hits,' he says, 'I feel alive.'Ĭontrary to the image a phrase like that might suggest, Steve is a busy, successful criminal lawyer in Toronto. While sports betting occupies a fair share of his leisure time, he doesn't see it as an addiction or a problem. I do my research.'Īs the evening rolls around and a new set of games begins, Steve is enthralled by the action. 'I check Twitter to see if there are any injuries. 'I wake up in the morning and I check the immediately,' he says. It's all part of his morning routine, usually sandwiched between making coffee and taking a shower. The San Antonio Spurs comfortably covered the point spread (winning the game by more than the oddsmakers predicted) and a late basket by the hometown Raptors gave him another victory against the spread. Steve put a few hundred dollars on two NBA games and won both bets. He sits at his computer, like most days, checking the outcomes of the sports bets he made the night before.
Life is good this morning for Steve (not his real name). Why Canadian sports gamblers bet billions offshore.Editor's Note: This is the first in a three-part series of stories on sports betting in Canada.
