WINDSOR — A debate and vote on single sports betting will take place sooner rather than later.
AM800 News has learned that a private members bill to allow betting on one sports game will be introduced on Tuesday, with a debate within weeks and a vote likely within a month.
It happened after Windsor-West NDP MP Brian Masse withdraw his private members bill from the order paper on Thursday, which allowed Saskatoon Conservative MP Kevin Waugh to table it sooner.
"The Conservatives have decided that Kevin can move forward with this bill, he is a member that has extensive history with this, I will be seconding the bill on Tuesday," says Masse. "What that means is we are going to have within a matter of weeks a debate and then eventually a quick vote."
Masse says Waugh came forward with this solution.
"He was one of the first orders of business and we will have to deal with this rather soon in the House of Commons," says Masse. "So this is an exciting moment for us that have been trying to change this bill and get it moving forward because I was 200 and something on the order paper, buried way back and Kevin is number 7."
Legalizing single sports betting has failed twice in Ottawa in the past seven years--dating back to Windsor-Tecumseh NDP MP Joe CoMartin, but given Michigan's recent move to legalize single sports betting, local officials believe it has put casinos like Caesars Windsor behind the eight ball.
It is estimated there is illegal single sports betting take place in Canada worth $14-billion.