Living in Ottawa myself, I know that the city is full of avid sports fans. The Ottawa Senators are the cities team and the future for the team is starting to look bright, but not every hockey fan in Ottawa roots for the home team. As a Sens fan I know first hand that it’s just as easy to find a Maple Leafs or Canadiens fan at the Canadian Tire Centre during a rivalry game.
As a sports fan living in Ottawa the past few years have been great with the renovations at TD Place bringing more high level sports to the city. The Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL have been a big hit in the city with the team finding early success (2016 Grey Cup win) before struggling the last several seasons. Atletico Ottawa joining the Canadian Premier League also allowed professional soccer to continue in the city and that team has found early success including winning the CPL Shield for finishing atop the regular season standings in 2022, and winning the Canadian Premier League Final last season. The Ottawa Black Bears of the National Lacrosse League are also adding another pro sports team to the Nations Capital, with 2024-25 being the Black Bears inaugural season.
The future is bright for spectator sports in Ottawa, and the promise of a new state-of-the-art arena in Lebreton Flats within the next decade should make Ottawa an even more desired location for sports events of all kinds.
Best Sports Betting Sites for Ottawans
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1
See Website For Details- Licensed and regulated in Canada
- Easy deposits & withdrawals including Interac
- Competitive betting lines
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2
#Ad- Most popular betting site worldwide
- State of the art live betting platform including streaming of several events
- Fixed odds for horse racing
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3
See Website For Details- Licensed in Ontario and Malta (accepts bettors from across Canada)
- Competitive betting lines
- Easy deposit/withdrawal options, including Interac
All three of our recommended online sportsbooks for Ottawa residents are licensed by iGaming Ontario to operate in the regulated Ontario sports betting market.
Offline Sports Betting in Ottawa
Offline sports betting is available in Ottawa in the form of Proline. If you’ve read our OLG page then you will know my stance on Proline betting in Ontario. The odds are far worse than any of our top rated betting sites.
I strongly advise Ottawa residents to make the jump from Proline to betting through one of Ontario’s top regulated online betting sites. There’s a wide variety of reasons that I get into on our Proline page, but the difference in winnings on the exact same bets should really be all it takes to get you to make the switch.
Land Based Casino Sportsbooks Near Ottawa
Ottawa is home to two land based casinos with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau both about 15 minute drives from downtown. Casino du Lac-Leamy has added a sportsbook with Mise-o-jeu betting terminals (Loto-Quebec’s sportsbook), right next to the poker room where you can place bets and watch sports in-person.
I expect the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to add a retail sportsbook in the near future.
Rideau Carleton Raceway
Ottawa does feature a horse racing track that is connected to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Rideau Carleton Raceway hosts Harness Racing every Sunday and Wednesday, and you are able to place wagers on the horses directly at the track. The Rideau Carleton Raceway also features a sports bar where you are able to watch and wager on races from across North America. The race track is located at the Rideau Carleton Casino, so you can take advantage of the table games or over 1000 slot machines between betting the horses.
***I should note that the Rideau Carleton Raceway only accepts wagers on horse races. You will not be able to place sports wagers at the track.
Major Sports Teams in Ottawa
- Ottawa Senators – NHL (National Hockey League)
- Ottawa Redblacks – CFL (Canadian Football League)
- Atletico Ottawa – CPL (Canadian Premier League)
- Ottawa Black Bears – NLL (National Lacrosse League)
- Ottawa Charge – PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League)