Legislation

Canada – Justice Minister highlights August 27 as date for legalised single-event sports betting

By Phil - 13 August 2021

The Canadian Gaming Association is today celebrating that single-event sports betting will soon be legal across Canada, as Justice Minister David Lametti proclaimed August 27 as the in force date for Bill C-218.

This was the final hurdle for the Criminal Code change to legalize sports betting, which means that provinces and casino operators can now move forward with their plans. Casino operators are looking forward to offering sports betting at their properties, and provinces will now have the authority to deliver a safe, legal, and controlled sports betting option to Canadians.

From an economic standpoint, having the ability to offer single-event sports betting will be a tremendous benefit to Canadian gaming operators and the communities where they operate, as most importantly it will allow them to create new jobs.

“Canadians will have the opportunity to participate in single-event sport betting in a regulated and safe environment, at the discretion of the provinces and territories,” Mr. Lametti said.

Canadians spend about $10bn a year on single sporting events in the black market with an additional $4bn a year spent in the grey market.

The new rules have the potential to bring that money back into Canada in a way that it can be monitored and taxed.

Ontario MP Chris Bittle said: “Canadians have been betting on sports for a long time, but there’s been a relic in the Criminal Code that has prevented betting on individual events. We have an opportunity to regulate, control it and take the money out of the hands of organized crime.”

Kevin Waugh, Conservative MP for Saskatoon-Grasswood, who presented Bill C-218, added: “Offshore gaming sites and sportsbooks operated by criminal organizations bring in $38 million of Canadian wagers every day. Instead of quickly enacting a law that would redirect that money to Canadian jobs and businesses, Justin Trudeau is allowing billions of dollars a year to fall into the hands of big multinational companies and criminals.”