PlayNow Review (October 2025)

"A trusted brand with all the betting markets Canadians love."

Cody Aceveda, Bettingtop10 expert

PlayNow Sportsbook really impressed me. I’ll fully admit that I was initially disappointed by the initial launch of government-run sportsbooks in 2022. Over the years though, I’ve been proven wrong. 

PlayNow isn’t as good as some of the top privately-owned sports betting sites available in Ontario, like bet365 and Sports Interaction. As far as government-run sportsbooks go though, it’s one of the best in Canada.

My favourite thing about this sportsbook is that I know it’s legit because it’s owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). Apart from that, I also really enjoyed the betting markets and sportsbook features. 

Most other sportsbooks have underwhelming props and futures markets along with basic features. PlayNow has deep markets for the NBA, NHL, and other top leagues, as well as cash out, stats, and same-game parlay features. 

With all this being said, PlayNow isn’t perfect. It doesn’t have as many sports available as privately-run sites. The fact it’s limited to British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan is another major drawback that’s hard to overlook in this PlayNow review. Also, there aren’t many promos outside of odds boosts and prize pools. 

Overall though, PlayNow is a great sportsbook that I would recommend to sports bettors in BC, MB, and SK.

My Score: 3.9/5

A note from BettingTop10: Our expert writers conduct in-depth research on each sportsbook to provide you with their professional, impartial opinion. However, when you click on certain links in the review and make a deposit, we may receive a commission (don't worry - this costs you nothing).

PlayNow is a government-run sportsbook owned and operated by the BCLC. It was founded in 2004 as, and soon expanded to other provinces. Today, you can play casino games and bet on sports with PlayNow in BC, MB, and SK. PlayNow is the only regulated sportsbook in those provinces.

PlayNow is a little more basic than some privately-owned sportsbooks available in Canada, but I still think it's an impressive product that’s worth using. In this PlayNow review, I’ll break down the PlayNow bonus, what PlayNow does well, what can be improved, and everything else you need to know about this sports betting site.

Yes, PlayNow is legal in Canada because it is owned by the BCLC. Betting with PlayNow is no different than playing the Lotto 6/49 in Canada. However, PlayNow is only legal in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. It operates under different regulators in each of those provinces.

PlayNow operates under the authority of the BCLC in BC. In MB and SK, PlayNow is available via partnerships between the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation (MLC) and the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA), respectively.

You do not need to live in BC, MB, or SK to use PlayNow, but you will not be able to access your account if you try to access it from outside those provinces.

The PlayNow promo code WELCOME250 unlocks a 100% deposit match welcome bonus up to $250. This isn’t one of the biggest sportsbook bonuses in Canada, but it’s a very competitive offer compared to the industry average.

I also really like that it has no wagering requirements, which means you won’t have any issues cashing out any winnings you get from your bonus. Overall, this is a very good bonus offer.

1. Go to the PlayNow website.
2. Select Join and choose your province
3. Choose the PlayNow WELCOME250 sportsbook bonus offfer
4. Deposit between $10-$250
5. Claim your bonus! 

• Available to new users only
• $250 maximum value
• Free bets are in 5 equal increments at 20% of your deposit amount
• Individual free bets cannot be split across multiple wagers
• Free bets are non-withdrawable and expire 60 days after issuance

PlayNow Sportsbook has all the features you would expect from a top betting site, including same-game parlays, live betting, cash out, and a dedicated stats centre. In my opinion, the only thing PlayNow’s lacking is live streaming. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of PlayNow’s best features.

• Live Betting: Once you sign up for PlayNow, you can bet on dozens of live sports, like hockey and basketball. All live bets are available on the sportsbook’s dedicated live betting page. This is pretty standard, but PlayNow has a relatively unique Pinned Events tool that I really like.
  
  You can pin a game to keep track of it, and once you bet on a game, it’s automatically added to the Pinned Events list. This allows you to easily keep track of your bets and other games you’re interested in.
  
  
• Same-game Parlays: PlayNow allows you to combine multiple bets from the same event into one same-game parlay. It doesn’t have a dedicated bet builder like other sportsbooks, but accessing this feature is very easy. You just need to select two or more bets from the same game and toggle the same-game parlay feature.
  
  If you like same-game parlays, keep an eye on the promos page. PlayNow sometimes has Free Bet offers tied to promos, such as the $25 NFL Playoffs Same-Game Parlay free bet offer.
  
  
• Cash out: PlayNow allows you to cash out early on select betting markets. This feature allows you to lock in a win before things go sour. You can also use it to cut your losses early if you are on track to lose all of your wager.
  
  
• Stats Centre: If you click the Stats button under the Tools menu, you can access the PlayNow stats centre. This page features a detailed directory of stats, standings, and match previews for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, CFL, MLS, EPL, and several other major European soccer leagues. Other sportsbooks have stats centres like this, but I’ve rarely ever seen one as comprehensive as the PlayNow stats centre

PlayNow boasts a selection of over 20 different sports available to bet on. This includes all the major North American sports (basketball, football, hockey, baseball, soccer) as well as more niche sports, like rugby and cricket.

PlayNow has a very deep selection of bets for the major markets. For the smaller sports, PlayNow is a bit surface level, but it’s good that it has those markets nonetheless. 

