Do offshore books actually have better odds than the legal ones?
so im in ontario and been using the regulated sites since they launched but a buddy keeps telling me the offshore ones give way better lines especially on hockey. is that actually true or is he just chasing the bonuses? kinda nervous about putting money somewhere thats not licensed here tbh
11 answers
Top Answer
313
honestly it depends what you bet. for big leagues like nhl or nba the lines are pretty close between licensed and offshore, the legal canadian books shave maybe a point or two of juice but its not huge. where offshore wins is the niche stuff and props imo. i still keep most of my action on Boomerang Bet cause payouts are quick and i dont have to stress about my money disappearing, but i wont lie ive parked a small bankroll offshore for the markets the regulated guys dont even offer. your buddy isnt totally wrong but better odds dont mean much if you cant get paid out
194
yeah this matches my experience exactly. been splitting between regulated and one offshore for like a year now. the legal ones are fine for parlays and main markets and i sleep better knowing its actually regulated here. offshore is just for the weird player props that nobody else lists
160
idk man everyone always says offshore has better odds but how much better are we actually talking? like is it enough to matter for a casual bettor or is this just degens trying to squeeze every cent. seems like a lot of risk for marginal gains
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115
fair question but its not nothing. on a typical nhl moneyline you might see -110 vs -105, doesnt sound like much but over a season that adds up if youre betting volume. for casuals nah probably not worth the hassle tho, you're right about that
100
fwiw the juice difference is mostly because the regulated ontario books pay tax and have compliance costs so they bake that into the lines. offshore doesnt deal with any of that overhead which is part of why they can offer skinnier margins. not defending them just explaining the why
92
one thing nobody mentioned is limits. offshore books will cut you fast if you win consistently, ive heard tons of stories. the regulated ones here are usually a bit more chill about it at least for now. so its a tradeoff
2
wait so if i put money on an offshore site and they just decide not to pay me out is there literally anything i can do about it? like is there any recourse at all
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98
basically no. thats the whole risk. theyre not licensed in canada so you cant go to AGCO or anyone here. you'd be relying on their reputation and maybe complaining on forums. some are legit and have been around forever, others vanish. thats why people say only keep what you can afford to lose offshore
70
i mostly stick with the legal stuff just because of the tax clarity and being able to actually verify whos behind it. the odds being slightly worse is just the cost of not stressing imo. different priorities for different people
67
for what its worth the gap has narrowed a lot since ontario opened up. competition between the licensed books got way more aggressive on pricing this past year. used to be a bigger difference but not so much anymore on the major markets
54
can confirm what the top comment said. i run the same setup, main bankroll on a regulated book and a little bit offshore for props and futures the canadian sites dont carry. fast withdrawals on the legal one make a huge difference, never waiting more than a day. peace of mind is underrated