The loss of billions in revenue relating to sports betting in Canada is directly associated to the federal restrictions that govern activity relating to sports betting. With recent pushes to legalise sports betting in the United States could compound those loses many in favour of it say.
Those in favour of legalising in Canada, such as Brian Masse, an NDP MP are hoping that Michigan’s and New York legalization of sports betting within their respective states, both of which border Canada, will help sway the Liberal government to act in order to protect jobs in the casino industry. This is especially prevalent in cities such as Niagara Falls and Windsor, both of which depend on American gamblers to be profitable. The effort to make single event sports betting legal in Canada, such as betting on a hockey, football or soccer game, hit a brick wall after the Liberal government chose not to vote in favour of legislation that would allow it.
In response to its decision to vote in its favour, the weak-minded Liberals, who often base their decisions in favour of their business partnerships that generally support the party, cite that by voting in its favour they would, in essence, be allowing the risk that sports events could become rigged. They noted that a number of leagues in the U.S such as the NHL and NBA have entered into partnerships with major casino operators in hopes of bolstering sports betting in the U.S
The reality is, after the recent legalisation in Michigan and New York State, the risk to Canadian casinos will threaten the livelihoods of casino employees in Niagara and Windsor, where single betting sports events are illegal. Add into the equation the illegal sports betting trade, estimated worth over $14 billion a year and the threat is compounded significantly. Brian Masse, the MP responsible for the bills introduction, feels the Liberals should address the issue next week when the House of Commons returns. The Liberals only need to remove a single sentence from the Canadian Criminal Code, and it would become legal.
The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Federal law that applied limits on sports betting in all states within America except that of Nevada. This has resulted in many states pushing to legalize single game betting online, at racetracks and casinos. One of those states is Nevada, a state that generated $4.5 billion in revenue from casino gambling alone.
Currently, those in Canada who enjoy placing bets on sports are limited to placing parlay bets, which is the practice of betting on multiple sporting events at the same time with the hopes they generate a large profit. Considering how low the odds are, and the estimated $500 million lost in parlay bets yearly, the addition of single event betting could potentially have an impact on those numbers. The sad reality is, those Liberal candidates running in the Windsor area all proclaimed that the Liberals would remove the line within the criminal code if elected. However, not wanting to break with tradition, the Liberals did the exact opposite offering nothing more than lip service to the voting public.