Here at CFL Pass, we post with reference to football betting fairly frequently, either directly or peripherally. For North Americans, gridiron football is inextricably linked in a way that other major sports – hockey, baseball, basketball – simply are not. Pointspreads and over/unders are part of the dialogue when discussing upcoming gams in the CFL, NFL, college and even fly-by-night leagues, and this expression is only bound to continue as legalized sports betting expands further in the 20s.

Plus we just dig betting on CFL games and killed it in the last Calgary Stampeders-Ottawa Redblacks Grey Cup.

But we realise that it’s quite possible – again, particularly with the expansion of online sports betting in Canada and the U.S. – that some CFL fans are 100% up to spec on how to place a bet online on CFL and sports betting. This page is for those folks. And please always bet responsibly; remember that wagering is supposed to be *fun* first and foremost.

Step 1. Choosing an online sportsbook

You’ll want to consider a few factors when choosing an online sportsbook. First off is licensure. Despite a wave of decriminalization of online sports betting through Europe, the U.S. and Canada in the 2010s, the online gaming market in general is utterly unregulated. This leaves that quality control with regard to fairness of gameplay, customer service and other factors is left to independent auditing bodies.

However, to the benefit of the bettor, the situation in online sports betting is well better than in other forms of gambling. The scammers and fakes have been weeded out more or less, leaving only quality names available to the player. CFLpass suggests doing the typical research you’d do when purchasing virtually anything online: check the forums, the rating services, etc., and apply you own level of skepticism/belief at the source or you can believe the word of CFLpass and independent indternational auditing firms who have certified MyBookie and XBet sportsbooks for fair play and security.

Step 2. Making a deposit

No online sportsbook should ever force the bettor to register and/or deposit before letting him/her see the available offerings. We’re calling “making a deposit” step 2 here, so if you’d rather get to the ABCs of football betting, go through steps 3 and 4 and return here.

Before making a deposit, the bettor will have to register, i.e. create an account, with the sportsbook. Predictably enough, this process is pretty much exactly identical to doing so anywhere else in e-commerce land. You’ll create a password and possibly have to verify your email address immediately upon registration (otherwise, you’ll do after setting up the account). You may also need to provide username, mailing address and certain customization options particular to the given bookmaker – all typical stuff.

In terms of depositing, sportsbooks offer players any number of ways to make deposits into an account from the more traditional routes to electronic payment methods to a new favourite, Bitcoin.

While credit cards are naturally the preferred payment method by customers in online purchasing, holders of credit cards based in the U.S. or Canada may find the realities of using their card at sportsbook websites. Due to Canadian (and U.S. law), the decision of whether or not to allow transaction to and from internet bookmakers is in the hands of the financial institutions themselves.

eWallet options such as Paypal and Skrill make a nice alternative to credit cards, but these can also be hit-or-miss; Paypal is particular is not frequently usable by North American customers for betting at sportsbooks.

Happily, Interac is evermore accepted at internet bookmakers and has become the #1 method for Canadians to deposit at online sportsbooks. To deposit with Interac, simply choose it as your deposit option and the sportsbook site will provide an email address and/or phone number plus the question-and-answer combo they’ll need you to enter at the Interac website.

Direct money transfer to most sportsbooks is possible and could well be the best system in terms of security, privacy and personal control of transaction. Direct money transfers involve either a bank-to-bank transaction or a money-transfer service like Western Union. The only problem with the latter is the somewhat outrageous fees slapped onto the transaction.

Finally, there is Bitcoin and its lesser-known virtual currencies. Since any issues involving denial of deposits/withdrawals to/from sports betting all begin with the bank, why not just eliminate the middleman and simply don’t use virtual legal tender. If you’re unfamiliar with using Bitcoin, ideally the sportsbook’s customer service can assist you. Take it from CFLpass, though: Using Bitcoin is like riding a bicycle; learn it once and it’s easy forever thereafter.

Step 3. Finding CFL odds and lines

Once you’re registered – or even when you’re just browsing – finding CFL odds and lines isn’t really difficult per se. However, at CFLpass we did want to devote sufficient space to the topic without dragging on this particular page forever. Please click the link for complete information on finding CFL odds and lines.

Step 4. Finally placing the bet

As described in step 3, the bettor may need to place actual money from his/her account on the bet directly after it is chosen. Doing this requires the bettor to enter the amount he/she wishes to wager on each bet (if multiple bets are allowed); this should simultaneously display the potential payout on a win (just in case you have difficulty calculating something counterintuitive, like odds of 5/17 or +675.

After the amount is entered, finally getting the bet “in” at the virtual bookmaker is accomplished after clicking on a classic CONFIRM button or something similar.

And then you may enjoy the game(s) – and hopefully the winnings!