💡 How can I start betting on Ice Hockey as a beginner?

To begin betting on ice hockey, you’ll need to create a bookmaker account. You can do so easily, as long as you’re at or above the legal age of your country of residence and you’re signing up to a reputable, regulated site. You can learn how to create an account in this guide.

💡 Are Ice Hockey matches rigged?

Most sports suffer from allegations of match fixing or rigging, particularly from disgruntled fans and bettors if they’ve lost. In truth, for such a high profile sport, it would be incredibly difficult to fix an ice hockey game. Could it happen? Yes. Has it happened in other sports? Also yes, and sport as a whole has suffered greatly for it. It’s fair to say, though, that ice hockey is relatively safe, and there’s no proof we can find about ice hockey being fixed or rigged in any way.

💡 What is the most I can win betting on Ice Hockey?

This depends on the stake and the odds available, but we wouldn’t recommend you place high stakes. Smaller stakes might mean smaller wins, but they also mean keeping a tighter rein on your bankroll.

💡 Can you make a living betting on Ice Hockey?

This would be incredibly difficult to achieve. While there might be bettors who make money from betting, making a living from it is nearly impossible. Again, we wouldn’t recommend you use betting for this purpose, it should never be considered as a potential source of income.

Ice Hockey Betting sites

By Sarah Jones | Last update at 4 July, 2025⏲️ Reading time: 16 minutes

Fact checked by Martins Lasmanis

Fact checked by

Martins Lasmanis

With more than 10 years of experience in online marketing, and special focus on the gambling affiliation sector over 5 years, Martin Lasmanis is a true expert in his niche. Today, Martin's vision is to build the largest lead generator company in the world. Fortunately, we have the perfect team to make his dream come true!

Ice hockey is an incredibly popular sport worldwide. While the NHL is arguably the biggest league across the globe, there are many other ice hockey leagues and competitions that have earned millions of fans. As the spectator interest is extremely high, so too is the number of bettors who like to place wagers on the sport.

In this guide, we’re going to look at the best ice hockey betting sites. We’ll take you through the best betting markets and how you can get started on betting on the sport. We’ll also explore the world of bookmaker bonuses and how you can qualify, along with how to sign up and make deposits and withdrawals.

Highlights

Rank	Bookmaker	Rating	Bonus	Get bonus
1	22Bet	4.1/5	100% Deposit Match Bonus	Play Read review
2	1xBet	4.5/5	100% Deposit Match Bonus	Play Read review
3	Megapari	4.1/5	200% Bonus for your First 2 Deposits	Play Read review
4	20Bet	4.3/5	100% deposit match bonus	Play Read review

The history of Ice Hockey

Ice hockey’s origins can be found in Britain, most notably Scotland. The games of shinty and field hockey, amongst other similar games, hugely influenced the foundation of ice hockey. The modern form of the game was born in Canada, with the first indoor game played in Montreal in 1875.

Towards the end of the 19th Century, there were hundreds of ice hockey teams across Canada. The Stanley Cup, then known as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, was first played in 1893.

As the sport progressed, teams from across the globe were formed, particularly in Europe. The Swiss National League A is one of the oldest leagues, founded in 1916, followed by leagues and competitions in the Czech Republic, Finland, and Sweden.

How we Evaluate and Rank Ice Hockey Betting Sites

When we examine sites for betting on ice hockey, there are a variety of aspects we look for in particular. We look at the number of leagues, competitions and tournaments available to bet on from countries around the world. In our experience, the best sites offer odds on all major and minor ice hockey competitions. We also look for a good range of markets, along with competitive odds across these markets.

In addition, we evaluate the overall user experience, in particular the sign up process, how easy it is to make deposits and withdrawals as well as place bets. In-play betting and live streaming are plus points, along with a variety of new and existing customer promotions.

In essence, our main considerations when assessing an ice hockey site are as follows.

Good range of leagues and competitions
Variety of betting markets
Competitive odds
New customer bonus
Existing customer promotions
In-play betting options
Accessible live streams
Array of payment methods
Mobile app
Customer service

Our top Ice Hockey betting sites

#1 22Bet

🎁 Welcome Bonus	⚽ Sports	💳 Payment Methods	🔴 Live Streaming	📱 Mobile App
100% Deposit Match	40+	63 Deposit / 41 Withdrawal	Yes	Yes

Ice hockey odds and markets are offered in abundance at 22Bet. In addition to NHL odds, 22Bet customers can also bet on a variety of European leagues, like Russia’s VHL, as well as tournaments taking place in the Winter Games.

In addition, 22Bet offer a great range of deposit and withdrawal options. There’s a mobile app that works extremely well, as well as live betting and streaming options.

#2 Megapari

🎁 Welcome Bonus	⚽ Sports	💳 Payment Methods	🔴 Live Streaming	📱 Mobile App
100% Deposit Match	40+	50+	Yes	Yes

There are few operators who offer betting on as many leagues as Megapari does. All major and many minor tournaments can be bet on here, including NHL, Euro Tour and other European competitions. Many second tier leagues from across the globe are available to bet on, too.

