Canadian politicians have new sports betting legislation to consider, but it remains to be seen whether this latest effort will have any more success than its long-suffering predecessor.
On Wednesday, Brian Masse (pictured), member of parliament for Windsor West, introduced legislation in the House of Commons aimed at legalizing single-game sports wagering.
The bill,, which Masse has dubbed the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, would delete a single section of Canada’s Criminal Code that would allow provinces and territories to authorize wagering on “any race or fight, or on a single sports event or athletic contest.” At present, the provincial lottery monopolies are restricted to multi-game parlay wagering.
Masse issued a statement suggesting that there may be a role for private firms to join the sports betting party. Masse described the current single-game sports betting environment as “nearly completely unregulated” but claimed that “firms operating in the so-called grey market sports are asking to be regulated.”