Single game sports betting likely in Canada, finally Canada will almost certainly now offer single game sports betting after Justice Minister David Lametti tabled bill C-13 to amend the criminal. Ontario has said it supports single-game sports betting. © Provided by Windsor Star Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk is shown in front of Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Nov. To a person, all the experts supported the legalization of single event sports betting and passage of Bill C-290—from the aspects of consumer protection, social policy, problem gambling treatment, crime prevention, law enforcement and the ability to detect attempts to fix the outcome of sports events.
© Provided by The Canadian PressOTTAWA — The Liberal government says it will bring in a bill on one-game sports betting, five years after a previous attempt died in the Senate.
The legislation on the House of Commons notice paper would amend Criminal Code provisions around gambling on single games of football, hockey and other sports, an activity that is currently illegal.
The bill could mirror previous parliamentary attempts to reclaim for casinos some of the $14 billion that the Canadian Gaming Association estimates is lost annually to the black market and foreign gambling websites.
Single game sports betting likely in Canada, finally Canada will almost certainly now offer single game sports betting after Justice Minister David Lametti tabled bill C-13 to amend the criminal. Ontario has said it supports single-game sports betting. © Provided by Windsor Star Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk is shown in front of Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Nov. To a person, all the experts supported the legalization of single event sports betting and passage of Bill C-290—from the aspects of consumer protection, social policy, problem gambling treatment, crime prevention, law enforcement and the ability to detect attempts to fix the outcome of sports events.
© Provided by The Canadian PressOTTAWA — The Liberal government says it will bring in a bill on one-game sports betting, five years after a previous attempt died in the Senate.
The legislation on the House of Commons notice paper would amend Criminal Code provisions around gambling on single games of football, hockey and other sports, an activity that is currently illegal.
The bill could mirror previous parliamentary attempts to reclaim for casinos some of the $14 billion that the Canadian Gaming Association estimates is lost annually to the black market and foreign gambling websites.
In 2012, then-NDP MP for Windsor-Tecumseh Joe Comartin tabled a private member's bill to allow single-game betting. It zipped through the House of Commons with all-party support but foundered in the Senate and died when an election was called in 2015.
Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk — Windsor-Tecumseh's current representative — says the bill is about protecting 2,500 casino jobs at Caesars Windsor casino as well as bolstering the pandemic-battered tourism industry and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.'s bottom line.
'It just allows our gaming institutions here in Canada to be able to actually operate on a level playing field with what's already available online, but also with our American counterparts across the river,' Kusmierczyk said in a phone interview.
More than two dozen states have moved to legalize single-event betting after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in 2018.
Las Vegas-style betting on single-game sports would open the books to gamblers eager to put down cash on individual games rather than just Pro-Line-style betting, where consumers wager on fixed odds around two or more games, depending on the province.
Brought forward by Justice Minister David Lametti, the legislation is expected to draw in part on a bill tabled earlier this year by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh to repeal the ban on single-event sports betting and pave the way for provinces to regulate the pastime.
Waugh's bill faced blowback from a horse-racing industry wary of casinos encroaching on their turf, despite an Ontario funding agreement that provides the sector with up to $105 million per year starting in 2019.
'Horse racing is really the only industry that allows single-event sports betting. So the concern from the horse-racing industry is that some of the funding would be lost,' Kusmierczyk said, referring to market share.
Waugh acknowledged that major players like Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack may 'want a piece of the action,' but said the bill's main goal is to level the track globally.
'Sport Select/Pro-Line is not a very fair betting option in Canada. The odds are low. You have to do parlays — three-game parlays, sometimes two. It's hard enough to win one game, and the odds over the years are stacked against you,' Waugh said in an interview.
'So when offshore sports sites like Bet365 and Bodog started offering single-game betting, then you could see the money that was being spent on the corner grocery store being sucked out ... We could have used that money in this country.'
The Canadian Gaming Association said Wednesday it is pleased Ottawa has recognized the 'urgent need' to decriminalize single-game gambling.
'Amending the Criminal Code to legalize single-event sports wagering will provide provinces with the necessary tools to deliver a safe and legal option to Canadians while enabling economic benefits to flow to licensed gaming operators, communities and provincial governments,' the association said in a release.
'We can't emphasize enough how this small change to the Criminal Code will help communities recover from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 shutdown.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2020.
Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
Yet another push
Canada has seen yet another push for the legalization of single-game sports betting. Politicians Brian Masse and Kevin Waugh co-sponsored a sports betting bill in the capital city of Ottawa.
The Game Sports Apparel
Masse has since fully transferred control of the bill over to Waugh. He will continue to work closely with Waugh to lobby members from all the respective parties on the issue.
Two previous attempts by Masse to legalize sports betting were met with defeat in the legislature. However, with the United States seeing continued success since legalizing sports betting, the stakes for Canada have grown higher.
The benefits of legalization
Speaking about the bill, Waugh highlighted the significant size of the black market for sports betting that currently exists in Canada. He said each year, C$14bn (US$10.5bn) is gambled through these black market and offshore operators, with the money often going to criminal organizations.
In a tweet, he said the bill would allow Canadian provinces to 'regulate [sports betting] properly and ensure that it is being managed in a safe and responsible way.'
Waugh believes a simple form of legalization could be a beneficial tool for governments to use resulting tax revenue to invest in local communities. He added:
I am hopeful that all members will support this common-sense change.'
A make-or-break motion
Introducing the bill, Masse emphasized that now is the right time to embrace sports betting in Canada. He noted that the Liberals avoided outwardly supporting the measure during the recent election.
'Now the music has run out', he added, the issue will be debated in the legislature and voted on in the coming weeks. The various parties will have to decide once and for all which side they're on.
now is the right time to embrace sports betting in Canada
Masse observed that having bipartisan Conservative and NDP members co-sponsoring a bill would offer the Canadian prime minister another opportunity to do something about its legislation.
Significant market share being lost
Canadian lawmakers detailed how market share is constantly being lost to the US market. Originally, they were hoping to attract US customers to legal sports betting. Now, the main issue will be for local casinos to retain their current customers.
Free Betting Games
The chances of success
With the Liberals being the controling party in Canada, they are in charge of the parliamentary agenda. However, a lottery system is in place for each parliamentary session that allows some opposition politicians to submit private members' bills for debate.
Waugh got one of the precious early spots in this lottery. The issue will be debated in the legislature and then potentially voted on. There is confidence in the bill getting sufficient support and the law being altered shortly after.
The Canadian Gaming Association is also backing the change the bill would bring about.
Sports betting in Canada
The gambling market in Canada is unique. Here, federal rules prohibit the likes of single-game sports bets. Instead, only parlay sports wagers are permitted. Each province is then in charge of the specific types of gambling that it allows under the federal government framework.
Parlay sports betting is not very popular as one can only place bets that have at least three selections. Canadian residents tend to turn to the black market and offshore operators to get their sports-betting fix.
