Nunavut Sports Betting: Top Sportsbooks & Legal Updates

Ranking sportsbooks is a complicated well thought out process our team goes through. Here are the most important factors we consider when putting together out top Canadian betting sites and betting apps.

• Security and trust - Whenever your hard-earned money is involved, you need to be dealing with a company you can trust. This is why we highly value long standing reputable sportsbooks with top-of-the-line security systems put in place.

• Deposit methods - We highly value sportsbooks that accept multiple methods of deposit to accommodate all customers.

• Payouts - We understand not being able to obtain your winnings right away is a frustrating feeling. For this reason, we highly value sportsbooks that have a simple withdrawal process and transfer funds quickly.

• Sports coverage - We don’t just tailor to fans of the big four sports, MyBetting Canada values sportsbooks that have the most offering available. We look for betting sites that have niche sport offering and large prop betting markets.

• Customer support - Issues are bound to arise in any market, but things can become much more frustrating when dealing with money. For this reason, we highly value sites that provide top notch customer support teams available all hours of the day.

• Bonuses and Promotions - Promos are something we highly recommend you take advantage of to increase your bankroll and limit the amount of real money you deposit.

• Features - Features that set some books apart include live streaming, same game parlays, and cash outs.

Sports betting has been legal in Canada since 1985, but customers were restricted to only placing parlay wagers until 2021 when single game sports betting was legalized. Following this, Nunavut introduced the retail betting company Sports Select which remains the only provincially operated sportsbook the territory has to offer.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Nunavut?

Sports betting is legal in Nunavut, and its popularity has increased significantly since Bill C-218 was passed in 2021 legalizing single game sports wagering. This is the most popular form of sports betting, and it opens the market up significantly for Canadian bettors.

The bill was first introduced in 2020, passed in the house of commons in April 2021, approved by the senate and given royal assent on July 2021, and officially declared a law on August 27, 2021.

Who Can Bet on Sports in Nunavut?

Anyone above the age of 19 and located in the territory can legally place sports bets in Nunavut. If you are a resident of Nunavut, you can place bets through Sport Select in person or through offshore brands that operate in the province.

Sport Select is only available to Canadian citizens so if you are coming from out of the country, you will be limited to online offshore books. Options are limited compared to other locations, but one positive takeaway is the province will not tax you on your winnings.

Offshore Sportsbooks in Nunavut?

There are many offshore sportsbooks available to both residents and non-residents of Nunavut. Some of these sportsbooks operate in the grey market as they are not directly regulated by the province, but many are regulated by governing bodies in other jurisdictions. 

If you are looking to begin your online betting career in Nunavut, here are some basic steps to follow:

1. Select your sportsbook of choice - Canadian citizens residing in Nunavut can wager in person through Sport Select or sign up for one of our top ranked offshore brands online.
2. Claim your welcome bonus - The link provided on our list of top-ranking Nunavut sportsbooks will redirect you to their advertised welcome bonus. You are not required to claim the bonus, but we recommend reading through their terms and conditions to determine if it will be beneficial for you.
3. Create your account - Click the signup button on the homepage of your sportsbook of choice and follow the instructions on the screen by entering in the require personal information.
4. Make a deposit - Once you have finalized your account you will have complete access to the sportsbook, but in order to place a wager you must first obtain an account balance by making a deposit.
   
   Select the deposit option on your betting sites homepage and choose your preferred method of payment. Enter in the required banking information, choose the amount of money you wish to deposit, and you should notice your account balance updated almost immediately.
5. Place your first sports bet - Explore the wide range of betting markets Nunavut has to offer and make your first wager. The amount you choose to risk will be subtracted from your account balance immediately, but returned on top of your wagers profit if your bet result is a win.
6. Collect your winnings - You can choose to collect your winnings whenever you please. Some may prefer to wait and build up a large account balance while others may wish to withdrawal immediately.
   
   Locate the withdrawal option on the homepage of your sportsbook, enter in the required banking information, and choose the amount you wish to transfer. Withdrawal times will vary based on your sportsbook and the banking method you select.

Popular Banking Methods

Banking methods offered will vary between sportsbooks, but here are some of the most commonly offered deposit/withdrawal methods on Nunavut’s top betting sites.

