Legalizing single-game sports betting would boost economy, tourism: MPs
Federal government announces proposed legislative amendments to Canadian Criminal Code
The federal government has introduced long-awaited legislation to legalize single-game sports betting — a move that could be a huge boon to the gaming industry in Niagara Falls and other border communities.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti announced Thursday the introduction of proposed amendments to the Criminal Code. They would permit provinces and territories to regulate and license single-game sport betting on any sporting event, except horse racing.
The federal government would maintain its role in overseeing pari
mutuel betting on horse racing.
The amendments would allow Canadians to place bets in a regulated environment, either online or in per
son. If approved, it would open the books to gamblers eager to put down
cash on individual games rather than just Pro-Line-style betting, whereby consumers wager on fixed odds around two or more games, depending on the province.
Lametti and Liberal MPs including Chris Bittle of St. Catharines and Vance Badawey of Niagara Centre noted the amendments would take illegal betting profits out of the hands of organized crime.
They called it a response to calls from stakeholders and politicians from various political parties, particularly in communities along the border, to follow similar changes introduced in border states.
Bittle said Canadians have been able to legally bet on sports for a long time through parlays.
“However, instead of creating jobs and boosting our local tourism industry, single-game sports betting has been a black market that evaded taxes and directed funds to organized crime,” he said.
“Today is an important step towards legalizing a multibillion-dollar industry that will add to our economy, create jobs and boost tourism.”
Badawey noted Niagara is home to diverse activities, including world-class attractions that bring in millions of people each year.
“Single-event sport betting will bring sustainable jobs, support our local economy and continue to demonstrate Niagara as a key tourism destination,” he said.
“We have been working together with our partners to ensure all jurisdictions, including Niagara, become more resilient and sustainable during these challenging times.”
The legislation must be passed by the House of Commons and the Senate before becoming law. But little opposition is expected, as both the Conservatives and the NDP have supported single-game sports betting in the past.
The Canadian Gaming Association estimates $14 billion is lost annually to the black market and foreign gambling websites.
The association said it’s pleased Ottawa has recognized the “urgent need” to decriminalize single-game gambling.
The move “will provide provinces with the necessary tools to deliver a safe and legal option to Canadians while enabling economic benefits to flow to licensed gaming operators, communities and provincial governments,” the association said in a release.
“We can’t emphasize enough how this small change to the Criminal Code will help communities recover from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 shutdown.”
The legislation draws in part on a bill tabled earlier this year by Saskatoon- Grasswood Conservative MP Kevin Waugh to repeal the ban on single-event sports betting and pave the way for provinces to regulate the pastime.
In 2012, then-NDP MP for Windsor-Tecumseh Joe Comartin tabled a private member’s bill to allow single-game betting that zipped through the House of Commons with allparty support but foundered in the Senate.
The bill died when an election was called in 2015.
On Thursday, Liberal MPs credited both Waugh and Comartin, as well as other politicians, for their efforts, while Lametti, a former Port Colborne resident and now Montreal-area MP, acknowledged the Liberal government has evolved on the issue.
“I’m going to give credit to members of Parliament who were tenacious … they continued to advance good arguments,” he said.
“If our position as a government has evolved, that’s a positive thing, it shows the impact that individual MPs advocating on behalf of their constituents can have on government policy.”
Niagara Falls Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli said he’s “pleasantly surprised” the government incorporated parts of Waugh’s private member’s bill.
“Unfortunately, this legislation was left in limbo when the government shut down Parliament over the summer and showed absolutely no urgency in continuing the important work that is done through private members’ business,” said Baldinelli.
“Conservatives have been trailblazers on this issue, because we know it will lead to additional investments and help create good-paying jobs, especially here in the Niagara region which is home to two casinos with about 4,000 employees.”
He said single-game betting could not only increase revenue but also grow fan and consumer engagement.
He said it’s good news for workers who rely on the sports and gaming industries in Niagara Falls, who compete with border states such as New York where single-game betting is already legal.