Diodati wants feds to reconsider single-sport betting
Niagara Falls’ mayor is asking Ottawa to reconsider allowing single-sport betting after the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a law that had banned sports wagering in states outside of Nevada.
Jim Diodati says the court’s decision to allow sport betting in every U.S. state will have a negative effect on Canadian casinos and the gaming industry, especially in border cities like Niagara Falls and Windsor.
“We were already being beat at single-sports betting by Las Vegas and illegal online sites and now this ruling is going to open the flood gates,” he said.
Diodati is calling on the Canadian government to stop the exodus of gaming revenues to third-party websites and other jurisdictions and allow single-sport betting in order to stop the “bleeding of money leaving our own country.”
Niagara Falls city council since 2011 has supported efforts to allow such wagering at Canadian casinos. “Through motions of council, as well as lobbying of elected officials in Ottawa, council has long made its support known and reinforced the importance of this type of gaming to jobs, the economy and strengthening Canadian offerings against neighbouring competitive markets,” he said.
A private member’s bill regarding single-sports betting was unanimously passed by the House of Commons in 2012, however, the Senate never held a third reading or a vote on the bill prior to the 2015 federal election.
“The Senate killed it,” Diodati said. “The Senate — an unelected, unaccountable, out-of-touch group of people — made a decision to go against the will of the government, who represents the will of the people.”
In 2014, the mayor joined Windsor officials in Ottawa to illustrate the economic ramifications of not legalizing single-sport betting in Canadian casinos. At that time, according to the Canadian Gaming Association, $14 billion was being wagered illegally on sports by Canadians each year.
“We are not saying that gambling is right or wrong,” he said. “We’re just saying if the money has to go anywhere it should stay in Canada.”
Niagara’s regional council in March 2016 approved a motion supporting amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada to make it legal to bet on single-sporting events.