Pro Sports Leagues Support Legal Canadian Sportsbetting

Professional sports leagues have shown their full support for single-game sports betting in Canada.

“[The leagues] support an amendment to Canada’s federal laws that would authorize provinces to offer betting on single sporting events. Sports betting already happens illegally in Canada; creating a legal framework would shift consumers from illicit, unregulated markets to a legal and safe marketplace. Regulating single-game betting would allow for strong consumer protections as well as safeguards to further protect the integrity of sports”

What is the Canadian sports betting landscape?

Currently Canadian residents can only bet on sports legally through parlays at the provincial lotteries. This has resulted in a large market for international sports and casino operators who accept Canadian customers.  The Canadian Gaming Association estimates $14 billion is wagered by Canadians annually with offshore sportsbooks, while only $500 million is wagered through regulated channels.

Canada sports betting bill in the works

Co-sponsor Kevin Waugh told the Windsor Star he hoped to fast-track the bill for passage this summer.

Fellow bill co-sponsor Brian Masse previously warned that Canada could lose tax dollars as citizens cross the border to bet in Michigan. The vast majority of Canada’s population lives within 100 miles of the US border.

“When the opportunity to do that arises, theScore will be ready to offer Canadians a truly best-in-class mobile sports betting experience with theScore Bet.”

David Burke

London based reporter covering all aspects of the global regulated and unregulated land-based and online gambling industry - including business news, sports-betting, casinos, poker & regulation