NorthStar Bets Review

NorthStar Bets Summary

19+, please play responsibly. If you have concerns that you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please contact the Responsible Gambling Council or call Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600.

NorthStar Bets, a relative newcomer to the global legal sports betting industry, is now live in the growing Canadian market. They promise a “uniquely local, premier user experience.”

The sports betting and online casino product from parent company NordStar Capital is banking on some name recognition. They have over a century of experience as a media provider in the Ontario market, making their newest NorthStar Bets brand a go-to option for the throngs of sports bettors in Canada. 

Follow along with our NorthStar Bets sportsbook review as we take a look at where you can find Canada's home-grown legal sports betting brand, the menu of sports offered, the overall NorthStar Bets betting experience, their live betting, how their online casino rates, their reputation so far, and their customer service and responsible gaming focus.

NorthStar Bets Bonuses

All new customers who register at NorthStar Bets can claim an exclusive welcome bonus after making a real-money deposit and a first wager:

• Create a new account at NorthStar Bets and deposit at least $10.
• Make your first bet (parlay, moneyline, same game parlay, etc.) at odds of -200 or longer.
• Your bet amount will be 100% matched, up to $250, in bonus funds.
• Must claim bet match bonus within 72 hours of your wager settling.
• You'll also receive 100 bonus spins for the NorthStar Bets casino.
• Matched bonus bet expires seven days after receiving it.
• Bonus funds cannot be cashed out.
• Bonus spins come with 30x wagering requirement before you can withdraw.

NorthStar Bets also offers bonuses for existing customers, which you can find on its 'Promotions' page:

• Bonus Bet Club: Bet at least $50 during the promotional period to qualify for a $20 bonus bet every week.
• Parlay Profit Boost: Build a parlay of 3 or more legs and boost your potential profit, up to 70%, by adding additional legs.
• Casino Bonuses: Participate in weekly and monthly tournaments for slots or blackjack.
• NorthStar Elite: Take advantage of NorthStar's loyalty rewards program to earn points that can be converted into cash and other prizes.

NorthStar Bets Locations

Northstar Bets is still new on the legal sports betting scene, recently becoming available in the entirety of Canada. Before that, it was only available in Ontario, under the regulation of the province's Alcohol and Gaming Commission and iGaming Ontario

Sports Leagues to Bet On

NorthStar Bets prides itself on being a Canada-centric sports betting platform, meaning that all of the sports Canadian bettors are passionate about are a logical focus of the brand. However, I was happy to see its menu of sports betting options didn’t stop with just the four or five most popular sports in the Canadian market.

NFL betting

The NFL is the most bet-on sport in North America, which is not lost on NorthStar Bets. Its sister company, the Toronto Star, has extensively covered the Buffalo Bills, a favorite in the Ontario market for decades. It also keeps close tabs on the Detroit Lions. Each is a focus of NorthStar Bets, as are New York’s two NFL squads and global NFL brands, the Cowboys and Raiders. In short, you can find plenty of betting options for the NFL team of your choice, no matter what part of Canada you live in. 

NBA betting

Canada only has a single NBA team, the Toronto Raptors. The team has enjoyed coast-to-coast support, especially in the wake of their 2019 championship season. The Raps get a lot of betting attention in their home province, of course, but also from the rest of Canada. 

College football betting

NorthStar Bets does offer some college football betting opportunities, but a peek at their menu revealed that it certainly isn’t a focus. Expect larger markets during the Championship Bowl season.

College basketball betting

Canadian and American college basketball is available at NorthStar Bets but isn't a focus until March Madness tips off.

NHL betting

Canada is a huge hockey market, obviously. Surprisingly, the sport is actually second in betting dollars generated in the country (the NFL is still king). Even still, NorthStar Bets is heavily focused on the seven Canadian NHL franchises: Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. 