PayPal - One of the most widely offered money transferring option in Canada, Paypal is a mobile wallet that requires you to connect to a chequing account or credit card before signing up.

Apple Pay - Offered on IOS devises, Apple Pay is a e-wallet that stores banking information for each of your individual cards. It unfortunately is not widely accepted by Canadian sportsbooks.

Mastercard - One of the most popular credit/debit cards, Mastercard is accepted by almost all sportsbooks but is limited by slow processing times.

Visa - Both Visa credit and debit cards are popular payment methods, but they are restricted by some banks for betting specifically. Visa offers quick processing times unlike Mastercard. 

Bank Transfer - An alternative to digital wallets, bank transfers offer higher withdrawal and deposit amounts. This method provides quick deposit times but is much slower for withdrawals.

Interac - One of the top payment methods for sports betting in Canada, Interac creates seamless transactions to and from your bank account without providing any financial information. Deposits are instantaneous, but withdrawal times often vary.

Popular Sports to Bet on in Nunavut

Here’s a breakdown of Nunavut’s most popular sports.

Hockey - No surprise that Hockey makes this list as Canada’s most popular sport. Nunavut does not play host to any NHL teams, but the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks are the territories most popular squads.

Football - Canada plays host to the CFL which has helped make football incredibly popular throughout the country. Nunavut does not have a CFL team of its own, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are heavily rooted for throughout the territory. When it comes to the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks receive the most love.

Baseball - Despite the cold weather, baseball remains popular throughout Canada as citizens are incredibly loyal to their country’s only MLB team the Toronto Blue Jays.

Basketball - The popularity of Basketball in Canada grew significantly following the Toronto Raptors 2019 championship, the first major sporting title the country has won since the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and 1993 Montreal Canadians. Similarly to the Blue Jays, Canada is incredibly loyal to its only NBA team.

Most Popular Markets

If you are looking to place bet but unsure what exactly to wager on, here are some of the most popular markets being bet on in Nunavut right now.

• Moneyline - One of the most fundamental wagers in the industry, betting on the moneyline simply means betting on which team you believe will win. You will receive a larger payout if you bet on the underdog, whose odds are represented by a plus (+) sign opposed to a negative (-) sign for the favourite.
  
  Example – Jets (-170) vs Canucks (+140)
  
  
  Bet $17 on the Jets to profit $10 and bet $10 on the Canucks to profit $14.

• Point spread - The point spread takes the moneyline a step further by providing score differential stipulations on the wager. This gives those looking to bet on the underdog a high probability of winning.
  
  Example – Raptors -10.5 (-110) vs Pistons +10.5 (-110)
  
  
  The Raptors must win the game by 11 points or more and the Pistons must win the game or lose by 10 points or less.

• Totals - Over/Under wagers allow you to place wagers on the game without the requirement of choosing a winner or loser. A fair number that Vegas believes both teams will combine to score is chosen by an oddsmaker and adjusted throughout the game.
  
  Example - Jays vs. Mariners O 6.5 (-115) / U 6.5 (-105)
  
  
  If you chose over 6.5 both teams will need to combine to score 7 or more runs. If you chose under 6.5 both teams will need to combine to score 6 runs or fewer.

• Player Props - Short for proposition, prop bets have made betting opportunities seem endless with so many statistics to wager on in each sport. In hockey you can wager on goals, assists, points, saves, shots on goal, etc.
  
  Example – Mark Scheifele over 3.5 / under 3.5 shots on net

• Futures - These wagers require patience and are more like long term investments than traditional bets. Results are often determined over long periods of time opposed to standard wagers that are paid out at the end of a game. Common futures bets include season long awards, division winners, if a team will reach the playoffs or not, etc.
  
  Example – Winnipeg Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup (+190)

Other Bets

Here are some of the more niche betting opportunities available to Nunavut residents.

• Esports - One of the largest growing betting industries worldwide, esport competitors have become synonymous with in person athletes in recent years. Top esports organizations sign players to contracts and compete in games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, and Call of Duty.

• Politics -You can wager on both Canadian and American politics in Nunavut through offshore online betting sites, but this is not something available through the territories only licensed brand Sport Select.