• NFL: There are no NFL teams in Canada, but the American football league remains one of the most popular sports to bet on fans north of the US border. You can bet on every NFL game every weekend with PlayNow.
• CFL: The CFL is one of PlayNow’s most comprehensive betting markets. PlayNow is a sponsor of the BC Lions and regularly has special CFL promos for football fans to enjoy.
• NBA: Whether you’re a Raptors fan or support a team outside of Canada, PlayNow makes betting on the NBA a rewarding experience. PlayNow has bets for every game and many of them have boosted odds.
• NHL: PlayNow is a sponsor of the Vancouver Canucks, but you can bet on every NHL team. Its markets are especially strong for Stanley Cup betting and NHL futures betting, two areas where a lot of sportsbooks fall short.
• Soccer: If you’re a fan of The Beautiful Game, you can bet on MLS, the EPL, LaLiga, and literally dozens of other soccer leagues at PlayNow. The player prop markets could be better, but in terms of leagues covered, PlayNow is a very good soccer betting site.
• MLB: There are 2,430 MLB games every season (not counting the playoffs). You can bet on all of them at PlayNow every summer.
• Esports: While state governments in the US have banned esports betting, the BCLC-owned PlayNow offers a wide range of esports betting. You can wager on Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends, and all the other top esports in the world.

Now that we’ve talked about some of the sports you can bet on at PlayNow, let’s take a look at some of the most popular betting markets. 

Betting Markets:

• Moneyline: A moneyline wager is a bet on the winner of a game. If you put a moneyline wager on a team, you will win if they win.
• Spreads: Betting against the spread is betting on the margin of victory. The spread represents the difference in quality between teams. If you bet on the favourite, they have to win by more than the spread. To win betting on the underdog, they have to win or lose by less than the spread.
• Totals: A totals bet (also called over/under) is a bet on the total points/runs/goals/etc. scored in a game by both teams. Sportsbooks set a line, then you wager whether the combined score will be over or under that line.
• Futures: Futures bets are wagers on long-term outcomes, such as which team will win the league or who will win a specific award. You can also bet on the amount of wins a team has in a season and whether a team will make the playoffs.
• Props: Props are bets on aspects of the game not related to the result. They can be player props (e.g., on the number of three-pointers Steph Curry makes) or team props (e.g., which team will score more touchdowns in an NFL game).

Types of Bets Available:

• Parlays: Parlay betting is when you combine multiple wagers into one. To win a parlay, each of the single bets making up the parlay have to win. If even one of them loses, you lose the entire parlay.
• Live Bets: A live bet is any wager placed on a game while the game is ongoing. 

Like any good sportsbook, PlayNow has a mobile app. You can download it on iOS devices from the Apple App Store. PlayNow doesn’t currently have an Android app, but it’s in development. If you want to use the PlayNow app, keep in mind there are multiple available, so download the correct one for your province (PlayNow BC in British Columbia, PlayNow MB in Manitoba, etc.)

After testing the app for myself for this PlayNow review, I can say that it’s a solid mobile betting platform, but it’s definitely not one of the best betting apps in Canada. For one, the PlayNow app is very basic. This is good for simple navigation, but it sometimes left me wondering where to find certain features. 

On the bright side, the PlayNow app has undergone multiple updates. Each one has improved the app, so I’m optimistic about its future going forward.

You can create your PlayNow account in just a few minutes. All you need to do is follow this step-by-step guide:

1. Go to the PlayNow site using links in this review or by downloading the PlayNow app to your mobile device.
   
   
2. Select Join and select your province. You do not need to live in the province you select, but you do need to be physically located in it when you bet.
   
   
3. Choose the 100% Deposit Match up to $250 Sports Welcome bonus from the list of promo offers.
   
   
4. Fill out the PlayNow sign-up form with your email, name, date of birth, address, and other personal information.
   
   
5. Follow the steps provided to upload a photo of your government ID to verify your identity. You cannot claim your bonus if you do not complete this step.
   
   

PlayNow supports a wide variety of convenient payment methods. You can use Visa, Mastercard, and American Express credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal, Interac, Web Cash, and traditional Online Bill Payment bank transfer. I personally use debit card and most other people I know use Interac, so these options are good enough to satisfy most Canadian sports bettors.

On the other hand, PlayNow withdrawals are a bit more limited. PlayNow only allows you to withdraw using bank transfer. Compared to other brands, this is super disappointing. Yes, bank transfer  is the most secure and reliable way to move money online, but it’s not the fastest. You should expect to wait at least two banking days to collect your winnings after you submit your withdrawal request.

The worst thing is that you can’t choose what works best for you. Most other top sports betting sites I’ve reviewed have at least six different withdrawal options, while PlayNow has just one. 

PlayNow customer support is available via 24/7 live chat and by phone at 1-877-706-6789. The phone line is available every day from 7am to 12am PT. Phone support is a really great feature that I appreciated finding at PlayNow. I’m often disappointed when I review privately-owned Ontario sportsbooks, for example, that don’t have phone support.

With that in mind, in my experience, the PlayNow phone line is the best way to get results. That said, the live chat is a helpful option to have for quick questions. PlayNow is also fairly active on social media, if you prefer to reach out on Instagram or X.

I tried to cover everything you need to know about PlayNow in this review, but just in case you have any more questions, here are some frequently asked questions about PlayNow.