Windsor Asks for Single Sports Betting
The Windsor Chamber of Commerce is putting pressure on Ottawa to pass a law that will allow single sports wagering in Canada.
Lawmakers were told by Matt Marchand, the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, that Windsor would benefit significantly from expanded sports betting.
"Combined with tax free gaming winnings, single sports betting would provide Caesars Windsor with a very important competitive advantage in the market place," said Marchand. "It would translate into jobs and economic development and more reasons for people to come to Windsor, spend the weekend, get a hotel room and enjoy the region."
Support for Bill C290
A number of Windsor's important citizens spoke in support of Bill C290 which would allow single sports wagering in Canada, compared with the current law which only allows betting on multiple games.
Despite the fact that Bill C290 was passed by parliament, it has been stuck in third reading in the Senate since December last year.
Marchand said that the bill was "important for a number of reasons" but from Windsor's perspective "it's jobs and economic opportunity."
Most importantly, said Marchand, individual provinces would be given the right to decide whether or not they wanted to expand their gaming products, as the bill did not make single sports wagering legal by default - provinces would have to approve or decline.
Canadian Gaming Association Supports Bill
Another group which spoke in support of Bill C-290 was the Canadian Gaming Association, represented by vice president Paul Burns.
Burns said that he didn't understand why Bill C-290 had stalled. "There's strong support in the senate," he said.
"Right now, by our estimation, there is $14 billion being wagered on single sports events by Canadians," he said. "About $4 billion goes to online sports betting and another $10 billion goes to local bookie operations ..."
Burns said that he did not believe that single sports betting would increase the number of problem gamblers.
"For Canadians it's about consumer protection," he said. "And it's about the economic benefits of that money staying in Canada."
Not everyone is supportive of Canada single sports betting, and among the most vocal in opposition has been Newfoundland and Labrador Senator George Baker, among others.
