The bill before the House of Commons justice committee would amend Criminal Code provisions that prohibit gambling on single games of football, hockey and other sports.
Las Vegas-style betting on single-game sports would eat into the $10-billion black market by legally opening the books to gamblers eager to bet on individual games rather than just Proline-style betting, where they wager on fixed odds around two or more games. Bill C-218, proposed by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh, has garnered tentative support from a horse-racing industry that remains wary of casinos encroaching on their turf.
Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group, suggests operators that offer fixed-odds wagers on single races should potentially contribute to the cost of racetrack maintenance and horse breeding. Willian Ford, who heads a group that represents more than 40 racetracks across the country, is asking Ottawa to legalize historical horse racing, which would allow gamblers to wager on past races while preventing them from identifying the race before locking in the bet.