At long last, Canada could be on the verge of legalising single-event sports betting, with a bill set to go before the House of Commons.

If passed, Bill C-218, or the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, will provide the country with the framework and necessary tools for a functional regulated sports betting market. 

Responding to the news, the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), said:

“The CGA is pleased that the federal government has recognised the urgent need to amend the Criminal Code to offer safeguards to Canadians as well as an economic recovery tool for the provinces.”

The CGA also pointed out how the small change to the Canadian Criminal Code would help communities economically recover from the COVID-19 crisis, and once again reminded people of how much Canadian money is currently being wagered through offshore online sportsbooks each year – over $4B CAD, compared to just $500M wagered on the legal sports lottery products currently available to Canadian bettors. 

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s been a long time coming, but it looks unlikely that this bill won’t pass, especially given the added need to stimulate the economy due to the COVID-19 crisis. A fully functional, regulated Canadian sports betting market would no doubt be very attractive to many operators, especially those already heavily committed south of the border in the United States, given the similar sporting tastes in both countries. 

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