Is BetRivers legal in Canada?

Canadians have been dealing with a lot of change across the sports betting industry.It can make things confusing. While many have heard of BetRivers, few have a sure answer to the question, is BetRivers legal in Canada? We know it can all get a little confusing, so we are here to help.

In this legal betting guide, we’re going to explore the legality of one of the premier betting sites on the market. We’ll look at the BetRivers Canada license, dive into details across the board, and provide a definitive answer to key legal questions.

Ultimately, you will know for sur e the breakdown of, is BetRivers available in Canada? Ready, then? Let’s begin!

If you are paying any attention to the legal betting industry, you know that it can be difficult to discern where a sportsbook is allowed to be used. At BettingTop10 Canada, we are here to help clear up any confusion. In the case of the BetRivers sportsbook, there is only one province where you can use this operator. Unfortunately, BetRivers Canada is an operator that only serves the Ontario market. They arrived in Canada in 2022 and have thus far only managed to connect with Ontario-based regulators.

To fully address the question, is BetRivers legal in Canada, we can’t just look at the sportsbook. There is also a BetRivers casino that is a massive part of this sports betting site. The BetRivers casino is an aspect of this operator where you can wager on games like blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, and more. If you are interested in using this part of the sportsbook, there is only one part of the country where you will be able to do so. Ontario is the only part of the country where bettors can register for a BetRivers account.

While we may have partially addressed the question, is BetRivers legal in Canada, we have yet to dive into how and why it is. Basically, what you need to know is that there is a BetRivers Canada license that they have that allows them to operate in different places. They have received this license in jurisdictions across the United States and Latin America. But until 2022, there was no regulatory body in Canada that would license them. When gambling laws shifted in the country, BetRivers Canada was one of the first operators to receive a license. They got an iGaming Ontario license, which allows them to serve Ontario residents for both their sportsbook and casino.

Legality is a hugely important component of sports betting. Bettors need to be sure to use legal sportsbooks to protect their safety. Legal betting sites are far less likely to be hacked, and bettors using illegal operators could fall victim to fraud.

With that said, it is crucial you are confident in BetRivers' legality. It is also important because if BetRivers Canada isn't legal where you are situated, you won't be able to use it. With that said, let's take a look at where in Canada you will be able to use BetRivers.

Provinces Where BetRivers is Legal: 

Thus far, there is only one province where BetRivers Canada is legal. Let's look at which one that is and how that situation happened.

Is BetRivers legal only in Ontario?

Yes! BetRivers is an American operator, and it needs a license to operate in Canada. It isn’t an offshore sportsbook, so there is no gray market usage. Fortunately for Ontario residents, BetRivers has managed to acquire an iGaming Ontario license. This enables them to operate within Ontario but nowhere else in Canada. Since other provinces don't have this type of regulatory body available, that means BetRivers Canada can only be used by residents of Ontario.

We’ve given you some insight into the question: Can you use BetRivers in Canada? But we have yet to dive into the important details of who BetRivers is and why you would even want to use them. Let's backtrack a bit then and take a quick look at who this operator is and why so many Canadians are thrilled they have arrived.

BetRivers first began in 2015 as a brand that was constructed in the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas. They were affiliated with the Rivers Casino, which is where the BetRivers moniker comes from. While they have only been operating for less than a decade, they have become a global brand. They have a huge market share in Central and South America and are available in several major American states.

BetRivers has formed partnerships with famous sponsors, updated its website frequently, and stayed on the cutting edge. When they arrived in Canada, many hadn’t heard of them. But they managed to win over throngs of Canadian bettors. How, you ask? Let’s look at some key aspects of this site that make it stand out.

BetRivers has top-notch features. They offer live streaming, so users can stream sporting events directly from their website. They have one of the top betting apps on the market, available for both Android and iPhone users. They have a highly customizable website that looks great, tons of fun markets, and deep sports coverage. There really isn’t much missing from this top-tier operator, which makes it unfortunate that they can only serve part of the Canadian market.

Is BetRivers Legit?

If you are a savvy betting enthusiast, there are two questions you should ask before you consider registering for this operator. Is BetRivers safe? And is BetRivers legit? These are fair questions that you should be asking every time before you sign up with a betting site.

In the case of BetRivers, have no fear. BetRivers is an operator that mostly has a pristine reputation. They are known for honouring their payouts and providing quick customer service, and they have excellent cybersecurity.

In terms of legitimacy, you should also feel confident. BetRivers has licenses in several countries, including a license in Ontario. The iGaming Ontario license is difficult to get. It requires sportsbooks to allow Ontario regulators to look through their operations and ensure they are fair, safe, and legal. Not every betting site passes this test, but BetRivers did.

