There's less than a month left before the Senate will rise for the summer, which leaves just a few sitting days to change Canada's single sports betting laws. BlackburnNews.com reporter Kevin Black examines the fate of Bill C-290.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Single-Sports-Betting.mp3"][/audio]
The final play of Superbowl 49 was a thrilling interception by Malcom Butler of the New England Patriots. It sent fans into a frenzy around the world, millions cheering a little louder, because of the wager they had placed on the game.
One game, on one cold Sunday night in February, saw more than the gross domestic product of Yemen change hands. $116-million of those bets were placed at casinos in Las Vegas, the majority of the rest was wagered online with European-based Internet sports books. This is where the average Canadian sports fan goes to place a bet on a single sport, something that's currently against the Canadian criminal code.
Three years ago, the federal government passed Bill C-290 to change that, but if it doesn't pass the senate before the end of June, the bill will die when the federal election is called in the fall. "It's become very evident the leadership in the senate has become afraid of a few grumpy senators who oppose the bill," according to Bill Rutsey, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association. He has been fighting to get the bill passed by a majority of senators since its inception. "They were angry with the government with respect to the way the senate had been portrayed. Some rule changes with respect to remuneration of pensions. So, this bill kind of became a pinata."
Windsor West MP Brian Masse is C-290's sponsor. "This is one line in the criminal code on a known bill that has been around for a number of years. It has been studied upside one and down the other. It's just a matter of making choices now." His party's leader, Tom Mulcair of the NDP, refers to the tactics as undemocratic. "It is really distressing to see an unelected senate daring to go against a bill that has been adopted by the duly elected House of Commons. I mean it's shocking really."
The windfall could be enormous for Windsor-Essex, and not just for the people looking to place bets. Expansion in gaming on the US side is a major reason for a decline in visitors to Caesars Windsor, and in turn, the number of employees. But, public relations manager Jhoan Baluyot says single game sports betting would give them an edge. "We all offer hotels, we offer gaming, but it's something different they could do over here."
However, not everyone is in favour of the change. Michelle Hatten is a problem gambling counsellor at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. She feels it will introduce some susceptible people to gambling. "When you increase the amount of people that are gambling, there's definitely going to be a number of people who develop a problem with gambling."
MP Brian Masse argues those people are already placing bets, but doing it illegally. "It's about getting rid of organized crime in this field and providing a benefit to tourism."
There's a lot of lobbying going on behind the scenes right now, including a number of Conservative MPs who are pushing the senate to bring it to a vote. But, if one senator doesn't run the ball in for a touchdown, the bill will succumb to a crushing defeat.