How Has Technology Improved Sports Betting In Canada?

The Advancements Canada Has Made In All Sectors

When one thinks of some of the most advanced western countries, usually the US or UK are the first to come to mind. However, one would be surprised to know that Canada is currently one of the leading countries in numerous industries, such as finance, and one of the biggest, the entertainment industry. This is owed in no little part to the respect that Canadians have for all sorts of entertainment, including Music, the performing Arts, and sports, the most popular of which.

The origins of several of the most popular sports played today, such as hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, can all be traced back to Canada. With a high sporting popularity, comes a lucrative and profitable sports betting market, and Canada boasts one of the most advanced in this regard.

Sports betting has had humble beginnings in Canada, yet today thanks to technology, is one of the strongest globally. However, what has caused sports betting to skyrocket to the leviathan that it is today, within Canada? Within which period in Canadian history saw sports betting take a massive turn, technologically? Which areas of technology helped bolster sports betting? And overall, what was the effect which technology had on sports betting?

All of this will be explained within the article, giving a historical look at the progression of sports betting’s transcendence into the modern era, as well as highlighting the changes made to gambling by technology.

The Emergence Of The Online Sportsbook

Online sportsbooks are the predominant way for one to place bets in today’s day and age. They essentially give one the opportunity to place bets in real time on a wide range of sports such as American football, Basketball and Hockey amongst others. 

Currently, there is a wide range of Canadian Online Sportsbooks, and according to Best Sports Betting Canada’s page, all of these are fully legal due to the Safe and regulated sports betting act of 2021, which fully legalized single-game wagers. 

The act in question is one which revolutionized sports betting all across Canada, and which many provinces have utilized to increase their revenue in a substantial manner, especially Ontario, which allowed third party operators to set up shop within the province, only 8 months later.

However, this was not the earliest iteration of online sports betting and gambling.

Online Casinos: A Headache And A Moneymaker For Canadian Legislators

The biggest technological leap for gambling and sports betting was during the 1990’s, a short while after the conception and creation of the internet. The internet itself was a new medium, a new way of life, a new way in which people lived. It gave us a world contained only within a bulky monitor. 

But most of all, it was unregulated. So, as a result, people wanted to tap into this market, and what better than to create unregulated online casinos and sportsbooks, which would essentially have no jurisdiction as they were licensed out of places like Panama and Costa Rica. The Provincial Governments were befuddled by this, but as gambling had already become legal at the time, decided to create their own online casinos, these being government backed and a strong revenue source. 

Some Of The Biggest Technological Improvements To Sports Betting

However, while we now know how the sports betting industry changed with technology, what are some of the features which came with this advancement? Below are a number of changes which came from sports betting entering the technological sector, and improvements which technology brought into sports betting.

The Convenience Of A Mobile App

Mobile apps have taken the world by storm, and using apps to bet is no exception. Instead of having to be in a fixed position on a desktop computer or laptop, one can bet quite literally anywhere as long as they have a Wi-Fi connection. This has made betting extremely convenient, and as an added bonus, made betting more interactive, with most betting apps having an easy-to-understand user interface.

Blockchain Technology: A Whole New Currency

Blockchain technology is especially noteworthy for creating a whole new currency all based within the internet, by taking the money from a digital ledger known as the blockchain and putting it inside a digital bank account known as a wallet in exchange for assets such as real money. However, this currency known as cryptocurrency is one which is taking the world by storm and has a relatively stable market value. 

A New Market For Betting: Esports

The Dawn of Technology not only brings us new mediums from where to bet, but even has provided the world with a new type of sport to bet on. Esports is essentially the betting on the outcomes of matches in some of the most competitive video games, such as CSGO, League of Legends and World of Warcraft. This type of sports has ushered in a new era of bookmaking and is a more approachable way for one to enter the world of sports betting. 

Closing Statements

Suffice it to say, technology has given us, as a species, a new way of viewing all aspects of life: Entertainment, Business, Art, Industry. With sports betting, this is no exception, as it not only has brought us a new medium in which to gamble and bet, but has also made it extremely convenient to take betting with us wherever we go, but also creates new ways for us to place bets through cryptocurrency and even creates new forms of sport for us to bet on.