Canada’s Senate has passed legislation that legalizes betting on single games or sporting events, which is currently illegal except for horse racing.
The Senate has approved "Bill C-218," a private member's bill that amends Criminal Code provisions around gambling on single sports games. The vote sent gambling shares higher as it is seen helping them win back customers from offshore websites and U.S. casinos.
After the Bill receives royal assent from the chief justice of the Supreme Court in the coming days, it will be up to each of Canada’s provinces and territories to decide how to implement legal betting on sports events such as hockey and football games.
Some provinces have said they will move quickly to get the rules in place. Previously, parlays or combinations of two or more bets into a single wager were the only legal way to bet on sports in Canada.
