By Nicholas Jerome
June 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The worldwide sports betting industry is huge, to say the least. To countries such as the UK, it is worth an estimated £14 billion a year to their economy. The explosion of online betting, as well as gambling in online casinos over the last decade or so, has only led to an increase in the popularity of sports betting. That is unless you are a resident in Canada.
Where sports betting is concerned, Canada seemed to be left in somewhat of a time warp: lawmakers refusing to allow the country to follow where the rest of the world was heading. The criminal code of Canada meant that it was illegal to bet on single events in the country.
This left Canadians unable to bet on their favorite sports unless they turned to unregulated markets. As we are half way through 2021, is this something that is about to change?
It’s been a long road
Those in Canada have long sought changes to the law surrounding sports betting. For sports fans, the appeal was obvious, but for politicians and those in power, there were also clear indications of how such a change could benefit the economy. The last major change to betting laws in Canada came way back in 1985 and have long needed an overhaul.
There have been regular attempts to have gambling laws reviewed and to open the world of sports betting to residents in Canada with some already on the lookout for a bet365 bonus code. Each time there has been an insurmountable hurdle. With no specific laws against match-fixing, betting on single events remained a concern for lawmakers and posed issues when reviewing the current betting laws.
Where Canada is now
November 2020 saw the introduction of Bill C-13 by the Liberal government. This bill sought to bring Canada into the present and open the future of sports betting. With the bill having had its first reading back in December 2020, Canada had hoped that the law would have seen a change before Christmas was upon us all.
The hope is that the bill will be revisited and passed, early in the new year. This would see new laws surrounding sports betting coming into effect in the spring of 2021.
Sports betting in Canada, 2021 and beyond
For sports and betting enthusiasts, the upcoming law change can only be a positive. The opportunity to participate in betting in a regulated market has long been sought by those in Canada.
The legalization of sports betting is also sure to draw a new crowd: rather than those who had risked a grey market for years, others are now sure to enter the world of betting. Preparing for, and harnessing, the growth in demand can only lead to a positive ripple effect through the Canadian economy.
With the deal being already done, 2021 will be a year that defines change and one that will be looked back on as truly groundbreaking.