CGA Welcomes Introduction of “Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act” in Canadian Parliament

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has given its full support for the introduction of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act in Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill by Kevin Waugh, MP for Saskatoon-Grasswood.

Canada has had legal sports wagering for decades. But now, Canadians can only place wagers through a parlay bet, which means betting on and correctly predicting the outcome of at least two or more games in order to win their bet. The Bill will amend the Criminal Code to make it legal to bet on the outcome of a single sporting event.

Canadians enjoy sports betting because they are wagering approximately $10 billion annually through illegal bookmaking operations in Canada. Additionally, more than $4 billion is wagered through offshore online sports wagering sites. Currently, only $500 million is wagered through legal provincial sports lottery products offered to Canadians.

“Amending the Criminal Code to legalize single-event sports wagering will provide provinces with the necessary tools to deliver a safe and legal option to Canadians, as well as the power to address important issues such as consumer protection while enabling economic benefits to flow to licensed gaming operators, communities and provincial governments,” Paul Burns, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, said.

“This amendment will allow us to safeguard the $17.1-billion economic contribution that gaming makes to Canada as well as the 182,500 jobs that support not only individuals but communities. We look forward to working with all political parties to make single-event sports wagering a reality,” Burns added.