• Movie/TV Show/ Music Awards - The Oscars, the Grammy’s, and the Emmy’s are three of the top awards shows in North America, and you can wager on them through offshore online betting sites in Nunavut. 

Despite not having any major sports teams to call their own, dedicated sports fans are prevalent throughout Nunavut. Here are some of the territories most popular sports teams.

• Toronto Blue Jays - The only MLB franchise in the nation, the Toronto Blue Jays have a shocking number of supporters even in the Northern parts of the country. The team has had some recent success thanks to young superstars Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr., but has not brought home a title to Canada since 1993.

• Toronto Raptors - The only NBA franchise in the nation, the Toronto Raptors transformed Canada into a basketball country after winning the NBA Championship in 2019. The team has slowed down in recent years, but the effect the Kawhi Lenard and company left is still being felt throughout the country.

• Winnipeg Blue Bombers - The CFL may seem insignificant in size compared to the NFL, but if you live in Canada, you are well aware of the insane amount of loyalty fans have towards these teams. Nunavut unfortunately does not have a team to call its own, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the most popular.

• Winnipeg Jets / Vancouver Canucks - Hockey is by far the sport most associated with Canada, but the country only plays host to seven of the NHL’s 32 teams. Nunavut does not have a team, but residents generally root for either the Winnipeg Jets or Vancouver Canucks.

Although this is a sports betting page, there are many other forms of gambling available in Nunavut. Here are some of the top available alternatives.

Casino - Unfortunately, there are no licensed in person Casinos located in Nunavut, however, there are plenty of options available online. The majority of our top sportsbooks include a sperate casino section on their website.

Poker - Poker is one of the most popular types of gambling in Nunavut. Tournaments are held at various locations, and founders are required to complete an application process and fulfill a list of requirements.

Horse Racing - There are no permanent horse racing tracks located in Nunavut, so the only option residents have is to wager on horse racing online.

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) - The popularity of traditional Fantasy sports has been taken to a whole new level by some of the world’s top sportsbooks. You can now compete for cash daily by drafting a brand-new team each day.

At MyBetting Canada we have made responsible gambling one of our top priorities. We recommend approaching sports betting as a pastime rather than relying on it as a regular source of income. We also recommend utilizing the responsible gambling features that your sportsbook offers and limiting the amount you can wager each day.

The government of Nunavut has as system in place for those struggling with a gambling addiction. You can visit the government of Nunavut website for more information or call (867) 979-3333 or toll free at (800) 265-3333.

Sportsbook to Avoid

Here are some important characteristics you need to consider in order to avoid fraudulent sportsbooks. We recommend avoiding betting sites that have poor reputations and are not licenced by a governing body.

• Banking issues - Any sportsbook that takes multiple weeks to payout a withdrawal request should raise concern and be avoided entirely.

• Unexplained voided bets and odds changes - Voided bets are common, but if they are happening without a legitimate explanation (Bet result was a push, scheduled pitcher didn’t start), you should be concerned. Odds changes are also common but once you lock in a wager at a specific price, a change should not occur after the fact.

• Lack of customer support - Betting sites that are not responsive and have very limited customer support systems raise some huge red flags.

• Poor security - Sportsbooks with vulnerable security systems should be avoided at all costs since you are trusting them with sensitive personal and banking information.

Sports betting is legal throughout Canada in all 10 provinces and three territories. Age requirements and regulated sportsbooks will vary based on your location so in order to help clarify things for you, here are some additional betting guides from MyBetting Canada:

• Ontario
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Quebec
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Northwest Territories
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Yukon
• Nova Scotia

Sport Select is technically the only betting company licensed in Nunavut. Since it is only available in person, all online websites offered in the territory are offshore brands that are licensed in other jurisdictions.

Licensed books are much safer to operate with, as they provide that extra level of security you are looking for when dealing with large sums of money. We only recommend betting sites that we know are credible and have been licensed in multiple other locations, such as Ontario.

About Sport Select

Known as Proline to residents of Ontario, Sports Select sells betting tickets in person at retail locations throughout Nunavut. All bets are overseen by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC).

Popular wagers include Moneyline, point spread, totals, props, futures, and parlays. The service is generally limited to major sports and has a reputation for providing poor odds compared to top online competitors.