Canadian sports betting bill still tied up in the senate

Earlier this year it appeared that fast progress was being achieved by Canadian MP Joe Comartin’s bill C-290, a private member’s measure in the Commons proposing that single game sports betting be allowed as well as the current parlay betting regime.

The bill had very strong bi-partisan political support and moved through its first two readings with remarkable speed, creating hopes that it may be approved in the summer of 2012.

In mid-May it was referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee in the Senate for scrutiny, where it appears to have bogged down. Canadian politics is now pretty much in limbo due to the summer recess, which means that there will be very little happening until later this year.

In the meantime provincial governments, which have held the right to control gambling within their borders since 1985, are continuing to promote sports gambling under current law, which restricts the activity to parlay betting.

In British Columbia the BC Lottery Corporation’s PlayNow.com website has been promoting new live betting and other sports-related wagering styles, facilitated by software from Openbet and odds from Paddy Power.

Check out PlayNow’s vid promo material here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSyWSW4Vw6I