The NDP's long-suffering single-event sports betting bill goes up for second reading in the House of Commons and stakeholders say the clock is ticking.
Tonight's debate is Bill C-290's second time through the House of Commons, and while it enjoyed support there, it later died in the Senate.
It's anticipated the bill will create jobs in the gaming industry across the country, including potentially hundreds in Windsor-Essex if casinos like Caesars Windsor can offer sports betting.
The cost of not moving ahead could be dire, says the CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, Matt Marchand.
"If we continue to drag our feet, and this bill doesn't get passed, it's going to make Caesars Windsor, over time, less competitive."
Vice-president of the Canadian Gaming Association Paul Burns says some jurisdictions in the U.S. are considering similar legislation.
"Most people are believing [bills are] around three to five years away."
However, Windsor West MP Brian Masse, who has been championing the bill, believes the bill's time has come.
"The provinces are much more involved than in the past in terms of getting onboard with understanding that we have revenues they can actually access," he says.
"We also have on top of that, a number of different Senators that have a different environment around them," says Masse referring to the change in government in Ottawa.