Live betting and streaming are available at Megapari, and there’s a range of existing customer promotions that can be used on ice hockey fixtures. There is also an NHL Mega Season promo that can give customers free bets for betting on North America’s top division.

#3 20Bet

🎁 Welcome Bonus	⚽ Sports	💳 Payment Methods	🔴 Live Streaming	📱 Mobile App
100% Deposit Match	35+	15+	Yes	Yes

Another site that offers odds and markets on a wide array of ice hockey competitions is 20Bet. Bets can be placed on a myriad of tournaments taking place in North America and Europe, as well as international matches.

Odds Boosts are available at 20Bet, especially on NHL fixtures. The welcome bonus is an attractive one, and their general odds are extremely competitive.

#4 1xbet

🎁 Welcome Bonus	⚽ Sports	💳 Payment Methods	🔴 Live Streaming	📱 Mobile App
100% Deposit Match	25+	100+	Yes	Yes

1xbet offer a good range of ice hockey markets, particularly on lesser known competitions. Junior competitions are well catered for, including the 3HL and Kazakhstan U20 Championships.

As well as their odds on ice hockey, 1xbet offer a great range of daily specials on other sports. There’s a huge range of payment options available, along with a comprehensive in-play betting service and mobile app platform.

#5 Rabona

🎁 Welcome Bonus	⚽ Sports	💳 Payment Methods	🔴 Live Streaming	📱 Mobile App
100% Deposit Match	40+	10 Deposit / 13 Withdrawal	Yes	Yes

Rabona offers odds on an incredible range of ice hockey competitions in 17 countries, along with international betting markets. In-play betting is especially good, featuring live match statistics on almost all ice hockey events.

In addition to men’s ice hockey, Rabona covers plenty of women’s competitions too, including USA’s PWHL and women’s NHL.

How to bet on Ice Hockey

To begin betting on ice hockey online, you will need to register an account with a betting site. Doing so is easy, follow the steps below to get started.

Select betting site
step 1
Choose your ice hockey betting site, we recommend the sites we’ve analysed in this guide.
Find registration section
step 2
Open up the Registration form. This is often found on the right hand side of the bookmaker homepage. You can also click the Register or Sign Up icon.
Fill the form
step 3
Complete the registration form. You’ll be asked to provide some personal information, including your full name, address and date of birth. This information, along with your email address and mobile phone number, will need to be verified at some stage. We recommend you do this immediately after signing up.
Make a deposit
step 4
Once your account is confirmed, you’ll be able to make a deposit. Click the Payments or Deposit icon and choose a method to use. Make sure the amount of your deposit is one that you can afford comfortably.
Choose hockey section
step 5
You can now place a bet. Click on the Ice Hockey tab, usually this is found in the Top Competitions or Top Games menus. Alternatively, use the A-Z menu.
Pick a tournament
step 6
Choose which competition you want to bet on.
Select the game
step 7
You’ll be presented with all fixtures for your selected competition. Click on the match of your choice.
Choose odds
step 8
Displayed will be all available markets for that match. Click on the odds you want to take, your selection will be added automatically to your betting slip.
Enter betting amount
step 9
Enter your stake in the field provided and confirm your bet.

Popular Ice Hockey Betting Markets

As you’d expect for such a popular sport, there are a huge variety of ice hockey betting markets available at all top bookmakers. The Winner market is one of the most popular, but there can be greater betting value found elsewhere, like in the Handicap or Totals markets. We’re going to look at the most popular markets now, we do recommend you learn how each market works to give yourself the best chance of finding value.

Winner. This market is probably the most common to bet on when it comes to ice hockey. Simply put, with this market you’re betting on which side will win the match in question. A draw is also possible, but only if you’re betting on the Overtime Excluded market. As a rule, most sites will state whether their Winner market includes or excludes Overtime and Penalties. Many betting sites offer both markets.
Handicap. A very popular sports market, Handicap betting is also very common in ice hockey. This market gives a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage to a particular side, which can lengthen the odds and provide greater value than a Winner bet. For example, if you’re looking to bet on Nashville Predators to beat Ottawa Senators and the Winner odds are 1.72, a Handicap bet of Predators -2.5 could be 4.2, therefore offering greater value and a bet worth considering if you’re thinking Predators will win comfortably.
Total. With this market, you can bet on how many goals will be scored in a match, usually higher or lower than a given amount. There are variations of this market too, such as Team Totals and Player Totals.
First Goal. This market allows you to bet on which team will score first. Again, there are variations of this market, such as Last Goal.
Double Chance. It’s possible to bet on two possible outcomes with the Double Chance market. Note that this market only applies to bets excluding Overtime, as ice hockey fixtures cannot end in a draw.
Correct Score. A market that can offer great value but comes with great risk too is the Correct Score market. With this market, you’re betting on what the final score will be, including or excluding overtime and penalties. The odds on this market are generally longer than others, due to the difficulty in getting it right.
Winning Margin. This market allows you to bet on how many goals a particular team will win by.
Will There Be Overtime? A market to consider if you believe the two sides are equally matched, many operators offer you the chance to bet on whether a match will go into Overtime or not.

