Support Grows for Canadian Sports Betting Bill

Posted on: May 3, 2013, 05:30h. 

Last updated on: May 2, 2013, 05:26h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

The bill to legalize single sports betting in Canada may look tired and defeated at this point, but the support for the Bill C-290 is still seeing growth throughout the country as the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce has now voiced their full support in favor of the legislation. They join a number of other chambers in Quebec and Atlantic Canada who are also showing their support for the changes to be made.

The chambers have now grouped together to send a joint letter in support of the bill, which aims at changing the language and provisions of the Criminal Code currently in place so that any wagering would now be legal on races, fights or a single sports event or athletic contest. If the Senate were to approve the supported bill, then Canada ’s individual provinces would be able to make their own decisions about the legality of wagering on single sports events.

Show Me the Money

Those in support of the bill argue that legalization could contribute hugely to the local economies of the provinces of Canada, and would create more employment, more money, and taxes that would be earned from the betting revenues. In addition, they state that legalizing sports betting would help to prevent Canadian residents from placing wagers with offshore and underground betting operations.

However, strong supporter of the bill, Senator Bob Runciman, admitted recently that the strong opposition in the Senate gives him reason to believe that the bill will be unsuccessful, despite support from all parties in the House of Commons.

Yet this hasn’t wavered those pushing for the bill to be passed as “the chamber coalition supporting the Bill C-290 continues to grow across the country,” explained the Windsor-Essex chamber chief executive officer Matt Marchand to CTV Windsor, adding that two-thirds of taxpayers in Canada are in support of legalized sports betting, according to a recent poll by Ipsos Reid.

“In an era where governments are clamping down on tax evaders and cheats it would seem a no-brainer that to move forward to legalize this type of betting would be a win-win for the Canadian gaming industry, as well as for the Canadian taxpayer,” explained Pierre Cadieux, Atlantic chamber president.

Such a hot topic as legalizing sports betting will always create a wall between differing opinions as rarely is there a middle ground to stand on. But as support for the bill grows, the Senate will at least have no choice but to listen to the voices of both the supporting chambers, and the public who are reportedly in favor of the change.