If you are based outside of Ontario, you might be wondering, is BetRivers legal in Quebec, or is BetRivers legal in Alberta. Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. But if you are curious whether BetRivers is safe and legit, the answer is yes.

If you want to understand the unique situation that BetRivers finds itself in, there is a lot to know. Online betting is a burgeoning industry that many Canadians are just coming around to, and not everyone knows the history of BetRivers and gambling in Canada. If you are one of the many people trying to get more details about BetRivers' legality and the Canadian betting industry's history, let us help.

Below, we'll provide a quick timeline of how BetRivers came to be and how it arrived in Canada.

2009 - Rivers Casino Opens in Pittsburgh: BetRivers didn’t magically emerge online as one of the most popular operators in North and South America. Instead, it all began in Pittsburgh in 2009. This is when Rivers Casino was opened. Rivers Casino is a massive casino along the Ohio River that is one of the biggest betting brands in Pennsylvania. It has thousands of slot machines, but for the sake of our article, what is important to note is that they are one of the big companies behind BetRivers. 

2012 - Rush Street Interactive Launches: Three years later, another company was launched that would define the future of BetRivers. Rush Street Interactive came into existence in 2012 in Chicago. The company was launched by a team of industry gaming veterans with combined decades of experience in the online betting industry. Rush Street Interactive was looking to innovate the industry and carve out a major niche. They launched several smaller brands, but their biggest achievement came in 2015.

2015 - RSI and Rivers Partner to Launch BetRivers: In 2015, the world of online betting was beginning to evolve and push past some of the restrictions that had previously been on it. It was a time of opportunity, and this is when RSI and Rivers formed a partnership. RSI would be the operator of Rivers' online betting branch. Together, their partnership formed BetRivers. BetRivers created a website, a mobile gaming aspect, and added a range of exciting features. The collaboration was a major achievement, and it yielded the BetRivers that we know today. 

2015-2022 - BetRivers Finds Global Popularity: While no sportsbook instantly skyrockets to global success, BetRivers definitely hit the ground running. The sportsbook managed to find an interested audience in areas across the country where betting was legal. They started to serve parts of the U.S. where betting was legal, like Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They also became the first American licensed operator to start to serve Central America. They have since taken off as a hugely popular operator in Central and South America and a significant global brand.

2021 - Bill C-218 Passes in Canada: A watershed moment in the history of Canadian gambling was taking place in 2021. This was when the Canadian government passed Bill C-218. This was a bill that would remove the government's federal prohibition on single-game sports betting. This would remove a barrier for provinces to have their own gambling industry, where operators could be licensed within them. Essentially, this new law would open the gambling industry up in Canada far more than it had been before. However, it was up to the provinces to choose to embrace this new rule.

April 2022 - BetRivers and Legal Gambling Arrive in Ontario: The first province to embrace this change was Ontario. The Ontario government created their own regulatory body with iGaming Ontario. iGaming Ontario would allow operators from across the world to enter the province. When iGaming came into effect in April 2022, one of the first operators to procure a license was BetRivers. In April 2022, BetRivers launched in the province. The sportsbook was legal to use in parts of Canada for the first time ever. Canadians immediately flocked to the betting site, and it has only seen its user base grow since.

We’ve provided a pretty extensive answer to the question, is BetRivers legal in Canada? But what we can't say we've touched on is how to use BetRivers. If you are not someone who has used betting sites before, this may be confusing. Or even if you have, you might be having a hard time figuring it out with BetRivers. Either way, we are happy to help.

Below, we'll provide a step-by-step guide to using BetRivers Canada. Keep in mind this will only work if you are based in Ontario.

Step One: Visit the BetRivers Canada Website

Step Two: Input Your Information

You will then be directed to input your information. First, you'll need to enter a username, a password, and your location. You’ll then have to type in your first name, last name, address, postal code, gender, and date of birth. Finally, you’ll need to enter a security question, put in your mobile phone number, and your job title. You’ll have to confirm that you are not lying and that you are not politically exposed. Click on the Complete tab when done.

Step Three: Fill Your Account

Once you have your account set up, you will need to deposit it to have money to wager with. To fill your account, click on your profile. Then, click on the Bank tab. You will then have to select a deposit option. BetRivers Canada has choices like Interac, PayPal, and debit/credit cards. Input how much you want to put into your account and type in your payment details.

Step Four: Start Betting

Once you have money in your account, you can start wagering. Visit the BetRivers Canada home screen, and click on the sport you want to bet on. Click on the game within the sport and the line you want to wager. This will pull up a bet slip. Input how much you want to wager on the slip, and click Place Bet. You are now good to go!

We know that we’ve thrown a lot of information at you right now, and it is fair if you have some questions. At BettingTop10, we are always happy to help bettors address their concerns. So below, we’ve assembled a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions about BetRivers Canada.