MLB betting

The Toronto Blue Jays are the top summer sports betting draw in Canada, and rightfully so! NordStar Capital, the Toronto Star, and the company’s 150 other news publications have lived through the highs and the lows of the Toronto teams’ storied history. NorthStar Bets invests plenty of time and capital into the Toronto Blue Jays campaigns.

Other Sports Leagues

Canada's diverse population has made it necessary for sports betting providers to have various sports betting options. NorthStar Bets, while not offering the most extensive menu we've ever seen, still covers the most prominent international leagues in the world, like the major European soccer leagues, as well as rugby, skiing, motorsports, and even volley ball.

Online Betting Experience

All of the sports betting opportunities in the world would mean nothing without a top-notch overall betting site experience. Our NorthStar Bets review is happy to report that the site delivers a respectable product. From the aesthetics to the functionality, NorthStar Bets checks most, if not all, of the boxes that the average or veteran Canadian bettor is looking for.

Is it the absolute best wagering experience in the Canadian market? No, arguably not. However, NorthStar Bets does a fine job of wading through the muck and focusing on what’s most important – the sports and the bets its clientele want to make.

We found the odds a tad steep in some instances and competitive in others. We hope for consistency concerning the posted odds and that some of the rare underwhelming lines don’t turn potential bettors away.

The betting interface is sleek and modern. Its black and navy blue color scheme is undoubtedly attractive, and the overall product has the necessary user-friendly aspect that our NorthStar Bets review appreciated. Directions are well laid out, and menus are as simple to navigate as any we have seen in the Canadian sportsbook market.

Any inexperience with the NorthStar Bets brand didn’t show in our wagering tests. To our surprise, the overall betting experience was a true strength of the overall product.

Website Experience

NorthStar Bets can utilize an omnichannel approach to enhance its overall website quality. As mentioned, the interface is excellent, and the functionality makes for a pleasurable experience.

NorthStar Bets draws from their print and internet publications to provide bettors with a “Sports Insights” section on the site. It gives bettors links to important sports-related articles, betting analysis, game previews, and other data-rich, newsworthy articles.

During our time on the NorthStar Bets website, we found it pleasurable but not elite. New sites take time to rise to the level of DraftKings or FanDuel. So, despite not yet being an A+ site, our NorthStar Bets review is sure that, over time, the betting destination could become a top-tier provider in the Canadian market.

Signing in was easy, cashing out was hassle-free, and navigating the site was a snap. The betting site was responsive and intuitive, and bet slips were easy to fill out.

Again, our betting site experience, while not elite just yet, left us confident that NorthStar Bets is on the right track to deliver an all-around great experience for Canadian bettors.

Mobile Betting and Betting App

NorthStar Bets launched without any sort of dedicated mobile app, which was a bit of a negative in our books. However, they would eventually roll out iOS and Android apps for the Ontario market, followed up by separate versions for Canadian bettors outside of their home province. 

The apps are functional reskins of their desktop site, letting you access your account and all the same betting markets. Funding your account via the app is a simple process, and creating your bet slip is a breeze. 

The app isn't perfect, though. It's not quite as user-friendly as some of the biggest competitors out there. You may find yourself preferring the traditional website version unless you're trying to place bets while on the go. 

Live Betting

Our NorthStar Bets review highlights the site’s live betting options. During our test, we found over two-dozen live betting options from hockey to basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis to some more obscure choices like volleyball and table tennis.

NorthStar Bets allows bettors to place live bets in real-time while accompanying them with critical up-to-the-minute stats and even a peek into the future of upcoming live betting opportunities that will become available on the site.

As mentioned, live odds and real-time stats are something our NorthStar Bets review found the site does very well. The live update section at the top right of the screen, which provides real-time feeds and updates on those options, is also a very nice touch.

Casino, poker, & other gaming options

It is becoming increasingly incumbent on a sports betting provider to marry sports betting with online casino options. We are happy to report that NorthStar Bets does a decent job at that. While not listing all of the software providers for their casino offerings, further digging showed some of the top online casino developers in the world contributing to the NorthStar Bets brand.

