Fans of Canadian sports betting can finally breathe a sigh of relief after months of anticipation, as the Senate has officially passed Bill C-218. This new legislation makes it legal for land-based and online sportsbooks to accept wagers on single-event sports. This is not only welcome news for bettors, but for the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) as well. The Senate passed the bill without amendments during its third and final reading.
The bill has originally introduced last year by Kevin Waugh, the Saskatoon Conservative MP. The materialisation of this bill provides sports and gaming fans with the ability to wager on the outcome of a single sporting event. Up until now, that has not been permitted and bettors would be compelled to wager on three events. This means that if even one portion of their wager did not win, they would lose the entire bet.
Bill Passed With Urgency
At the beginning of May, the CGA advised the Senate not to delay with its review of the sports betting Canada bill. This was because the association has some serious concerns about the state of the industry after brick-and-mortar casinos were forced to close for over a year due to the global health crisis. The CGA feared that if this were to occur, gamblers would switch to offshore betting sites, resulting in millions of dollars fleeing the country annually.
In February, the CGA formally welcomed a new member, Real Luck Group, along with its subsidiary, Luckbox, aboard. This was viewed as an important development surrounding the introduction of single-sports betting.
This time it will work!
Paul Burns, the President and CEO of the CGA, released a statement saying the passing of Bill C-218 marks an enormous milestone for the sports betting Canada industry. The CGA has long advocated for and supported the legalization of single-event sports betting, he continued. Mr Burns believes that the legislation has been passed because the Senate is now fully aware of the economic benefits that the country can enjoy.
This is third time that Bill C-218 has been read before the Senate and this time, it passed without any amendments or recommendations. Carrie Kormos, the chair of the CGA, has stated that with the introduction of single-event wagering in Canada, the country’s sports betting options will soon be significantly enhanced. Kormos believes that this will go a long way in helping the industry out of the effects caused by the global health crisis.