Professional Sports Leagues In Canada Want Legal Sports Betting

• Major league sports in Canada have asked government officials to legalize sports betting in the country via a combined statement.
• Sports betting is a regular occurrence in Canada and legalizing the market could only add revenue to the country as well as establish consumer safety.
• The odds of Canada passing a sports betting bill are favorable.

NEW YORK – The major sports organizations in Canada have come together to write a statement in favor of legalizing sports betting in their country.

The letter was then given to the top three people in charge of an issue, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Dave Lametti, the Attorney General and Justice Minister, and Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

All major leagues in the country signed off on the letters before sending them into the hands of the three government officials.

The Statement By The Leagues Of Canada

In the letter, received by those in charge, it started by getting straight to the point of what they want to see done before listing off various reasons as to why legalizing sports betting in Canada would be a positive move.

“The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the Canadian Football League support an amendment to Canada’s federal laws that would authorize provinces to offer betting on single sporting events.”

Points made throughout the statement include the added fan engagement and expansion of fanbases which would equal bigger profit margins in that regard.

The franchises believe that it is in the best interest of the Canadian sports fan and bettor that they have a regulated and transparent legalized industry available to them.

It states that it is a well-known fact that Canada is home to many sports bettors and the gambling country does not profit from these bets, nor are they able to keep their citizens safe by giving them a regulated way to place wagers, having to go through outside outlets.

“It’s an amazing coming together over a long period of time that shouldn’t go unnoticed by the prime minister and those interested in ending fraudulent gaming,” said Brian Masse Windsor West NDP MP, a sports betting advocate for years. “It’s a vindication of what needed to be done a decade ago. It shows Canada is now an outlier in regards to single-event sports betting.”

Keeping Canadians from betting in the black market will protect their consumer safety.

That is one of the bigger issues listed in the statement. The letter was then signed by Gary Bettman of the NHL, Rob Manfred of the MLB, Don Garber of the MLS, Adam Silver of the NBA, and Randy Ambrosie of the CFL.

The leagues stand on a united front to ensure that the Canadian Government is aware of their approval and request to legal single-game sports betting.

News tags: Canada | CFL | MLB | MLS | NBA | NHL