Canadian sports betting bill set for review early next year

Canada’s attempt to modernise sports betting, Bill C290, is set for review in the Senate early in January next year but according to local media still faces determined opposition from some members of the Upper House who have managed to obstinately stall the measure for the past three years,

That’s despite overwhelming support from the Lower House and a number of organisations …including the national police (see previous  reports).

The bill seeks to change the present restrictive and ponderous legal requirement that sports bets can only be made on a parlay or pools basis, augmenting it with a more realistic and punter-appealing single event bet option.

The very significant Canadian sports betting market (some estimates put it as high as C$15 billion a year) is being accessed by online offshore operators, and there are concerns about consumer protection, the amount of money leaving the country in wagers and the possibility of criminal involvement.

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