The heavily discussed topic of when or will single-sports betting ever arrive in Canada is finally coming to an end. Yesterday at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Justice Minister David Lametti announced that the federal government has selected August 27, 2021, as the day to enact Bill C-218 as a law in the country.
Bill C-218 or also known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act was passed at the Canadian Senate on June 22, 2021, then a week later received Royal Assent. The legislation would change the Criminal Code in a way to leave the current parlay-betting in the past and allow provinces to offer wagering on all individual single sporting events.
New Chapter
More than 40 days after the Canadian Parliament passed Bill C-218, Justice Minister David Lametti announced that the legislation will be put into power on August 27, 2021. The minister said that now provinces and territories will be able to offer single-event gambling products on sporting events such as the Grey Cup or the Super Bowl.
According to Mr. Lametti, the amendments to the Criminal Code will allow jurisdictions and territories to fund their programs, such as healthcare or education with the revenue. This is already done in provinces as lottery revenue is often used to finance local infrastructure or communities. Additionally, the new offering will further elevate the Canadian gaming industry and now it will be finally able to catch up with the USA’s market.
However, Mr. Lametti says that one concern that is still not addressed is how Indigenous nations will be included in the gaming expansion. The Justice Minister stated that Indigenous people were left out of the talks, but statistically, their casinos are very well run. He added that government will move forward on that part of the file and probably continue talks with the communities.
Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy who represents staff members from Caesars Windsor Casino stated that the new gaming offerings will bring not only additional revenue but new jobs as well. According to him, the new job positions will prove beneficial for the region that was severely hit by the unprecedented situation. He believes that with single-sports wagers the casino could provide from 100 to 150 jobs.
No Reason for the Delay
The delay in the enactment of Bill C-218 has been the cause of a little friction between the federal government and some MPs. This week, Windsor West MP Brian Masse sent out a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging him to pick up the pace and legalize the new gaming offering. According to Mr. Masse, there is no reason for the delay, and this way the job creation process is also stalled.
Ready to Go
Ontario is already on the lookout as the largest Canadian province is ready for the launch of single-event sports wagering in the country. A while back, the CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Duncan Hannay stated that the Crown is ready to implement the new offering in time for the new NFL season as it would generate a huge surge in betting volume and the change would come in handy.
Source: Lagerquist, Jeff “Legal single-sports betting in Canada starts on August 27”, Yahoo Sports, August 12, 2021
