Can You Legally Bet on the NFL With Bitcoin or Crypto in the US and Canada?

You cannot legally bet on the NFL, or any American football, with Bitcoin at a regulated sportsbook in Ontario or Alberta. Both provinces bar crypto deposits. In the US it depends on the state you are in, and on whether the sportsbook licensed there offers crypto. A sportsbook that takes crypto but is not on your province’s or state’s official list is not regulated where you live, whatever licence it shows.

This page explains the rules, what “offshore” means for you, and how to check a sportsbook yourself. We don’t name or rank crypto sportsbooks.

Crypto deposits at regulated sportsbooks

Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum: does the coin matter?

No. None of the rules we checked treats one coin differently from another. They cover cryptocurrency as a category, so the answer for Bitcoin is also the answer for Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash or a stablecoin.

Ontario’s standard says “Cryptocurrency is not legal tender and shall not be accepted”, with no exception by coin. AiGC names Bitcoin and Ethereum as examples (“cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum”). Wyoming’s law lists “digital, crypto and virtual currencies” without naming any coin.

Canada: what the rules say

Canada has no national online betting licence. Under section 207 of the Criminal Code, a province may “conduct and manage” gambling in that province. So the legal sportsbooks are the ones your province runs or authorizes. Our guide Is sports betting legal in Canada? covers each province.

Ontario. The AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming apply to every registered igaming operator in the province. Standard 5.69 says deposits must be verified and “appropriately authorized by a financial services provider”. The note under it is blunt: “Cryptocurrency is not legal tender and shall not be accepted.” The regulated sites are listed in iGaming Ontario’s directory. On October 10, 2026 it showed 49 operators and 84 websites. You must be 19 or older and physically in Ontario.

Alberta. The Alberta iGaming Corporation answers the question directly. “Can I bet with cryptocurrency? Not at this time.” It says approved operators “are not permitted to accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum for deposits or withdrawals” (AiGC FAQs). Its operator FAQ adds that operators must process all transactions “in fiat currency through recognized, compliant financial institutions”. On October 23, 2026, AiGC’s list of registered sites had 51 sites.

Other provinces. The legal online sportsbook is the provincial one, such as PlayNow or Loto-Québec. See Is online gambling legal in Canada?.

The US: state by state

Sports betting in the US is licensed by each state. A sportsbook is legal for you only if it holds a licence in the state where you are when you place the bet.

Wyoming is the one state law we found that names crypto. Its 2021 online sports wagering act defines approved “cash equivalents” for online sports wagering. The list includes “Digital, crypto and virtual currencies” alongside cards and online payment systems (Wyoming Legislature). The law allows crypto. It does not make any operator offer it, so check the licensed book’s own banking page.

Everywhere else, look up your state regulator’s rules and the licensed sportsbook’s payment page. We did not find another state law that lists crypto as an approved deposit method. Our US hub tracks state-level changes.

What “offshore crypto sportsbook” means legally

Some sites advertised for NFL crypto betting show a licence from another jurisdiction in their footer, such as Curaçao or Anjouan. That licence is issued in that jurisdiction. It does not make the site legal in Ontario, Alberta or any US state. Only the local regulator’s list does that.

US regulators do act against these sites. In May 2025 the Michigan Gaming Control Board ordered BetUS to “immediately halt all operations involving Michigan residents”. The board noted that the platform included “cryptocurrency transactions” and cited Michigan’s Lawful Internet Gaming Act, Gaming Control and Revenue Act and Penal Code (MGCB). Its executive director said unlicensed operators “expose consumers to potential risks”.

More on the Canadian side: Are offshore gambling sites legal in Canada? Enforcement actions we track are on our enforcement page.

The risks of betting offshore with crypto

iGaming Ontario lists the harms of unregulated sites in its directory:

• “No guarantee that deposits are securely stored”
• “Payouts could be delayed or not given at all”
• “Personal information could be exposed to third-parties or the public without your consent”
• “Operators have no accountability to regulators so they might stack the odds against players”

No regulator to complain to. iGaming Ontario says it “has no legal relationship with unregulated igaming Operators” (iGO player support). In Alberta, AiGC’s independent dispute review covers disputes with approved operators only (AiGC FAQs). See Gambling withdrawal complaints in Canada for what you can still do.

Withdrawals and identity checks. Before you deposit anywhere, read the withdrawal and identity-verification (KYC) sections of the site’s terms, including when it can hold or refuse a withdrawal.

How to check if a sportsbook is licensed where you are

1. Find the official list for your province or state (table above).
2. Match the exact website address, not just the brand name. The lists name the specific websites that are approved.
3. Check the footer. Every regulated Ontario site shows the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos (iGO FAQs). AiGC says a regulated Alberta site shows the AiGC logo and the Responsible Gambling Council seal. A licence from Curaçao or Anjouan alone means the site is not regulated in your province or state.
4. Read the banking page. In Ontario and Alberta, a site that offers Bitcoin deposits is not one of the regulated sites.

Our Ontario licensed operators tracker keeps a searchable copy of the iGO directory. See also Ontario licensed gambling sites and Alberta licensed gambling sites.

Getting help

If betting on games has stopped being fun, free help is available. In Canada, see Problem gambling help in Canada for your province’s line. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling runs the 1-800-MY-RESET helpline.

iGaming Ontario’s directory was checked on October 10, 2026 and Alberta’s list on October 23, 2026. This page reports what regulators and laws say. It is not legal advice and does not recommend any sportsbook.