Canadian provincial lottery corporations say they could launch single-game betting in time for football season, which would allow them to start competing with grey and black-market rivals directly and potentially give them a head start as the country enters a new era of legal sports wagering.
Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, has now been passed by the Canadian Parliament but has yet to come into force. However, when it does, it will allow Canada’s provinces to offer single-event sports betting on everything except horse racing.
That may happen in relatively short order, as provincial lotteries have suggested they could offer single-game wagering this year. If that's the case, bettors could then wager during the upcoming season on single football games.
British Columbia Lottery Corp., for instance, has said Bill C-218 will allow the Crown corporation to provide single-game betting “almost immediately” on its gambling website.
“Shortly after Bill C-218 receives Royal Assent, BCLC will enable PlayNow.com players to wager on the outcome of a single game or match,” the lottery said in a June 22 press release. “BCLC continues to explore opportunities to implement single-event sports betting across land-based channels, including casinos and hospitality locations in British Columbia.”
Ready to go
C-218 received royal assent on June 29. B.C., though, is not alone in its ambitions for legal sports betting.
The head of Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis said in a submission to the Senate of Canada’s banking, trade and commerce committee that tweaking the Criminal Code to allow for single-game betting would allow the Crown corporation to integrate that wagering into their gambling website this year.
Ontario, the country’s most populous province, could be another early mover. The chief executive of Ontario's lottery corporation recently said that it is now "executing on a road map" to speed up the delivery of new games after upgrading the digital infrastructure of its business.
“We’ll have a major sports betting solution that will launch by the start of the NFL season, which we're very excited about,” said Duncan Hannay, president and CEO of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., during a June 9 panel. “It'll be single-event wagering ready.”
During the same panel, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp. CEO Manny Atwal said they are likewise excited about the growing potential of sports betting.
"We're very much ready to launch that (single-game betting) on our online platform there as well when we're able to," Atwal added.
The comments from the lotteries highlight just how eager they are to offer single-game betting and how important it could be for their businesses. Canadians are already estimated to be placing billions of dollars in bets with offshore and illegal sportsbooks; now, the lotteries are preparing to fight for that business.
"We absolutely need to find ways to compete with them on sports branding," Atwal said during the panel discussion.
Furthermore, the lotteries may be able to get a jump on private-sector rivals that may be eagerly eyeing the Canadian gaming market. While some provinces may grant their lottery corporations a legal monopoly on single-game wagering, others, such as Ontario, could mix in other options.
Ontario's government is working on a competitive internet gaming market that is slated to launch in late 2021 and is poised to include sports betting. That has some companies champing at the bit, such as Toronto-based Score Media and Gaming Inc., which is already advertising itself and theScore Bet app to consumers.
Good Morning, Ontario! #C218 pic.twitter.com/8EW1gEoM1J
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) June 23, 2021
Hannay noted Ontario's population would make it the equivalent of the fifth-largest state in the United States, which has them expecting plenty of competition in what the CEO called a "frothy" market.
"We're going to see big brands coming to our marketplace with big spends," Hannay said.
Yet the OLG CEO was also confident about their prospects. Hannay said bettors know OLG pays its winners, that their money will be safe with the corporation, and that it has a solid responsible gaming platform.
"Our PRO•LINE brand specific to sports betting, we think, is also well-established," he added. "When we couple that with the right sports-betting platform and solution that we'll bring the market later this year, we think that we can compete quite effectively and we think that brand strength will really resonate with the people of Ontario."
An OLG spokesperson told Covers that the lottery was preparing to take “full advantage” of C-218 when it became law. However, the implementation of single-game betting will also be subject to the Ontario government’s desires, which includes launching a competitive iGaming market that features sports wagering.
“OLG sees the possibility of single-event sports wagering as an exciting element of our rapidly expanding digital gaming channel as well as vast network of lottery retail outlets and casinos across Ontario,” the spokesperson added in an email following Hannay’s panel appearance.
'A matter of months'
Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti noted in a statement after Bill C-218 received royal assent that the federal government supports the change to the Criminal Code the legislation makes. It will come into force on a day fixed by a legal instrument known as an order-in-council, with the date recommended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet.
"These amendments to the Criminal Code give provinces and territories the discretion to conduct and manage single event sport betting in their respective jurisdictions and offer Canadians an opportunity to place bets in a regulated environment either online or in physical facilities," Lametti said.
Meanwhile, the Canadian gambling industry has had plenty of time to prepare itself for legalization.
Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, has suggested the single-game betting could commence as early as Labour Day.
“It would be a matter of months,” Burns said when asked about the potential launch of single-game betting during a June 2 Senate committee meeting. “By the fall, you will see jurisdictions start having very robust offerings. With provincial lottery corporations, through their own sites and working with the provincial regulators, it could be weeks because the sports product is there. It’s being offered today.”
