This week the Canadian gaming industry has a reason for celebrations as the legislation that would legalize single-event sports wagering is one more step close to reality. The Canadian Gaming Association celebrates the occasion as the Senate has now officially passed the legislation at its third and final reading.
Bill C-218 was introduced by Saskatoon Conservative MP, Kevin Waugh and its materialization would provide Canadian sports and gamin fans with the ability to wager on the outcome of a single sporting event. It is believed that the legislation would be able to transcend the country’s gaming sector to a whole new level, and it will be able to compete with its southern neighbors.
Successful Third Reading
President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, Paul Burns, has stated that the passage of the bill is an enormous achievement and milestone for the country’s gaming industry. Mr. Burns explained that the association has been in favor of the introduction of single-event betting for more than 10 years. According to him, the regulation has passed as the legislature is now fully aware of the economic benefits to the country.
After the successful passage, in a statement, the association directed special thanks to the many government leaders, individuals, and organizations that were involved in the legal process. Particularly, the association would like to thank Mr. Waugh, as the sponsor of the bill in the House of Commons, Senator David Wells, as the legislation’s sponsor in the Senate, and Brian Masse, MP for Windsor West.
Additionally, the association recognizes the efforts put into the introduction of single-sports betting by Gord Brown, MP from Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. Mr. Brown was a huge supporter of the gambling change, but he, unfortunately, passed away in 2018. The full list of the supporting stakeholder for Bill C-218 will be available on bettersportsbetting.ca.
Carrie Kormos, Chair of the CGA, stated that the launch of single-sports betting in the country will drastically improve Canadian’s sport wagering offerings. Mr. Kormos believes that the legislation would be able to help the struck by the unprecedented situation gaming industry, as the country’s casino properties have been closed down for a huge portion of time during the last 15 months.
Requesting Urgency
At the start of May, the Canadian Gaming Association advised the Senate to hurry up in their review of Bill C-218. The association was concerned that during the closure of brick-and-mortar casinos in the country, residents will have no other option but to resort to gambling on offshore websites, thus pouring millions of dollars out of the country. The association has even started an online campaign to support Bill C-218 named #bettersportsbetting.
Welcoming New Member
Back in February, the Canadian Gaming Association officially welcomed aboard a new member in the face of Real Luck Group and its subsidiary company Luckbox. The latter is popular amongst the gaming field as a top provider of eSports betting offerings and its CEO Quentin Martin stated that this is another important step for the company in its development before the introduction of single-sports betting.
Source: “Canadian Gaming Association Celebrates the Passage of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, Bill C-218”, GlobeNewsWire, June 22, 2021
