Sports Betting Canada Legal
Legal sports betting in Canada is unregulated on the federal level but gives the legislative power to the provinces. Each of them has their own unique laws for sports betting. When it comes to online gambling though, any gambling site based or located in Canada must hold a government-issued license. If you want to place bets at a brick-and-mortar establishment in Canada, you cannot bet on single sporting events. Instead, the country has an outlet similar to what Oregon offered their residents a few decades ago. A service known as Pro-Line allows bettors to wager on parlays on three games or more, in which all must be correct for bettors to win their wager.
The earliest estimates call for June, while more conservative analysis calls for late 2021. With the overwhelming support of the bill, the betting favourite for speculation would be legal. At present, a very limited amount of sports betting is permitted in Ontario, Canada’s largest province. The only platform available to bettors is called Pro-Line, which is a government-supported service that allows bettors to place bets on a minimum of 3 selections. Like a parlay bet, all 3 results have to be correct for the bet to win. It is legal to place sports bets online in Canada, but the laws surrounding sports betting sites state that any gambling website based and located in Canada must hold a government-issued gambling.
- Breadcrumb Trail Links. Sports; Scott Stinson: 'It's ruined sport.' As Canada considers legal sports betting, there are warnings from abroad. The significant change comes in the culture itself.
- The Criminal Code currently prevents Canadians from betting on a single sports event, such as the outcome of a hockey or basketball game. That’s why those who bet with, say, Ontario’s ProLine.
Offshore sports betting companies offer a much wider array of betting options than the provinces and territories are permitted to. In a positive look, the Canadian government has seemingly ignored the offshore companies, as they focus on their own in-state policies. Overall, when placing bets in Canada there are strict regulations, limits on bet sizes, and better odds available offshore than the government maintained Pro-Line.
Legality Of Sports Betting In Canada
The legality of sports betting in Canada has seen drastic shifts in legislation throughout its history. In 1892, Canada banned all forms of gambling in its Criminal Code but a major shift took place nearly 100 years later. In 1985, provinces and territories were given the right to oversee activities such as slots, charitable gaming, and lotteries. Canadian law currently prohibits single-game sports betting, so bettors are largely limited to parlay bets. This has driven a large segment of the Canadian market to online sportsbooks.
However, things are looking to change, as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act was introduced in 2016. This federal proposal looked to make single-game wagering legal but was struck down by the Canadian government. In the next year, Canada saw another change, as Ontario looked to add esports and live betting options for sportsbooks in Canada. The explosion of legal sports betting throughout the United States over the past two years has reignited the push to legalize single-event wagering in Canada, with prominent industry leaders publicly calling for legislative change. HeadsUp Entertainment Intertnational Inc. wants to enter the Canadian sports betting market, showing much interest to future revenue.
2021 Sports Betting Bills In Canada Update
Canadian Parliament has two bills they are considering that will legalize sports betting in the country in 2021. The first is Private Members Bill C-218 that would make single sporting event wagers available through retail and mobile platforms on a province-to-province basis. C-218 passed in the House of Commons after its second reading on February 17. It will move on to the next committees on its path toward legalization in 2021. Bill C-13 requests the same legalizations as Bill C-218 but on a federal level. Bill C-13 will be discussed at some point during the year.
Best Super Bowl Betting Sites In Canada
When it comes to betting on the Super Bowl in Canada, you can’t go wrong with the best betting sites. These sports betting sites offer betting lines throughout the season, making them the ideal places to wager on futures bets. Outside of the many wager options, which makes online sports betting such a major attraction to Canadian bettors is the ability to bet on the go. This is what makes top sports betting sites like MyBookie so appealing. These sites can be accessed via your mobile device’s web browser, allowing for anytime anywhere on the go Super Bowl betting. With the Super Bowl being one of the biggest sports betting events of the year, it makes sense that sports bettors will want the option to wager wherever they are.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Canada?
