Canadian Commons Defeat Single-event Sports Betting

The Canadian House of Commons has voted down a bill to introduce single-event sports betting in the country, with 133 MPs voting in favour and 156 against the bill.   Bill C-221, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, was introduced back in February by Brain Masse, MP for Windsor West. C-221 sought to remove a line in the Criminal Code restricting provincial gambling monopolies from offering anything beyond parlay sports wagers.
The Liberal Party in power opposed the bill in April, with C221’s defeat likely dashing any hopes of single-event sports betting being introduced in the country for the foreseeable future.

Masse said: “By defeating this legislation the Liberal Government just endorsed an unacceptable reality in the gaming sector in Canada.” He continued: “They are well aware of the massive revenue stream sports wagering is providing organised crime to fund human trafficking, the illegal drug and weapons trade, money laundering and tax evasion.”  If the bill had passed, Masse stressed the potential benefits it carried in job creation and support for the nation’s provincial economies, as well in helping to combat organised crime. However, critics had argued that its passage would be ineffective in halting illegal wagering and could contribute to problem gambling.