Canada set to reveal details, launch date for single-sports betting to take effect

Ottawa is set to reveal details of its plan to enact single-sports betting in Canada, with Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti expected to announce when the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act will come into effect in a news conference scheduled for 1 p.m. at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

This new legislation would end Canada’s long-standing ban on placing bets on individual sporting events. Bill C-218 has received loyal assent on June 29, but has not yet obtained a date to “come into force” from the Prime Minister’s cabinet, reports Yahoo Finance Canada.

The legislation permits provinces to regulate new forms of sports gambling and has been expected by the industry, with some reports believing it could be enacted this same week. The delay has been criticized by the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), as a date was not set despite more than 40 days since Bill C-218 became law.

Revenue that previously went to illegal sports book is expected now to be used for public supports, and casinos will now be able to implement their own plans for the new market.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse, who supported the bill throughout the process along Conservative MP Kevin Waugh, posted on his Facebook page Wednesday that he’d been informed the bill would “become the law of the land” Thursday. “There are many people and organizations who have worked for years to make this happen. We had to push through every single step of the process for more than a decade,” he said.

“I’m pleased that tomorrow (Thursday) the work on the federal level will be complete and a blow against organized crime will have been achieved, along with the opportunity to create a legal, regulated and modernized sector that provides jobs and opportunities for Canadians and revenues for government to support important programs across the country,” further added Masse.

The new legislation has received the support of the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB and CFL, following US’ legalizing single-game betting in several states.

Anticipation for the enactment has led to Canada’s industry moving fast to adequate its businesses, the most notable being Penn Gaming acquiring Toronto-based Score Media and Gaming for $2 billion.