Thanks to online sportsbooks, anyone in Canada can legally bet on sports in 2021. Through international sports betting operations, Canadian sports bettors are able to get in on the action of all the major sporting events. These sportsbooks are regulated and legal and are able to provide some of the best odds you can find in Canada. Some of the top online sportsbooks, Bovada, BetOnline, and MyBookie are able to provide sports betting to all Canadian players. There is no legal barrier stopping sports bettors in Canada from partaking in legal sports betting. With this in mind, online sports betting in Canada is indeed legal.
Canada Sports Betting Markets
The most popular sport to bet on in Canada is hockey. Hockey is Canada’s national winter sport, and the NHL has several franchises in Canada to help spur the excitement of betting on hockey. A second sport that sees frequent wagers being placed by Canadians is basketball, more specifically the NBA. With the Toronto Raptors bringing Canada their first NBA championship, the popularity of the NBA is at an all-time high in the country leading to surge in bets on basketball. Football is also a big sport to bet on in Canada. The NFL is the league that garners the most wagers but it’s not uncommon to see many Canadians betting on their favorite Canadian Football League teams as well.
Canada’s Sports Betting Revenue
Since the Canadian government has allowed the provinces to decide what they do with their revenue, it’s tough to gauge where the revenue goes. However, in the province of Alberta, it is estimated that around 4% of their budget comes from gambling revenue, which is more than any other province in Canada. With sports betting being such a huge stream of revenue for countries, Canada has seen that there is an estimated $10 billion bet on sports in Canada every year. Unfortunately, for the country, most of that money goes into the pockets of offshore operators.
With single-game betting still illegal in Canada, it’s hard for Canadians to support the Canadian sportsbooks. The country has already started losing money to the US and offshore online sports betting sites due to this missing link. With Canada slowly starting to shift its stance on sports betting it’s only a matter of time before they start creating new cash flows for their country. When this happens, the tax benefits of legal sports betting in Canada will help fund various government programs and infrastructure repairs.
Sports Betting Canada Legal Betting
Can I Bet With A US Sportsbook From Canada?
No, as US law dictates, US-based sportsbooks can only operate in the state they are regulated in. The Wire Act is a federal law that prevents the transfer of funds across state lines or country lines that are wagered on sports. You have to physically be in the state in order to bet on sports at the sportsbook. Canadian sports bettors aren’t completely out, however, as international betting sites offer some of the best betting options available. These sites offer betting lines as good if not better than those available at regulated US-based sportsbooks. There are many options for Canadian bettors even though they can not wager using US sportsbooks in Canada.
Find Your Country:
Betting on a single sports game is currently illegal under the Criminal Code of Canada.1 While the Criminal Code prohibits single-game sports betting, it creates exceptions for a parlay-style system.2 Parlay-style betting requires an individual to bet on two or more events and accounts for approximately $500 million in legal provincial wagers.3 However, Canadians are betting close to $14 billion a year through offshore websites and illegal bookmaking operations.4 Under a new bill recently introduced by Justice Minister David Lametti, the $14 billion that Canadians gamble offshore could soon be legalized in Canada.
Bill C-13 (the 'Bill')5, which was introduced last November, would remove the prohibition on single-game sports betting in Canada and allow the provinces to regulate the industry.6 The Bill adopts suggestions forwarded in a private members' bill7 introduced earlier this year and is expected to draw support across bipartisan lines.8 The Bill comes at a time when Canada faces increased competition from America after the US Supreme Court paved the way for legalized sports betting in the States.9
Proponents for legalizing single-game sports betting in Canada point to the revenue potential gambling could funnel into the economy, bringing both jobs and economic benefits.10 The Canadian Gaming Association stated allowing single-game sports betting would serve as an economic stimulus, create hundreds of employment opportunities, and generate a significant new tax revenue stream for cities across Canada.11 Others claim removing prohibitions against single-game sports betting in Canada could have huge market impacts. In Ontario alone, one Canadian-based digital sports media company estimates $1.5-2.1 billion in annual gross gaming revenue.12
Those opposed to the legislation argue sporting events could fall prey to match fixing, undermining the integrity of professional sports. Declan Hill, an associate professor of investigations at the University of New Haven, argued in the Globe and Mail that the Bill is flawed. He contends Canada should also create a federal law targeting match fixing before legalizing single-game sports betting.13 The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport notes similar match fixing concerns.14 Further, legalizing single-game sports betting could contribute to growing addiction problems. Declan highlights easier access to sports betting could 'fuel addiction in the demographic that is not always known for making sensible choices – men aged 14 to 35.'15 With the added difficulty in monitoring underage betting, addiction problems could become more acute.
