Canada ponders new sportsbetting legislation

The private-members bill from Joe Comartin, the New Democratic Party representative for the constituency of Windsor-Tecumseh in Ontario, would amend the Criminal Code and allow punters to legally wager on individual sporting events.

“The reality is that Canadians are wagering on sports predominantly through illegal means either with bookies or online,” said Bill Rutsey, Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA).

“This bill will enable sports wagering to occur in safe and regulated environments.” Comartin has seen casino business in his constituency migrate the short distance across the river to Detroit with the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario already declaring their support for the measure.

“Sports wagering, estimated to be in excess of ten billion dollars annually, is arguably the single most popular form of gambling for Canadians,” read a statement from the CGA.

“However, only $450 million of that is wagered through the current legally regulated provincial sports lottery products.”

If Comartin’s proposed legislation is approved, individual provinces would be permitted to implement single-event sportsbetting.

“Canada has enjoyed legalised parlay-style sports wagering for many decades but the current restriction that prohibits wagering on a single sporting event does not reflect the modern reality for sportsbettors,” read the statement from the CGA.

“With the passage of this bill, Canadians will have a legal and regulated product for wagering on the individual sporting events of their choice.”