Canada Rapped for Stalling Sports Betting Bill

Two years down the line and there is still no progress in a bill that would allow single game wagering in Canada.The president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, Bill Rutsey published an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen publication last week, slamming lawmakers for stalling the bill, C-290, and depriving the country from earning hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.  Rutsey asks why the bill, which aims to amend the Criminal Code removing the prohibition against single-event wagering, has been stalled in the Senate, despite testimonies from multiple sources, including law enforcement, gaming regulators, legal experts and more.

Pointing to the incredible success of legal sports betting in Vegas, especially around Super Bowl weekend, Rutsey asks: “What’s preventing something similar in Canada?”

“The simple answer: a handful of unelected senators in Ottawa,” writes the CEO. “While sports wagering has been legal in Canada for decades, we are unable to bet on the outcome of a single event. If you want to bet on the Super Bowl you must “parlay” your bet with two other events — say an NHL hockey game and Premier League Football match. Under this scenario, more often than not your bet will be a loser before the pre-game starts.”

Rutsey points out that Canadians are already spending over $4 million on sports betting each year at offshore sites, as well as another $10 billion through illegal bookmaking groups. “By way of comparison, “parlay” bets, the legal sports wagering offered through provincial lottery corporations, capture about $500 million annually — a pittance next to the $14 billion otherwise bet,” he writes.

The Canadian Gaming Association head also points out that there is broad support for C-290, with nine provincial governments already requesting to have the bill passed.

“By delaying the bill they are ceding the billions of dollars Canadians are wagering on sports to the hands of illegal offshore operators and organized crime — more than $26 billion since the bill entered the Senate almost two years ago,” he writes. “This leaves communities like Windsor and Niagara Falls unable to capitalize on a great tourism opportunity and denies Canadians a legal, regulated opportunity to bet on the Super Bowl. Isn’t it time for all this to change?”