FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2021
MASSE’S FORMER SPORTS BETTING BILL PASSED OUT OF THE JUSTICE COMMITTEE TODAY RETURNING TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FOR FINAL DEBATE IN APRIL
(OTTAWA) – Today, Brian Masse NDP M.P. (Windsor West) former private member’s bill (PMB) to legalize single even sports betting, C-218, was unanimously passed in the House of Commons (HOC) Justice Committee and returns to the House for a final debate in April. The bill was transferred to and introduced by Conservative M.P. Kevin Waugh (Saskatoon-Grasswood), a former television sports journalist, who drew the seventh slot to introduce a PMB, guaranteeing a vote this parliamentary session, which passed with 303 in voting in favour and only 15 voting against on February 17.
The gaming sector is the largest component of the entertainment industry in Canada accounting for over 250, 000 jobs across Canada. In 2018 the United States Supreme court struck down the federal law preventing States from allowing SESB. Since that time 19 states have legalized SESB including New York State and Michigan allows for sports betting in physical a casino which directly threatens the market for Canadian gaming facilities in Niagara Falls, Windsor, Ontario and across the country. Mobile sport betting, which is done through an app on phones, is already available in New Jersey and represents approximately 70 percent of all sports betting in that market and is expected to reach those levels in other jurisdictions. This is available in Michigan and many other states. It is estimated that the illegal SESB market in Canada is over $10 billion which funds organized crime.
The bill, C-218, had the support of MPs from the NDP, the Bloc Quebecois, the Conservatives and the Liberals. This is the third attempt by Masse to pass a bill to legalize single event sports betting since 2011.
“I want to thank MP Kevin Waugh for taking on this bill and using his precious early spot on the PMB order to make this a bipartisan effort. This is the third legislative attempt to get a bill passed. The two previous times it started as just a NDP bill and we built cross party support over time but it never got over the goal line either by being killed by the unelected Senate or not making it out of the House for partisan reasons,” Masse stated. “As demonstrated in the HOC’s Justice Committee’s unanimous vote today we have growing support to deal with the real challenge to our sector from United States. Today is further progress,” Masse said.
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