What are the most popular types of Ice Hockey bets

There are a variety of bet types available on ice hockey. Some operators, though not all, offer System Bets, which allow you to place wagers such as Yankee, Heinz, and Lucky 15 bets. Bet Builder bets can sometimes be available, this bet type allows you to create your own bet by adding a variety of markets to your bet slip as one complete bet. For ice hockey, though, these aren’t particularly common. Most bettors either place Single or Accumulator bets when they place their wagers on ice hockey games.

Single and Accumulators are available at almost every ice hockey betting site. We’ll take you through what each bet type consists of now.

Single. The simplest way to place an ice hockey bet is to place a Single bet. With this bet type, you’re betting on one outcome only. This could be an Outright bet, such as betting on a team to win the Stanley Cup. For individual matches, you can place a bet on a team to win, or a Handicap bet for example. One selection = one Single bet.
Accumulator. Also known as a Multiple or Multibet, accumulator betting is also very popular. With this bet type, you can bet on more than one event. For instance, you might want to bet on Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning to all win their NHL fixtures. By combining these outcomes, you can increase the odds you’d receive, rather than placing four Single bets. However, this bet type comes with much more risk, as if only one team fails to win, you’ll lose the entire bet.

What payment methods can I use to bet on Ice Hockey?

Debit Card
Online Wallets
Cryptocurrency

The best ice hockey sites tend to offer a variety of payment options for their customers to choose from. Methods can be similar no matter where you bet, but what can vary are minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal amounts, processing times and potential fees. Some operators accept a range of currencies, where others might only accept the currency of your country of residence.

The most common payment methods available at betting sites are as follows.

Debit Card, including Visa, Maestro and Mastercard
Prepaid Vouchers, including Paysafecard
Online Wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill and Neteller
Cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether and Polkadot

Are there any Ice Hockey betting Apps?

Many of the betting sites we’ve featured in this guide, as well as most others you’ll find online, offer dedicated mobile betting apps. Generally, these can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. There are some advantages of betting via mobile, and apps can provide a much more enjoyable user experience than simply using your mobile browser to visit the desktop site.

Most apps can be downloaded from your app provider. However, in many cases it’s easier to download the app directly from the bookmaker site. Scan the QR code or follow the links on the site to begin the installation process.

What are the major Ice Hockey events or tournaments for betting on?

Major betting events or tournaments, allbets.tv

World Cup of Hockey

🗓️ Founded	1996
⌛ Played	Every 4 years
🌍 Location	TBC (2028)
👥 Teams	8
👑 Current Champions	Canada (2016)

Ice Hockey World Championships

🗓️ Founded	1920
⌛ Played	May annually
🌍 Location	Various (2025)
👥 Teams	56
👑 Current Champions	Czech Republic (2024)

Stanley Cup

🗓️ Founded	1893
⌛ Played	April to June annually
🌍 Location	North America
👥 Teams	16
👑 Current Champions	Florida Panthers (2023/24)

Ice Hockey Betting Strategies

Protect your Funds. The most important aspect of any betting is to do so safely. This includes looking after your bankroll. Keep a record of all of your deposits and withdrawals. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Have a set amount for betting with and never go beyond this amount.
Do your Research. The more you know about ice hockey, the more chance you have of placing successful bets. Anything can happen in sport, but a wider knowledge base gives you a better chance of making better choices.
Don’t Chase Losses. Continuing on from our first strategy, always have a set amount you’re willing to bet with and don’t go beyond this. It can be tempting to place bets you wouldn’t usually, especially if you’ve lost a few bets consecutively, in an attempt to recoup your losses. This almost always leads to losing even more money. Create a betting plan and stick to it.
Find the Best Value. This includes general betting odds, as well as potential odds boosts and promotions. It’s important that your betting site of choice offers you competitive odds on the games and markets you want to bet on.

FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions

To begin betting on ice hockey, you’ll need to create a bookmaker account. You can do so easily, as long as you’re at or above the legal age of your country of residence and you’re signing up to a reputable, regulated site. You can learn how to create an account in this guide.
Most sports suffer from allegations of match fixing or rigging, particularly from disgruntled fans and bettors if they’ve lost. In truth, for such a high profile sport, it would be incredibly difficult to fix an ice hockey game. Could it happen? Yes. Has it happened in other sports? Also yes, and sport as a whole has suffered greatly for it. It’s fair to say, though, that ice hockey is relatively safe, and there’s no proof we can find about ice hockey being fixed or rigged in any way.
This depends on the stake and the odds available, but we wouldn’t recommend you place high stakes. Smaller stakes might mean smaller wins, but they also mean keeping a tighter rein on your bankroll.
This would be incredibly difficult to achieve. While there might be bettors who make money from betting, making a living from it is nearly impossible. Again, we wouldn’t recommend you use betting for this purpose, it should never be considered as a potential source of income.