Who's betting?
Why they bet
Responsible gambling
Addiction concerns
Good or bad thing?
Methodology
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Profile of sports bettors
One-in-eight Canadians bet on sports — participation peaks among younger men and higher earners
Overall, 13% of Canadians say they have placed a sports bet in the past year, with participation highest among younger men. More than one-in-five men under 55 have placed a bet. Regionally, Ontario leads at 15%, followed by B.C. and Alberta (both 14%). Atlantic Canada records the lowest participation at 8%. Sports betting also rises steadily with household income, reaching 19% among those earning over $200,000 annually.
% who placed a sports bet in the past year
Motivations for betting
Making money is the top reason bettors participate — ahead of entertainment and excitement
Among Canadians who have placed a sports bet in the past year, making money is the leading motivation, cited by 57%. Entertainment is close behind at 51%, while one-in-three say betting makes games more exciting (34%). Notably, just 11% say their knowledge gives them a competitive edge. Most bettors (57%) say their largest single bet in the past six months was $50 or less, though one-in-five (21%) have placed a single bet of at least $100, including 5% who report bets over $500.
Responsible gambling tools
Nearly half of bettors have used at least one responsible gambling tool — deposit limits most common
As sports betting grows, so too do regulated safeguards. Among those who have placed a bet in the past year, 46% say they have used at least one responsible gambling tool. Deposit limits are the most widely used (20%), followed by spending trackers (16%) and cool-off periods (15%). However, a majority of bettors (54%) say they have not used any of these tools. Three-in-five Canadians overall say provincial governments will earn valuable revenue from regulated betting markets.
Not using any tools
Using responsible gambling tools
Addiction concerns
Three-in-10 worry someone they know is addicted — seven-in-10 expect problem gambling to rise
Three-in-10 Canadians (28%) say they are worried someone they know has an addiction to sports betting. This rises to 37% among men aged 18–34 — the demographic most likely to be betting themselves. Among those who are worried about someone in their life, 81% say that person is male. A much larger share — seven-in-10 (69%) — say they are worried the number of problem gamblers will increase as sports betting continues to expand.
% worried someone they know has a betting addiction
Overall assessment
Canadians say the rise of sports betting is a bad thing by a six-to-one margin — but bettors see it differently
Overall, Canadians are far more likely to say the growing presence of sports betting is a bad thing (46%) than a good thing (8%), with three-in-10 (31%) taking a neutral position. Views divide sharply by bettor status: one-in-three bettors view the expansion positively, while fewer than one-in-four say it's bad. Non-bettors are much more critical, with half (50%) viewing the growth of sports betting negatively.
Good / great thing
Neither good nor bad
Bad / terrible thing
Not sure
About this survey
Methodology and downloads
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 7–11, 2026, among a randomized sample of 1,803 Canadian adults. Respondents are drawn from the Angus Reid Forum. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income, and education, based on the Canadian census. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/– 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.
