CA Sports Betting Bill Still Languishing in Senate Chamber after Nearly Two Years

In March 2012, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously passed Bill-C290, which contains a legislative proposal to amend the country’s Criminal Code for Sports Betting. Although the passing was regarded as a feat by the House as the bill practically passed unopposed, Bill-C290 is still languishing in the Senate chamber and up to now has not come into fruition.

Nearly two years ago, hopes were high that sports betting will finally be allowed through the enactment of Bill-C290, as the latter aimed to exclude wagering on the outcome of a single sporting event from section 207 (4) (b) of the Criminal Code. However, a number of Conservative and Liberal Senators publicly stated beforehand in January 2012 that a vast majority of those in the Upper Chamber are more inclined to reject the bill.

Those pushing for the bill contend that wagers for single-event are more popular among Canadians, inasmuch as the amount being wagered annually aggregates to about $14 billion, albeit placed through offshore sites and through unregulated or illegal betting operators. The CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) Bill Rutsey, warns that the continuing inaction of the Senate merely fuels unlawful betting in the country, and therefore places profits in the hands of unauthorized offshore bookmakers and elements of organized crime.

At present, advocates of the betting law are still unsure if and when the Upper Chamber will act on the bill. As it is, the office of the Senate Speaker was unable to furnish information regarding the time frame within which Senate plans to put the bill into final voting.