Canada Senate Passes Single-Game Sports Betting Bill
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Canada has been in the sports betting world of news over the spring and summer so far, as they have been looking to allow single-game sports betting. Parlay betting has been allowed over the years, but the market is now opening up after yesterday’s passing of C-218. The bill is headed to be signed into law over the next few days. Now that single-game sports betting is legal on a national level, it leaves it up to the provinces to take action on what they want to do. This is very similar to how the United States struck down the federal ban and allowed states to begin making their own decisions.
British Columbia & Ontario Already On The Front
Regulations, rules, and partnering with operators are the first steps to take before anyone can begin placing single-game parlay bets. Two provinces are already out ahead of everyone else, as British Columbia and Ontario have begun working on sports betting rules. Rules and regulations are going to vary by the provinces, where some markets might be larger than others.
Over the next few months, we should see plenty of regulation and operator news come out of these two provinces. There have been some rumored expectation dates around the NFL season, but sometime in 2021 seems likely for both Ontario and British Columbia.
Tribal Issues
Within the gaming expansion, Indigenous groups were left out. While it likely won’t be anything that derails legalizing sports betting, there will likely be some pushback. We have seen a lot of gaming compacts agreed upon in the United States between different state groups and governments before the legalization of sports betting in a state.
Who Could Operate In Canada?
It is likely that we will see DraftKings in Canada, but every province will differ. PointsBet has a good standing with the NHL given the NBC partnership and could move in as well. BetMGM partnered with Wayne Gretzky recently, making them a push for a hockey-centered market. We should see plenty of operators in the country, but Ontario expects to be the most competitive with a large market.
