Betting on the Saskatchewan Roughriders to cover the spread against BC this August is soon to be legal practice in Canada.
Bill C-218 – which legalizes single game sports betting—has passed in the Canadian Senate Tuesday, which is great news for Saskatoon-Grasswood MP Kevin Waugh, who proposed the private members bill in November. It passed the House of Commons back in February.
Waugh says this speaks to the work people have done along the way to see this come to fruition.
“Lots of sports groups (have been) loud for the last year, saying they need this Bill for various reasons, including the CFL,” Waugh said. “(Tuesday) was a great day to be a Canadian follower of sports in this country.”
Waugh says this could have a historic impact on sports in the country.
“One general manager and president said to me — from the CFL — ‘this is as big as television back in 1954,’” Waugh said. “The magnitude of single-sports betting in this country can be dated back to the 50s, almost 60-plus years ago.”
Waugh says it’s also historic on a Canadian political front.
“A private members bill that makes it through the House of Commons and the Senate is very rare, less than two percent,” Waugh said. “Being an opposition member — a back=bencher — the odds are even more.”
Waugh adds Royal Assent for the Bill could happen as early as Wednesday. It will then be up to the provinces to create their own legislation involving single-game sports betting.
Waugh adds the federal government will not be getting a kick-back from this, meaning the only money to be made at the federal level off of single-game sports betting is on the GST charged.
