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Single-event sports betting bill draws debate
The Canadian Gaming Association recently lent its voice and research to a Vancouver Sun article discussing the merits of a private member's bill which seeks to amend single-event sports wagering laws in Canada.
According to the CGA, only 4.5% of the estimated $10 billion dollars spent by Canadians on sports wagering is done so legally, while upwards of $4 billion dollars are reportedly spent on 'technically illegal' online gambling portals such as Bodog and bet365. Citing these numbers, CGA vice-president told the Sun, "It's clear Canadians want to do this because they're spending billions on it every year. It's time legitimate Canadian gaming operators are given a chance to compete on a level playing field."
As the laws stand now, sports bettors within Canada are only permitted to place money on legitimate sports gambling products such as B.C.'s Sports Action, which only allow the opportunity to bet on the outcome of a minimum of two games. That said, B.C. Lottery Corp. vice-president Kevin Gass' reported revenues from Sports Action have started to level off thanks in large part to Sports Action's online competition, noting, "All of our online competitors offer head-to-head bet-ting and we do not. In Ontario, Windsor looks across the border [to potential U.S. customers who would be attracted to single-game betting]. We look across the Internet.”
Those opposed to changing Canada's single-event sports wagering rules include NHL vice-president Bill Daly, who expressed his desire to see the laws remain as they are, stating, "We are not in favour of any move away from parlay betting in provincial lottery games."
Read Bruce Constantineau's complete article, with further discussion from Burns, Gass, and Great Canadian Gaming Corp. vice-president Howard Blank here.
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