. The bill, being scrutinized by the House of Commons justice committee, would amend Criminal Code provisions that prohibit gambling on single games of football, hockey and other sports.
“Horse-racing wagerers that would access fixed-odds betting will move away from the Canadian parimutuel pools. This will dramatically cannibalize the Canadian horse-racing industry’s market share, and these operators would earn their revenue without contributing to the substantial cost of producing our content,” Lawson told committee members Tuesday.
More than two dozen U.S. states have moved to legalize single-event betting after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in 2018. The prohibition’s initial aim was to curtail match-fixing – it’s easier to scheme when there’s just one game to manipulate – but it became increasingly ineffective amid the rise of offshore wagering sites.
“We can see the writing on the wall. The legalization of single-event sports betting will see the influx of massive foreign companies and leagues entering the Canadian wagering market. Competition will be severe and racing will see market share shrink over time,” said Ford, whose group represents more than 40 racetracks across the country.
Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk – Windsor-Tecumseh’s current representative – says the bill is about protecting 2,500 casino jobs at Caesars Windsor casino as well as bolstering the pandemic-battered tourism industry and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.’s bottom line.
Why do we keep pumping money into a sport that no one cares about.