Some Canadian political figures are becoming impatient with the single-sports betting legislation as it is not yet a law. Windsor West MP Brian Masse has urged the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau to select a date for the introduction of Bill C-218 to become a law and allow provinces to roll out the new offering.
Bill C-218 or also known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act would lift the prohibition on individual game sports wagering by amending the Criminal Code of Canada. Currently, single-sports wagering is allowed only when betting on horse racing, however, with the new legislation, sports and gambling fans will be able to place wagers on their preferred type of game.
Official Request
Mr. Masse has sent out his letter of request to Mr. Trudeau’s office this Monday. The letter states that the MP from Windsor West is asking the Prime Minister to bring into force the legislation the very same day it was sent out. In the letter, Mr. Masse claims that there is no reason to delay the bill even further as the change is a long-awaited one.
According to the MP, the gaming expansion has been heavily backed by the country, as the gaming industry, law enforcement agencies, sports organizations and leagues, unions, first nation, municipalities, and the provinces have opted for the change. The bill was passed at the Canadian Senate on June 22, 2021, a week later it received Royal Assent, but it is yet to become a law.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Masse wrote that the legislation would establish regulated sports betting offering and makes sure that the benefits from it are used for financing communities across the country and not go to the illegal gaming operators. He added that every day passing is an additional opportunity for organized crime.
Mr. Masse continued in the letter by saying that provinces are also eager to introduce the new gaming offering and jurisdictions are currently unable to finalize their regulations due to the delay. According to him, casinos like Caesars Windsor are waiting for the bill to become a law and have not yet concluded their implementation plans which affect their offerings and job creation.
Provinces Impatient to Begin
One of the provinces that is eager to launch its single-sports betting offerings is Alberta. Last week, acting President and CEO of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission – Kandice Machado stated that she is looking forward to seeing the bill come into play. She explained that their Play Alberta platform should be ready to offer the new betting opportunity later this year.
Ontario is also closely following the unfolding events around the future of single-event wagering in the country. The biggest province is eyeing an early launch for the new offerings. The CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Duncan Hannay said that the province will make sure to launch the new offering before the start of the new NFL season.
Source: Wilheim, Trevor “Brian Masse calls for single-event sports betting law to take effect ‘today”, Windsor Star, August 9, 2021
