SINGLE EVENT SPORTS BETTING BILL GETS BOOST IN NIAGARA FALLS AND PEI

Windsor West MP Brian Masse travelled to the Niagara region alongside Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and Larry Vaughan Board of Director from the Chamber of Commerce in Niagara to highlight his private member’s bill on single event sports wagering known in Parliament as The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act. Masse has advocated for the numerous benefits of this legislation.

The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act would amend the Criminal Code by removing the federal restriction on single event sport wagering thereby allowing provinces and territories the option to offer gaming products that will help protect and create jobs in Canada. Additionally legalizing this gaming activity would dramatically reduce billions of dollars of revenue that is currently funding the activities of organized crime, and allow it to be reinvested by the provinces in health care or other programs.

Similar to Windsor, the Niagara region would also feel tremendous benefits from single-sports betting reform with the presence of the Fallsview Casino. A study by the Canadian Gaming association found that a sports book in Niagara Falls would result in $34.4 million in gross wagers with a win for the casino of $1.7 million.

MPP Gates has been supporting single-sports wagering since he was elected in 2014. Gates has advocated for the protection of casino jobs in Niagara Falls “The passing of this bill would be enormously beneficial to communities in our riding. Single event wagering would help to grow and sustain the Fort Erie Racetrack. It would create upwards of 250 jobs–it would be huge for our racetrack and our casinos.” stated Gates.

This summer Masse has been active lobbying support for his bill and recently returned from Charlottetown, PEI to garner support from various stakeholders. There will be a vote in the House of Commons when Parliament resumes in September that will determine if this legislation will proceed.

“Currently single event sports wagering is unregulated. We need to create a safe and regulated environment to manage this activity responsibly; shifting this revenue stream into clearly identified public priorities such as improving health care, education and infrastructure. This legislation would allow a responsible gaming option to be developed if a province or territory should choose they want to do so, and take revenue from organized crime” MP Brian Masse

Masse stated, “This piece of legislation passed in the 41st Parliament, with all party support, it ultimately fell incomplete at Second Reading in the Senate at dissolution. The Bill has widespread stakeholder support from both the Business and Labour community and is important legislation to be passed for our economy.”

While in Niagara Falls, Masse will also be meeting with the various Chambers of Commerce who have publicly supported this bill.