Canada Getting Closer to Legalizing Single Game Betting
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Canada is getting closer to legalizing single-game betting in the country. As of writing, only parlay betting is allowed, but Canadian lawmakers are pushing to expand the industry. U.S. sports betting has been a big reason for the change of heart for Canada. The country has tried legalizing single-game betting twice and has failed.
Canada is starting to feel the heat to get a form of single-game betting legalized as New York, New Hamshire, and Michigan have legalized sports betting. All three states have legal betting.
The Liberal Party sent in another sports betting bill into Parliament on Thursday. “The goal of the legislation is simple. It is to bring a common practice out of the shadows and into the open to make it legal, regulated, and safe,” Justice David Lametti said.
Canada Sports Betting
The Liberal Party has pushed for sports betting expansion, but it has been hard as it has not had a majority in the House of Commons. The party will need cross-party bi-partisanship to get a bill passed. However, there has been some support from the other side and should help if it came down to a vote.
The NBA, MLB, NHL, and Canadian Football League have all shown support to pass single-game betting, which could help pass a bill when three major U.S. sports and the CFL all back the bill.
Canada is starting to notice that Canadians are looking to go offshore or use illegal bookies to place bets due to single-game betting illegal. Now, the U.S. could help bring in more revenue as Canadians could cross into the U.S. and place bets in Michigan, New York, or New Hampshire.
If Canada can expand sports betting in the country, then the provinces will decide whether or not they want single-game betting in the province.
What Would Single-Game Betting Do?
Canada expanding to single-game sports betting would blow the door wide open for sports betting in the country. Estimates put Canadian sports betting around $14 billion if single-game betting is legalized. Add that with parlay betting, and then the country will be thriving from the new industry.
“These people have been tenacious on behalf of their constituents, and they continue to advance good arguments… It shows the impact that individual MPs advocating on behalf of their constituents can have on government policy,” Lametti said.
However, there are opponents to the sports betting bill in Canada. Woodbine Racetrack, the most popular racetrack in Canada, is against single-game betting.
The bill would alter horse betting in the country, and Woodbine believes that it would hurt its business. This would most likely bring fewer people to the racetrack if single-game betting became legal because people would be able to do it on mobile devices.
The country will need to figure out a way to make it a win-win situation for everyone. There is a chance the horse race betting can be expanded to OTB’s like in the U.S. This would help bring in more horse racing bets along with overall sports betting still expanding in Canada.
