Sports leagues backing Canadian single-game sportsbetting legislation

In Canada and a coalition consisting of some of the nation’s most prominent professional sports leagues has reportedly thrown its weight behind a legislative effort that would legalize single-game sportsbetting nationwide.

According to a Friday report from the online news domain at iGBNorthAmerica.com, the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Canadian Football League (CFL), Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have joined with the Canadian Gaming Association in publicly expressing their support for new federal legislation that would allow punters to place wagers on solitary events.

Restrictive requirement:

iGBNorthAmerica.com reported that the current criminal code in Canada only permits aficionados to legally place accumulator bets containing at least three separate wagers. The source cited the Canadian Gaming Association in detailing that this ‘parlay‘ stipulation, which dates back to 1985, has created a state of affairs that is thought to see an estimated $10.25 billion wagered illegally each year.

Aspired alteration:

However, Canadian parliamentarian Kevin Waugh is reportedly now hoping to change his country’s existing sportsbetting landscape via the introduction of a private members bill that would authorize licensed operators to begin offering single-game wagers. This measure from the Conservative representative, which is known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, purportedly had its first reading in February following the 2016 and 2019 defeats of similar legislation from New Democratic Party compatriot Brian Masse.

Significant support:

iGBNorthAmerica.com reported that the five-member coalition is now backing this endeavor from Waugh by releasing a communication in which it declared that the passage of his measure would give fans of sportsbetting ‘another exciting way to engage with the sports they love.’

Reportedly read a letter from the coalition…

“Because a legal and regulated sportsbetting market in Canada would be beneficial to sports and their fans, we urge prompt action to make this a reality. Sportsbetting already happens illegally in Canada; creating a legal framework would shift consumers from illicit and unregulated markets to a legal and safe marketplace. Regulating single-game betting would allow for strong consumer protections as well as safeguards to further protect the integrity of sports.”