Canada’s Single-Game Sports Betting to Launch August 27

It was only just over one month ago that Canada’s Bill C-218 to introduce legal single-game sports betting to the country was given Royal Assent. In acquiring such, it was provided with the necessary means to become official law. And with that, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, David Lametti, made the announcement of its official start date.

Bettors in Canada will be able to participate in single-game sports wagering on Friday, August 27. This, Lametti said, will help in providing a much-needed boost to the finances of the CFL franchises, which are currently struggling. It now depends on each Canadian province as to how they will regulate and provide the new variation of sports betting.

Speaking on the introduction of the legislation, Lametti said in a statement, “I am pleased to announce that single-event sports betting will be legal in Canada on August 27. 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…”

Bill C-218 was highly sponsored by MP Kevin Waugh, a Conservative for Saskatoon-Grasswood. He is also a self-confessed fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which likely provided him with an instant sway for his vote. Speaking of which, the bill sailed through with 57 voters electing to back it against the 20 who chose not to do so. Five people abstained from the final vote in the Canadian Senate.

The development of legal sports wagering in the country has been supported by the Canadian Gaming Association. Despite the activity being legal in Canada for several decades, bettors were only able to place parlay bets. This required them to participate in placing bets on at least two or more games, whereas many people simply have often wanted to place a single wager on a single game.

Research done prior to the new legislation’s introduction showed that Canadians love to bet on sports, with around $10 billion being spent annually via illegal and criminal bookmakers. A further $4 billion is lost through offshore, but legally operating, online bookies. As things stand at the moment, only about $500 million is wagered through official Canadian bookmaker sites. It was these figures that helped to get the bill passed through the Senate, with hope being there that bettors in Canada will turn their custom to the country’s legal and licensed platforms instead.

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