Sports betting bill passes committee
MP Joe Comartin's bill to legalize single-game sports betting cleared another hurdle Thursday after Parliament's standing committee on justice and human rights voted unanimously to send the bill to a third reading in the House of Commons."Joe's pretty positive it will pass pretty soon," Comartin's legislative aide Ian McMahon said.
Standing committee hearings are usually where bills get held up, McMahon said, so Thursday's result was a good sign.
Comartin and Bill Rutsey, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, testified before the committee and took questions in the hour-long hearing in Ottawa.
The bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code to make it lawful for any provincial government to operate a lottery involving single sporting events.
The Criminal Code allows for multiple-game sports wagering, but prohibits betting on the outcome of a single sporting event.
"Single-event sports betting would provide Canadian gaming operations with a significant competitive advantage over U.S. competitors," Comartin said in a statement on Thursday. "Studies show this slight change to the Criminal Code would generate about $70 million in wagering in Windsor alone."
MP Joe Comartin's bill to legalize single-game sports betting cleared another hurdle Thursday after Parliament's standing committee on justice and human rights voted unanimously to send the bill to a third reading in the House of Commons."Joe's pretty positive it will pass pretty soon," Comartin's legislative aide Ian McMahon said.
Standing committee hearings are usually where bills get held up, McMahon said, so Thursday's result was a good sign.
Comartin and Bill Rutsey, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, testified before the committee and took questions in the hour-long hearing in Ottawa.
The bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code to make it lawful for any provincial government to operate a lottery involving single sporting events.
The Criminal Code allows for multiple-game sports wagering, but prohibits betting on the outcome of a single sporting event.
"Single-event sports betting would provide Canadian gaming operations with a significant competitive advantage over U.S. competitors," Comartin said in a statement on Thursday. "Studies show this slight change to the Criminal Code would generate about $70 million in wagering in Windsor alone."