The site boasts countless slots options, including a healthy number of progressives and tons of variations on favorite table games, such as Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat. Online poker is also available.

While not the best online casino in the Canadian market, our NorthStar Bets review gave the provider decent, not elite, marks for their online casino offerings. After all, it's better to have some casino and poker options than none at all, like some other Canadian betting sites.

NorthStar Bets history

NorthStar Bets’ parent company owns The Toronto Star, the most popular print news media publication in Ontario since 1892. The company also owns 150+ other news publications in the province, as well as well-known websites and other media outlets. They bring a grass-roots approach to the legal sports betting industry in Canada and hope to combine it all to deliver an omnichannel experience that will be attractive to a unique sports betting crowd.

Other partnerships, including one with an elite global provider of sports betting and technology solutions, Kambi, give the gambling destination immediate credibility. Brand ambassadors like well-known Canadian sports personalities Rod Black and Chris Johnston also boost the brand’s profile.

Customer ratings & reputation

As a relatively new legal sports betting brand with zero other jurisdictional presence around the globe, finding any established rating for the NorthStar Bets brand was a tad challenging. However, parent company NordStar Capital has a rock-solid reputation in the Ontario market, one that has been built with over a century of service in the province. We expect the same great offerings in the rest of Canada now that the product has been introduced nationwide. 

The Toronto Star is an institution in Ontario. Any doubts about NorthStar Bets’ credibility and seriousness to succeed in Canada can be eased by the iconic backing that NorthStar Bets enters the market with.

Customer Service

Customer service is something that NorthStar Bets could work on. It seems that 24/7 customer support is becoming the industry standard in the global sports betting scene. Most, if not all, of NorthStar Bets’ heavyweight competition in Canada offers unlimited access to customer support. NorthStar Bets isn’t there yet!

NorthStar Bets Contact

• Extensive FAQ section, which takes care of most questions and queries.
• Live Chat – 7 days a week from 8:00 am to 1:00 am EST.
• Toll free number: 1-(877)-870-5758
• Email: support@northstarbets.com

NorthStar Bets Legal Betting

NorthStar Bets is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario, making them a safe and secure locally-regulated betting site.

Responsible Gambling

Responsible gambling has become a hot-button issue facing global sports betting providers and is crucial to prospective companies hoping to operate in the Canadian market. Our NorthStar Bets review was happy to see just how seriously the company has taken on the subject.

NorthStar Bets offers a whole page that introduces and provides a slew of options to combat the potential of problem gambling. From listing problem behavioural, emotional, and financial or health signs, to providing advice and links to problem gambling help centers, NorthStar Bets delivers one of the most complete and effective pages of options to deal with what many see as an emerging social issue.

The legal age for gambling in most provinces is 19+. Please play responsibly. Here are a few resources to further assist you in playing responsibly.

• ResponsibleGambling.org
• ConnexOntario
• BeGambleAware.org
• Gambling Therapy in Canada

NorthStar Bets review summary

NorthStar Bets, while not quite in the upper echelon of sports betting providers in the Canadian market, can still deliver a good product for those looking for a home-grown option. It is not quite at the level of a DraftKings or a FanDuel, but we're willing to cut the company some slack. They will continue to grow and get up to speed compared to their competition in the market.

NorthStar Bets does a respectable job in every aspect of its sports betting offering. Again, they aren't the best of the best. Not yet, anyway. Its biggest selling point right now is that it's a Canadian company offering its product to the Canadian market. If you were to plop NorthStar bets into a random state in the U.S., they would be labeled as "perfectly average."

We expect NorthStar Bets can step up their game as the company matures. Inevitable growing pains will occur, and areas of focus will be identified over time. Hopes are that the minor issues are addressed and that NorthStar Bets can eventually reach its full potential.