Canada’s Single-Game Sports Betting Bill Passes, Faces Challenges

A Parliament committee passed Canada’s single-game sports betting bill last Thursday. However, it still faces some challenges before people in the country can start wagering on sports.

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights excluded horse racing from the sport events bookies can offer. It was the only amendment that the committee made before approving the bill for a third reading in the House of Commons.

According to MP Vance Badawey, the horse racing industry’s primary revenue source is betting via the pari-mutuel wagering system. Thus, lawmakers want to defend the industry’s revenue stream. It would also protect around 50,000 jobs in the country.

Canada’s Single-Game Sports Betting Bill

The third reading is the final step before the House of Commons forwards it to the Senate. However, MP Kevin Waugh, the bill’s sponsor, said that the bill still has several challenges to overcome before becoming a law.

The sports betting bill is a private member bill instead of a government-supported one. Thus, it is at the bottom of the lawmakers’ priority list. The good news is that the legislation has several supporters from other parties. Lawmakers will have a two-week break for Easter. According to bookie pay per head solutions report, they will resume their session on April 12.

However, a snap election could derail the progress of the sports betting bill. Thus, they want to expedite the third reading. According to sports betting solution sources, there are rumors that PM Justin Trudeau may dissolve the Parliament in spring and call for snap elections in June.

As per pay per head service experts, even if the snap elections don’t happen, there are no guarantees that the Senate would pass the bill. A similar sports betting bill made it to the Senate in 2014. However, it faded away. Although it has some supporters, it would not have the same priority as a government member legislation.