Lawmakers in Canada recently agreed to reject a measure that would have allowed citizens in the country to wager on single game sports betting. The option would have been regulated if the bill had been able to move forward, but support was not in place to see it through. Known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, the House of Commons voted 153 to 133 against the measure. Those who are in support of the bill stated that the vote is a victory for those involved in organized crime.
The New Democratic Party was in support of the bill, which is the more liberal party of Canada. However, not everyone was in agreement that the measure should pass. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime, spoke out against the bill, even though he is a member of the Liberal Party.
It is believed that the position of Canadian officials in regards to the sports betting option will cost the economy of Canada a great deal. Sports wagering could provide a huge stream of revenue and without regulations, organized crime will be able to use sports wagering to fund the trade of illegal drugs and weapons as well as human trafficking. Tax evasion and money laundering are also factor.
In a report by Legal Sports Report, the NDP MP Brian Maase stated that the failure of the government to regulate sports betting will prevent as much as $10 billion in revenues from the black market from making a legitimate and taxable marketplace. According to Maase, most of the MPs voted against the deal and was not able to give a good reason as to why the bill was blocked.
The failure of the bill to pass could signal the end for the push to bring single game sports betting to the country for the next few years. The support is just not currently there to see a measure pass within legislature at this time.
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