Canadian Senate Recesses without Sports Betting Bill

This week the Canadian Senate recessed without passing Bill C-290 aimed at permitting single game sports betting in Canada. The bill has been blocked in the Senate for more than a year despite the overwhelming approval in the House of Commons and support from nine provincial governments and the Canadian Gaming Association. "Continued shameful inaction and procedural delaying tactics by the Senators only serves to fuel organized crime and illegal offshore bookmakers, because they are the ones who profit from illegal single-event wagering," said Bill Rutsey, chief executive of the CGA, expressing disappointment that the Senate has not still endorsed the Bill C290. "Again, I reiterate that we are talking about tens of billions of dollars leaving Canada and ending up in the hands of criminals. The Senate is obviously comfortable with this outcome, as they don't see any urgency in dealing with the problem. “What we are witnessing, unfortunately, is an unaccountable Senate that prefers to debate the morality of gaming and not the dangerous status quo that they are in no hurry to fix," Rutsey added. In conclusion Rutsey said: "So while they waste time questioning whether or not people should gamble - a question that has been asked and answered decades ago - we watch more money leave the country, which means more Canadians are engaging in risky and unsafe behaviour. I remain shocked that the Senate doesn't consider this an issue worth its attention." The Association further claims that the Bill would create real economic benefits for Canadian communities. In addition to creating new jobs and remunerations, introduction of legalized single-event sports wagering would place Canadian lottery corporations in advantageous position over the US casinos. Canadians can currently make parlay bets (wagering on the outcome of three or more events) which is not popular among players, the CGA says. Adoption of Bill C290 as an amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code would legalize wagering on the outcome of single sporting events. "Unlike the Senators, we will not stop working during the summer. The accumulator on the C290NOW website will continue to tabulate the leakage from the Canadian economy sanctioned by the Senate's inaction; and we will engage more stakeholders who support the bill," announced Rutsey.