Canada is another step closer to legalizing single-event sports betting, with a new bill proposing to overturn a federal ban on this kind of wagering recently securing approval in the House of Commons.
Currently, Canadian law only allows for parlay bets, meaning wagers must be placed on multiple selections, all of which have to come good for the parlay to win. If Bill C-218 becomes law, however, the market will potentially be opened up to sportsbooks offering single-event bets. It will signal the start of a new era, just as the overturning of a similar federal law in the US did in 2018.
Although technically outlawed, single-event gambling has not been impossible in Canada. Speaking in parliament, MP Kevin Waugh pointed out that single-event sports gambling is a $14 billion dollar industry in Canada, with the money going into the pockets of off-shore betting sites and black market bookies.
Summing up the problem with illegal betting, Waugh said, “There are no consumer protections in place. There are no problem gambling programs offered…
