A joint statement put out by five major sporting leagues in North America, calls for the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada.
The statement, which was sent to several important figures in Canada, including PM Justin Trudeau and Canadian Justice Minister and Attorney General, Dave Lametti, reads as follows:
“The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the Canadian Football League support an amendment to Canada’s federal laws that would authorize provinces to offer betting on single sporting events.”
“Sports betting gives fans another exciting way to engage with the sports they love. Because a legal and regulated sports betting market in Canada would be beneficial to sports and their fans, we urge prompt action to make this a reality.”
“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.”
Although Canadians are allowed to bet on sports, it has to be in the form of parlay betting, ie. picking the winners in multiple games or events.
With legal sports betting spreading across states in the neighboring US, Canadian lawmakers are pushing to end the ban on single games betting.
Several efforts have been made to introduce legislation, including the latest C-218 bill filed by MP Kevin Waugh from Saskatchewan.
Lawmakers have penned letters to the Prime Minister, explaining how good single games wagering could be for Canada’s economy.
Waugh wrote in social media that the Canadian sports and gaming industries have not been exempt from the struggles brought on by the coronavirus. He said that single event sports wagering could provide new avenues for those industries, to engage with fans and for them to generate revenue in a time when other sources are highly restricted.
