds.
What else can you bet on in Manitoba?
When you’re into betting, you might want to expand the scope and bet on different kinds of events rather than just stick to sports. This is possible in Manitoba. There are exciting options that are all great alternatives to the classic sports betting activities. The reason why they exist is the sheer desire of bettors to be presented with a wider variety of betting options. It’s all a matter of demand and supply.
The available alternative betting options that are not related to sports include:
- Award ceremonies and similar events: Being able to guess the winner in a given discipline or category is just as exciting as trying to come up with the winner in a hockey match. This is why non-sports events betting exists. Using this option, you will be able to wager on movie awards and other similar events
- Politics: When the time for elections comes every once in a while, you will be able to bet on the outcome of every such case. Both U.S. and Canadian political events are available for betting
- eSports: This category is not that far from traditional sports, as it also involves betting on individual players, teams, single events, tournaments, and so forth. eSports have become wildly popular in the last decade, and being able to wager on them seems natural
Legal sportsbooks in Manitoba
The same sportsbook that is offered in B.C. is also available in Manitoba: PlayNow. All other options are currently offshore sites, making this the only truly regulated option available to you. While some of these sites are reliable, others are too dubious to even think about registering with them. Data security and protection should be your top priority when it comes to online betting; jeopardizing it, for instance, in exchange for alluring welcome incentives, is never worthwhile.
Home team advantage: Manitoba sports
When it comes to Manitoba sports events, teams, and players, all of them have the advantage always. Local bettors would favor the teams, sports, and athletes they know and love, so it is hardly a surprise to anyone that hockey is one of the most popular sports Manitobans bet on. NHL and AHL are super popular, alongside all the local teams that compete in both of them. Other popular leagues and tournaments that are heavily popular on the betting scene in Manitoba are the CFL, NBA, NFL, MLB, and so forth.
Provincial betting guides
The importance of understanding all the rules and regulations of each region where betting is allowed is unprecedented. It can be the difference between having fun and getting into trouble. This is why it always pays off to read all the specifics related to sports betting in all the provinces where it’s currently permitted.
Provinces such as Manitoba, B.C., Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario all have differences when it comes to sports betting. This is why you should know the ones related to the region you’re interested in.
It’s true that the majority of rules and regulations in all the provinces where sports betting is legal are more or less the same, but it’s always the details that matter the most. One of the best examples for that is the minimum age requirement. While some of the provinces have set the legal age for betting to be 18 years, others have decided to set this threshold at 19 years. Not being aware of such details can cause issues you don’t want to experience.
Sportsbooks to avoid in Manitoba
Of all the important perks of sports betting sites, you should read between the lines and focus on not only the important stuff and the must-haves, but also on the downsides you need to avoid. There are plenty of red flags to look out for.
Some of the sites you should be careful with can be distinguished easily. Here’s what you should look out for:
- Do your research and make sure that the betting site you want to join has been properly licenced by at least one internationally known entity: If there is no trace of licences or certificates, then the rational thing to do would be to walk away
- When you’re researching and comparing facts and reviews, you need to pay special attention to the payout times. Users usually share their experience, and if you notice too many complaints, then steer away as well
- Since customer support matters a lot, especially for new players, it would be best to check if the user feedback on this is positive or not
- Don’t forget to check if the sportsbook you pick offers client accounts with CAD. Not being able to have a CAD account may be a problem for locals
All in all, you will never waste time or resources if you choose an offshore sports betting site that has it all: a good reputation, an international presence, plenty of features and betting options, hefty welcome bonuses and prizes, and so forth.