Others opposed to the legislation claim single-game sports betting creates an arena to bankrupt customers and drain money from the economy. Liberal MP Adam Vaughan, in debating the mirroring private members' bill, noted casinos take four dollars out of the local economy for every dollar that goes into it.16 Vaughan believes casinos are now looking to single-event sports betting as a way to supplement their income after bankrupting their previous clientele.
With the recent growth in the US gambling industry and Canadians appetite for gambling, the latest attempt to legalize single-game sports betting in Canada may prove successful. With the Bill garnering support from several multi-national sport organizations, the legislative change could come at a particularly poignant time when Canada's economy needs a boost from the COVID-19 pandemic.17 Parliament is expected to debate the Bill in early 2021.
Footnotes
1.Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46 s 207(4)(b).
2.Ibid.
3. Canadian Gaming Association, 'Canadian Gaming Association Urges Quick Action on Legislation for Sports Betting' (3 November 2020), online: Canadian Gaming Association (https://mailchi.mp/1f569daf0683/cga-urges-quick-action-on-legislation-for-sports-betting) [CGA].
4.Ibid.
5. 'Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (single event sport betting), 2nd Sess, 43rd Parl, 2020 (first reading 26 November 2020).
6. Justice Minister David Lametti emphasized the bill's objective was to move single-game betting into a legal, regulated environment. See Department of Justice, Backgrounder: Proposed changes to Canada's Criminal Code relating to sports betting (November 26 2020).
7. Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting), 1st Sess, 43rd Parl, 2020 (second reading 28 February 2020).
8. Matt Rybaltowski, 'Canadian Bill on Single-Game Sports Betting Tabled Until After Christmas' (11 December 2020), online: Sports Handle (https://sportshandle.com/canada-bill-tabled-121120/).
9.Murphy v National Collegiate Athletic AssociationChristie vs NCAA, 138 S Ct 1461 (2018).
10. 'Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting)' 2nd reading, House of Commons Debates, 43-2, No 025 (3 November 2020) at 1720 & 1725 (Mr. Kevin Waugh).
11.CGA, supra note 3.
12. Brad Allen, 'Finding the Biggest Winners from Expanded Canada Sports Betting' (2 December 2020), online: Legal Sports Report (www.legalsportsreport.com/46185/canada-sports-betting-winners/).
13. Declan Hill, 'Expanding Sports Betting Without Banning Match-Fixing is a Recipe for Trouble' (11 December 2020), online: Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-expanding-sports-betting-without-banning-match-fixing-is-a-recipe-for/).
14. McClaren Global Sport Solutions & Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, 'Match Manipulation and Gambling: A Growing Threat to Canadian Sport Integrity' (24 & 25 April 2019), online (pdf): (https://cces.ca/sites/default/files/content/docs/pdf/cces-mgss-matchman-whitepaper-execsum-e-web.pdf).
15. Hill, supra note 13.
16. 'Bill C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting)' 2nd reading, House of Commons Debates, 43-2, No 025 (3 November 2020) at 1730 (Mr. Adam Vaughan).
17. National Baseball Association et al, Joint Statement, 'Joint Statement From the Commissioners of the National Baseball Association, National Hockey League, Major Baseball League, Major League Soccer and Canadian Football League' (8 June 2020), online (pdf): (http://canadiangaming.ca/wp-content/uploads/Leagues-Joint-Statement.pdf).
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