Finally, Canadians will be able to legally bet on single sporting events from August 27th on, after country’s long-standing requirement for wagers to be spread across multiple games and matches. Justice Minister, David Lametti, stated that Bill C-218 will let Canadians to bet on individual games “in a regulated and safe environment.” Besides, he added: “Provinces and territories will be able to offer single-event sport betting products, like wagering on the Grey Cup, game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, or the Super Bowl. These changes to the Criminal Code will allow provinces and territories to use revenues to fund programming, such as health care or education, as they do with other lottery revenues.”
The conservative legislative bill has garnered enthusiasm from members of all four major political parties. It passed the House of Commons in February 2021, was approved by the Senate on June 22nd, and then by the King a week later. The announcement has been cheered by Canadian casinos and online sportsbook operators eyeing a legal market expected to handle nearly CAD 28 billion in betting action five years post legalization.
Just as individual states regulate U.S. sports betting, Canadian provinces will decide individually if they want to legalize. Some state governments are already preparing to take advantage of new sources of income. Because Canadian provinces already can offer parlay wagers through their lotteries, several will be ready with expanded products for the end of this month.
For instance, The British Columbia Lottery Corp. (BCLC) will launch single-event wagering on PlayNow.com on the effective date. Additionally, the BCLC is looking at ways to expand offerings at land-based outlets. Manitoba also runs through PlayNow. Alberta will go live with single-event sports betting this fall on Play Alberta, according to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis. Both Manitoba and Alberta are part of the Western Canada Lotteries Corp., along with Saskatchewan and two territories, which works closely with the BCLC. The Atlantic Lottery Corp. is also ready to offer single-event wagering, with a “small change” to its website. Ontario regulators plan to launch an open market in late 2021. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario released a draft of sports betting regulations for stakeholder feedback last month.
There are also some important operators interested in the Canadian market, such as PointsBet, DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn National Gaming and BetMGM, among others.