Oh Canada – When Will Sports Betting Be Regulated?

• Single-game sports betting is being considered for legalization by the Canadian Federal Government.
• Canada gambles an estimated $10 billion yearly on sporting events with the use of international sportsbooks.
• At the moment, discussions would have mobile sports betting legalized on a province-to-province basis.

OTTAWA – Single-game sports betting is getting closer and closer to becoming a legal pastime in Canada as a bill that would make this a reality for Canadians is rumored to be all but passed by Canada’s Federal Government.

Legal sportsbooks in Canada would be on a province-to-province basis like the United States, which gives each state the ability to decide whether or not to make sports betting legal and regulated.

While members of Parliament have shot down bills to make gambling on sporting events legal in the past, November 26 introduced the House of Commons to Bill C-13, an amendment that would act like the overturning of PASPA but Canadian style.

What Is Bill C-13?

Bill C-13 would see an amendment that would lift the criminal code prohibiting provinces from opening up single-game sports betting. There are many reasons as to why this is said to be an almost done deal. The ins and outs of why Parliament was against making the gambling on sports matchups legal no longer hold up in today’s society.

For one, neighboring areas like Michigan will be launching their mobile sportsbook platforms at the beginning of the year, allowing for residents to be able to bet on sports with such close access to the border.

Other towns in Canada that are on the country’s threshold with US states that have legal sportsbooks can also access these outlets which cause Canada to lose money in the process. Not to mention the use of offshore internet sports betting websites that are legal to join in the country.

It’s been estimated that Canada gambles almost $10 billion every year on sports and the country sees none of the revenue from that because they do not have legal sportsbooks of their own.

Canada could use the revenue, and a revenue of that size, especially after taking losses that were caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Another reason they’ve been hesitant to make sports bets legal in the past is the fact that professional sports teams have often spoken out in opposition when the topic of making a legal sports betting industry in the country was brought up. However, this year, members of Parliament have received letters written by the combined heads of the professional sports franchises in Canada backing the legalization of sports betting.

They no longer believe the integrity of the games will be an issue with the introduction of the industry.

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has also weighed in and said making sports wagering legal would come as a great relief to the country with the profit potential it could bring in. Revenue may even get as high as $1 billion in a seasoned market each year, as gambling on sports is a highly done activity in Canada, research confirms.

The Road Ahead

Nothing has been passed yet and there is still much to be discussed. Should members of Parliament be in favor of single-game sports wagers then the next thing would be coming up with the details on how it would all work, who would run it, would it be strictly mobile sportsbooks or would retail sports betting play a role, how could Canada offer their residents something different than what’s been seen with offshore and US sportsbooks, etc.

Many questions need answers but the one thing that is certain is that Canada is finally seriously considering a legal sports betting market of their own and it looks like it might be a sure thing come 2021.

News tags: Bill C-13 | Canada | Canada House of Commons | Canadian Federal Government | Canadian Gaming Association | Canadian Parliament | CGA | Coronavirus pandemic | COVID-19 | Michigan